YOUR AD HERE »

Dillon Council hears park priorities

JULIA CONNORSsummit daily news

DILLON – Bringing a miniature golf course to Dillon remains a top priority for the town’s Parks and Recreation Committee, the committee’s president told the town council Tuesday evening during a brief update. The committee’s high ranking for putt-putt came despite a recent survey included in the town’s parks master plan that showed little public enthusiasm for a course.After hearing the prioritization, a handful of citizens voiced concerns over the profitability of a business that would only be open a few months each year. “It is not an appropriate activity in our park land,” said Dillon resident Nanci Campbell. “It’s also not an appropriate activity for our town to take on.” She added that she thinks a miniature golf course should be a private enterprise.Last year, the town set aside $320,000 from loan proceeds to build a golf course in the town center as part of its revitalization efforts. The funding is not set in stone and the council is scheduled to discuss options for how to spend the loan proceeds at its June 14 retreat.Other priorities presented included Town Park improvements, including new restrooms and a storage facility for maintenance equipment, a green room for the amphitheatre, and assessments of ballpark capabilities and the need for a town community center.The committee plans to come back to the council in the future to ask for money for some of the projects.The committee also asked for the council’s approval of the placement of a privately funded bronze deer statue worth approximately $7,000 on Denver Water Board property between Highway 6 and the Dillon Dam Road. The council approved the placement, but Mayor Barbara Davis requested the committee present additional options for the statue in the future. The Denver Water Board needs to approve the project before it can move forward. Council approves contracts for summer eventsAlso at the Tuesday meeting, the town council agreed to contracts with Great Adventure Sports to host the Dillon Bike Criterium and the Summit Prevention Alliance for its Summit County Cruisers event. The Dillon Bike Criterium, a short-course bike race, will be held Aug. 18. The course will loop from Main Street to Lake Dillon Drive to La Bonte Street and back. The town will spend an estimated $3,920 on advertising, salaries and benefits related to the event.Summit County Cruisers is a family-friendly bike event, which will take place Monday evenings through Aug. 6. Participants meet at the Lake Dillon Amphitheatre and ride on the Dillon Recreation Path. The council waived the group’s $2,400 site fee for this year. Town takes on noxious weedsThe town council approved measures to spray town property in Dillon for noxious weeds. The town will contract with the county to apply the treatment at an estimated cost of $20,500 because the only town employee licensed to spray left his position earlier this year. The council hopes to have a staff member licensed to spray by next year in order to avoid high application costs in the future. They also expect to approve an ordinance later this month that will require homeowners to remove noxious weeds from their property. Spray dates will be advertised in local publications and posted around town.Questions arise over condition of Dillon Marina Concerns over the condition of the Dillon Marina, the town’s prized summertime asset, also surfaced at the meeting. Four citizens commented on the need to improve the marina, primarily citing parking and safety issues.”You have a great world-class venue right here, and you’re not taking advantage of it,” said Gary Ritchey, an avid sailor.Resident and former Dillon Councilmember Mike Smith expressed similar concern over the state of the marina, saying that Dillon used to have the crown jewel of marinas in Colorado, but Frisco’s marina has now surpassed Dillon in quality of waterfront amenities. Last month the town council approved the creation of a master plan for marina improvements, a draft of which is expected by August. Mayor Davis welcomed the remarks and told the citizens they would have an opportunity to comment on the draft master plan later this summer.New Planning and Zoning Commission membersThe council also approved the appointments of three new members to the Planning and Zoning Commission on Tuesday evening: Lawrence Gale, Terry Novak and Kurt Sickler. Their terms, which begin this month, will expire in June 2010.Julia Connors can be contacted at (970) 668-4620.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

As a Summit Daily News reader, you make our work possible.

Summit Daily is embarking on a multiyear project to digitize its archives going back to 1989 and make them available to the public in partnership with the Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection. The full project is expected to cost about $165,000. All donations made in 2023 will go directly toward this project.

Every contribution, no matter the size, will make a difference.