S'thorne gives businesses leeway with lighting code by next year's deadline

SILVERTHORNE - Silverthorne businesses won't have to comply with one section of the Town's lighting code by next year's deadline, pending a revision to the lighting ordinance.

The revision would exempt businesses from complying with a section of the code that says the maximum height for outdoor light fixtures is 18 feet at commercial buildings. Instead of meeting a Sept. 15, 2008, deadline, businesses would need to change non-compliant fixtures only in the event that they are replaced.

At a work session last month, the Silverthorne Town Council concluded that the cost to businesses of replacing all out-of-compliance fixture would create an undue hardship.

The Silverthorne Town Council passed the revision on first reading Wednesday. It will be back for second reading and a public hearing at the council's next meeting.

The council adopted its current lighting code in December 2003 with a compliance deadline of Sept. 15, 2005. That deadline was later extended by three years.

<b>Silverthorne sets fishing policy for new pond</b>

Regulations at the new Willow Grove Open Space Pond will be the same as those at other Town-owned ponds at Trent Park and North Pond Park.

Fishing is only permitted with flies and lures at the catch-and-release pond at the end of Mesa Drive.

The Town will post signs notifying anglers of the regulations.

Silverthorne purchased the 11-acre Willow Grove property last year as part of its ongoing Blue River Experience, an effort to develop a network of parks, trails and open space around the Blue River.

<b>Silverthorne tunes up nuisance code</b>

The Silverthorne Town Council passed an amendment to the Town's nuisance ordinance on first reading Wednesday that would allow Town officials to enter a home to inspect for noxious weeds or trees killed by the pine beetle that have been deemed a nuisance.

The council adopted ordinances earlier this year setting a timeline for residents to remove pine beetle trees and noxious weeds before the Town can declare them a nuisance, send a crew in to take care of the problem and bill the property owner.

This most recent ordinance provides a cross-reference in the Town code to support the Town's enforcement program.

The ordinance also adds a comprehensive nuisance abatement section allowing the Town to obtain a court order to handle any nuisance and bill the landowner for the cost.

The ordinance still needs to pass on second reading.



Nicole Formosa can be reached at (970) 668-4629, or at nformosa@summitdaily.com.