Eyesore on Main Street finally demolished

Written by Linda Kirkpatrick on Monday, March 13 2017.

The green cottage that was once home to Evergreen Crafters came down last week. It was like saying goodbye to a beloved grandmother who'd just turned 117 and been on life support for 15 years. The building had housed a number of enterprises over the years, but since the mid-1900s had been known as the home for Evergreen Crafters. Everyone had favorite memories of the place, many recalling the cedar smell that permeated the air and created the perfect atmosphere for buying everything from moccasins to lamps and knives.

Evergreen Crafters had to vacate the building in 2008 when an infestation of raccoons reportedly made the building structurally unsafe. The store, still filled with the treasures that made it a favorite, relocated across the street at the end of the big parking lot.

The building had been vacant for nearly nine years, changing from being the focal point of Main Street to being an enormous eyesore. It was a slow and painful death for downtown merchants to witness, sporting the abandoned, disheveled look for eight years; parts of it were demolished in 2016, leaving just the portion that dated back to 1900. A nod of appreciation goes to Jeff Bradley for finally pulling the plug.

According to an article in the Canyon Courier, the Ross-Lewis Trust plans to turn the corner into a park of some sort. Current building codes preclude the ability to rebuild anything practical in that spot.

Photo courtesy of Beth Riser.

Former Crafters building coming down

Written by Staff Editor on Tuesday, February 16 2016.

No details yet on what might take its place – but in case you haven't driven down Main Street lately, the former Evergreen Crafters Building in downtown Evergreen is being demolished – finally! The building has not been inhabited for a number of years due to a lack of structural integrity.

Flood updates

Written by Staff Editor on Monday, September 16 2013.

Click here for recent photos of flooding in the Evergreen area.

For updates by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, click here.

STATUS REPORT FROM LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN WATER DISTRICT - Sept. 16 - noon

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN WATER DISTRICT ANNOUNCES WATER HAS BEEN COMPROMISED- LMWD supply line has been compromised. Repairs are expected to take several days. Customers are to reduce usage and prepare for outages. Conserve for the next 3-4 days. District is using stored water safe for consumption. Affected areas include north of I 70, to the face of Golden Gate Canyon and to west of Mother Cabrini to the Genesee exit www.lookoutwaterdistrict.org 303-526-2025.

OFFICIAL REPORT FROM THE EVERGREEN METROPOLITAN DISTRICT

Status report as of Monday, Sept. 16, 2013, at 7:00 am.

Fire District fiscal concerns and recommendations

Written by Linda Kirkpatrick on Tuesday, February 02 2016.

In November, a community task force pulled together by the Evergreen Fire Department began meeting to study and make recommendations to the district board about significant financial concerns impacting the district.

According to Fire Chief Mike Weege, the final meeting in January 2016 was also the District Board meeting. "There was a lot of discussion again about expanding the capability of EMS (Emergency Medical Services) to include the upcoming Community Paramedicine. There is legislation in the works that would define Community Paramedicine and put it under the control of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

"The District Board felt there are too many moving parts and too many unknowns about the future of pre-hospital care to support dividing the fire department by breaking off EMS."

The task force did support the fire department's need for additional funding, Weege reported.

Overview of revenue shortfalls:

Dramatic decrease in property taxes (2011-2015)
EMS billing as a result of

No-fault auto insurance (shifting medical coverage from auto insurance to a person's healthcare policy)
Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (Medicare assignment rule phased in over 4 years, reducing from 80% to 50% to 30% to 0)
Government Sequestration in 2013 (loss of 6% of the total reimbursement of Medicare over 2 years; plus decreases and expiration of rural bonuses)
The Affordable Care Act (Medicare and Medicaid are essentially unfunded mandates

in Evergreen 68% of EMS patients are 60 or older and Medicaid patients have increased 530% in past 2 years
mandated write-offs were projected to be $510,000 in 2015, approximately 1/3 of what was invoiced)

Strategic Planning focusing on wildfire protection and prevention

Fire Station #1 needing to be replaced

Written by Staff Editor on Monday, December 07 2015.

Part 3 of a series on financial concerns of the Fire District

The Evergreen Fire Protection District (EFPD) has called together a Community Task Force to address declining revenues and its inability to keep pace with increases in operating costs and to fund Reserves. Replacement of Fire Station #1 is also being proposed.

Background:

Station #1 was built in 1965; 50 years old.
It is located just south of the dam. Proximity to historic downtown important.
Previously used to house administrative offices, now located at Station #2 in Bergen Park.
Currently stores seven trucks for structure and wildland fires.

Reasons why Station #1 outdated:

Bay door openings not large enough for modern fire equipment
Apron out front too small for largest truck to pull out – nose sticks out into traffic when closing garage door.
Plumbing and electrical needing replacement.
Roofing has had temporary fixes
Windows and siding require replacement
Back-up generator requires replacement

Other considerations:

Footprint too small for enlarging at that location.
Parking across Hwy 73 necessitates firefighters crossing the highway.
Wouldn’t need administrative offices.
Would need sleeping quarters, kitchen, conference/training area.
Plans to widen Hwy. 73 south of the fire station do not currently include the area that close to town, but it is a bottleneck.

Options:

Replace Station #4 at the S curves along Hwy 73 with a larger building.
Or find another parcel of land close to downtown.
Ask voters to approve a bond in 2016. This would be separate from a mil levy request.

The Community Task Force will meet a third and final time this week to review the need to replace/update Station #1.