A commercial development plan for a new tourist attraction on 8-mile hill west of Cañon City has been set for a public hearing by the Fremont County Board of Commissioners. Plans for the Dinosaur Center proposed by Dave and Zach Reynolds secured a recommendation of approval from the Fremont County Planning Commission on July 7th. On Tuesday the Board of Commissioners announced that a public hearing on the development plan for the new attraction will take place at the Board’s regular meeting on August 11th at 10 a.m. Also set for public hearing on August 11th is a zone change request from Business Zone to Agricultural Estates on a parcel of property along Copper Gulch Road in the Colorado Acres area. Jaime Kelly and Craig Scheer want the simple zone change so they can build a house on the property.
Following a public hearing at Tuesday’s regular board meeting the Commissioners voted to approve a conditional use permit (CUP) for Vaughn Byrd doing business as B & B Septage Treatment. The permit is for renewal of an existing CUP for Byrd to treat septic waste in a tank and once treated the septage is spread on the prairie across the 40 acre site. Dr. Angela Bellantoni of Environmental Alternatives assured the commissioners that following treatment of the sewage there is no concern regarding oversaturation of the soils on site. With that assurance the commissioners agreed to replace Byrd’s existing 10 year permit with a “life of the use” permit.
Dr. John Kearney gave a presentation to the Board on the Colorado Mission of Mercy (COMOM) dental charity event scheduled in Cañon City at the Harrison School on Friday and Saturday, August 14th and 15th. COMOM began in Colorado in 2007 and once a year some 200 dentists from across Colorado gather to offer free dental care services to patients who otherwise cannot afford a dentist or have neglected dental care. The dentists will see some 1,500 patients over the two days at the event which will run from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days. Dr. Kearney said a massive number of volunteers from the community are needed to help pull off the event. If you’re interested in helping you should visit the event website at www.comom.org.
In other business at the July 14th meeting the commissioners:
- Agreed to support the Upper Arkansas Area Council of Governments’ housing rehabilitation program for low and moderate income families in the county by reducing building permit fees by $100 on each permit;
- Approved the hotel and restaurant liquor license renewal for Crossroads Bar & Grill at Highways 50 & 115 at Penrose. The owner has the property for sale but wants to keep the liquor license active;
- Voted to abandon a water tap behind the county’s Garden Park Building since the city took over the water tap to be used to water the new green area on Macon Avenue by the Fine Arts Center;
- Reappointed Michael Pullen to the county’s Board of Zoning Adjustment;
- Approved a subdivision variance for Dale Boysen on his property along County Road 3A on the way to the Royal Gorge. The variance allows Boysen to take ownership of a small triangular outlot that adjoins his curio shop as long as it continues to be used only for parking and signage.