HomeMy WebLinkAbout2.0 BOCC Staff Report 12.16.2002Exhibits for Glenwood Caverns. LLC Public Hearing held on December 16, 2002
Exhibit Letter
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Exhibit
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Mail Return -Receipts
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Proof of Publication
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Garfield County Zoning Regulations
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Garfield County Comprehensive Plan of 2000
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Project Information and Staff Comments
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Glenwood Caverns, LLC, Special Use Permit Application — November, 2002
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Review Agency •Form, City of Glenwood Springs, November 26, 2002
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Letter to Glenwood Tramway, LLC, Charles Peterson from Robin Millyard,
Public Works Director, City of Glenwood Springs, December 6, 2002
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BOCC 12/16/02
MLB
PROJECT INFORMATION AND STAFF COMMENTS
REQUEST:
APPLICANT:
LOCATION:
SITE DATA:
ROAD ACCESS:
PROPOSED ACCESS:
EXISTING ZONING:
SURROUNDING ZONING:
I. HISTORY:
H.
A request for review of an amended Special Use Permit to
allow for a Commercial/ Recreational Facility
Glenwood Caverns, Inc.
Glenwood Fairy Caves, approximately 0..5 miles North of
the City of Glenwood Springs
78.83 acre parcel; BLM land to the North and West of the
property
Transfer Trail
Pulse Gondola, Transfer Trail
Agricultural/Industrial (A/I)
Open Space (OS); City of Glenwood Springs
On April 5, 1999, the Board of County Commissioners approved a Special Use Permit
application for JMB Properties to allow for a Commercial Recreational Facility/ Park in the
Agricultural Industrial (AI) zone district. This approval granted the current use for the
Glenwood Caverns and Historic Fairy Caves operation.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSAL:
The applicant is proposing to modify the existing Special Use Permit approved by
Resolution No. 99-065. Resolution No. 2002-47 amended that resolution and contains
Condition 1.(m), which requires the tramway and upper building to be completed by
December 31, 2002, which the applicant is requesting that the time be extended.
Additionally, the applicant is proposing to change the method of sewage treatment from
Individual Sewage Disposal System to the City of Glenwood Springs sewage system, which
would remove Condition 9 and meet the requirements for Condition 8., which allows the
restaurant to be expanded.. The applicant received approval to construct a 4,300 foot long
tramway that will originate from a three (3) acre parcel in Two Rivers Plaza and extend to a
9,400 square foot visitor's center at the top of the cave property. The initial phase of the
tramway will include 8 gondolas in 4 groups of 2. The ultimate build out for gondola
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capacity is 36 gondolas in 12 groups of 3. Each gondola car has the capacity to handle 6
passengers.
The visitor's center will include an open deck, retail shop, food and beverage services, a
meeting room, and office space.
III. REFERRALS/ APPLICANT RESPONSE:
City of Glenwood Springs- The City Community Development Director, Andrew
McGregor noted that the connection to the City wastewater collection system will require
approval of the City's Water/Wastewater Department. (See exhibit G pg. 6) As noted in
the memo from Mr. McGregor, the application has been reviewed and approved by the City
Public Works Director, Robin Millyard. (See exhibit H pg. 7)
IV. PROJECT INFORMATION/ STAFF COMMENTS:
A. PROPOSED ACTIVITIES ON SITE: The applicant indicated several proposed and
future plans for the property during the initial application.. The immediate proposed
uses for the property included the installation of the Gondola top station for loading
and unloading of visitors and a 9,400 square foot visitor's center that will be used for
retail, concession services, and public restroom facilities. The concession area is to
be approximately 1,800 square feet with a 2,500 square foot deck. Additional
activities to be offered on the site include a covered picnic area, nature trails,
gemstone sluice mining, geode cutting, astronomy observatory area, and a fossil dig.
The passenger gondolas will be able to accommodate bikes so individuals may ride
down Transfer Trail. Future plans for the site included upgrading the restaurant
within the visitors center to be a more full service establishment. The entire food
service area includes 60 seats for food and 40 seats for food and alcohol. The limits
on the restaurant were based upon septic constraints. The restaurant was to be
upgraded once sewer is tied into the City of Glenwood Springs sanitary services.
The upgrade of the restaurant facility was contingent upon the approval of the City of
Glenwood Springs agreeing to allow for the connection to the city's sewer system.
B. WATER: The applicant provided a letter from Robin Millyard, Public Works
Director for the City of Glenwood Springs as a part of the initial application, stating
that the City can and will serve the Glenwood Caverns use. The physical water tap
will be located on Lot 1 of the Two Rivers Plaza Subdivision and the applicant will
transfer the water from that location to its point of use. The City will required the
applicant to enter into a pre -annexation agreement in exchange for allowing the
water to serve property outside the corporate limits of the City.
C. SEWER: The applicant originally provided ISDS design plans for three individual
systems. System A would handle wastewater from the men's restroom; System B
would handle wastewater from the women's restroom; System C would handle
wastewater from the paper service restaurant/bar kitchen, employee bathrooms, and a
caretaker's unit. To be exempt from State Site Application Regulations the design
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flow had to be less than 2,000 gallons per day and the leach fields had to be
separated by at least 360 feet. An amended system design was approved by the
County that met these criteria.
The applicant is proposing to amend the method of sewage disposal from the ISDS to
a connection with the City of Glenwood Springs sewage disposal system. The City
is willing to accept the sewage from the visitor center/restaurant via a sewage line
that will hang from the gondola towers. Sewage from the visitor center will filter
into a 1500 gallon grease trap, then into two 2500 gallon septic tanks with baffles,
then into a 7000 gallon effluent storage tank and then pumped into a line that feeds
directly into the City's system.
D. HOURS OF OPERATION: The hours of operation for the site will be from dawn to
dusk, except for special events. All special events will be accessed by vehicles, not
the tram.
E. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLAN: The design, construction, maintenance,
and operation of the Glenwood Caverns tramway is reviewed and approved by the
Colorado Passenger Tramway Safety Board (CPTSB). This Board is responsible for
reviewing the evacuation plan, lift maintenance, operator training, record-keeping,
and ensuring that the tram has an independent power source to drive the lift in the
event of a power outage. The applicant submitted a letter regarding the standards of
the CPTSB as a part of the initial application. Tramway approval from this board is
included as a condition of approval. Additionally the applicant committed to
maintaining Transfer Trail in the winter months through snow removal so that
emergency vehicles can access the site. Emergency medical services can also use the
tramway for faster access and tramway carriers are designed to be ADA accessible.
F. ACCESS EASEMENTS: The applicant has obtained legally adequate long-term
access easements for all of the proposed towers of the tramway.
VI. GARFIELD COUNTY ZONING RESOLUTION:
Section 5.03 Conditional and Special Uses states,
As listed under the Zone District Regulations, conditional and special uses shall conform
to all requirements listed thereunder and elsewhere in this Resolution plus the following
requirements:
(1)
Utilities adequate to provide water and sanitation service based on accepted
engineering standards and approved by the Board of County Commissioners shall
either be in place or shall be constructed in conjunction with the proposed use;
Water to the site will be provided by the City of Glenwood Springs and sewer
service will be accommodated through connection to the City of Glenwood
Springs sewage treatment system.
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(2) Street improvements adequate to accommodate traffic volume generated by the
proposed use and to provide safe, convenient access to the use shall either be in
place or shall be constructed in conjunction with the proposed use;
The traffic generated for this use will be directed to Lot 2 of Two Rivers Plaza for
parking accommodations. The application approved by the City has a parking lot
located at Two Rivers Plaza that will consist of 118 spaces and will also be able to
accommodate bus traffic. Individuals will ride a pulse gondola to the caverns
attraction.
(3)
Design of the proposed use is organized to minimize impact on and from adjacent
uses of land through installation of screen fences or landscape materials on the
periphery of the lot and by location of intensively utilized areas, access points,
lighting and signs in such a manner as to protect established neighborhood
character;
The profile of the tramway has been designed so that the gondolas will pass above
the existing trees, thus minimizing the visual impact of the hillside. The proposed
building is to be constructed along the slope of the hillside and is largely screened
by surrounding vegetation. The applicant has indicated that the building will be
painted with earth tones, and tramway towers will have a grayish tone to reduce
reflexivity. The interior of the gondolas will not be lighted, nor will the tops of
the tramway towers. The only lighting that will be used on the site will be low
level surface lighting at the building.
VII. SUGGESTED FINDINGS:
1. That proper public notice was provided as required for the hearing before the
Board of County Commissioners.
2. That the hearing before the Board of County Commissioners was extensive and
complete, that all pertinent facts, matters and issues were submitted and that all
interested parties were heard at that meeting.
3. That for the above stated and other reasons, the proposed special use permit is in
the best interest of the health, safety, morals, convenience, order, prosperity and
welfare of the citizens of Garfield County.
4. That the application is in conformance with the Garfield County Zoning
Resolution of 1978, as amended.
VIII. RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends APPROVAL of the amended special use permit, based on the
following conditions:
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1. All conditions of approval contained in Resolution No. 2002-47 shall remain in place,
except for those conditions amended by this resolution.
2. Condition No. 1. (m) of Resolution No. 2002-47 shall be amended to read: the / /
applicant shall complete construction of the tram and visitor's center by 5, Li )
2003. `/0:T
3. Condition No. 8 of Resolution No. 2002-47 shall be amended to read: The applicant
will receive final approval of the as built sewer system connecting the Visitor's Center
and associated facilities, from the City of Glenwood Springs prior to issuance of the
permit. Additionally, the applicant shall obtain a license from the Colorado
Department of Health and Environment, Consumer Protection Division, for the
restaurant prior to opening the restaurant. Copies of the license and a letter approving
the as -built construction of the wastewater collection system shall be submitted to the
County Planning Department prior to issuance of the Special Use Permit.
4. Condition No 9 of Resolution No. 2002-47 shall be deleted.
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GARFIELD COUNTY
Building & Planning Department
Review Agency Form
RECEIVED
NOV 26 2002
Date Sent: Novem ( Fu
! A N IN
Comments Due: December 5, 2002
Name of application: Glenwood Caverns Special Use Permit
Sent to: Glenwood Springs Planning Department via Hand Delivery
Garfield County requests your comment in review of this project. Please notify Mark
Bean in the event you are unable to respond by 12/06/02. This form may be used for
your response, or you may attach your own additional sheets as necessary. Written
comments may be mailed, e-mailed, or faxed to:
Garfield County Building & Planning
Staff contact: Mark Bean
108 8th Street, Room 201
Glenwood Springs, CO 81601
Fax: 970-384-3470
Phone: 970-945-8212
E-mail: mbean@garfield-county.com
General comments:
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Revised 3/30/00
December 6, 2002
Glenwood Tramway, LLC
Mr. Charles Peterson
302 8TH Street, Suite 325
Glenwood Springs, CO 81601
Subject: Water and Wastewater Service to Glenwood Caverns, Inc.
Dear Chuck:
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EXHIBIT
The purpose of this letter is to confirm the City of Glenwood Springs' ability and willingness to
receive wastewater discharged from the operations of the Glenwood Caverns. The City of
Glenwood Springs has agreed with the proposed methods of storing, pumping and transporting
wastewater flows resulting from the operation of restaurant and cavern attraction on Iron
Mountain.
As indicated in my letter of March 14, 2002 to Mr. Steven Beckley, the City has also agreed to
provide water to Glenwood Caverns via a 2" water service located on Lot 1 of the Two Rivers
Plaza Subdivision.
City staff looks forward to continuing the refinement of details regarding the intriguing
challenges of providing these services to a remote location via the tram.
If you have need of further clarification regarding the City's willingness to provide these
services, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Robin Millyard
Public Works Director
XC: Mike Copp, City Manager
Buddy Burns, Water/Wastewater Superintendent
101 WEST 8T" STREET, GLENWOOD SPRINGS, CO 81601 PHONE: (970) 384-6400 FAX: (970)945-2597