WEEK OF MARCH 20, 2025
VOLUME 20 | ISSUE 38
FREE
Jeffco allows development despite resident opposition Grading permit moves forward for industrial warehouse near Hyatt Lake AURA DIRECTOR RETIRES P7
MMA FIGHTERS TRAIN FOR GLORY IN BOULDER
P10
BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
A taco offering at Teocalli in Olde Town Arvada. PHOTO BY RYLEE DUNN
Who has Olde Town’s best taco? It’s time for you to weigh in TALNUA DISTILLERY HOSTS OLDE TOWN POPUP P12
2025
VOTING STARTS
NOW!
BY RYLEE DUNN AND LINDA SHAPLEY RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
many options, there’s no wrong choice.
Olde Town Arvada is a taco lover’s paradise, boasting an impressive five taco shops packed into its charming streets. With so many options, the only real challenge is choosing where to go. That’s where our Olde Town Taco Showdown comes in. We’re putting these five local favorites head-to-head to determine the ultimate taco champion. From classic street-style tacos to bold, creative flavors, each spot brings something special to the table. (We only included the brick-and-mortar shops, so we did not include Ruta Libre’s excellent food truck.) Now, it’s up to you! Cast your votes for your favorite shop by scanning the QR code by 8 a.m. Friday, March 28. With this
Cochino Taco
VOICES: 8 | LIFE: 10 | CALENDAR: 13
7702 Ralston Road | 303-2845194 | cochinotaco.com/arvada Located just outside of Olde Town (but close enough for our purposes), Cochino has earned a reputation for their unique take on Mexican cuisine since opening its doors in 2021. Their elote is a fan favorite, and their vegetarian options — including their cojita cheese skirt taco — have earned them a spot in the hearts of many Olde Town regulars. Fuzzy’s Taco Shop
5760 Olde Wadsworth Blvd. | 303-438-9997 | fuzzystacoshop.com/locations /colorado/arvada Not much is guaranteed in life, but death, taxes and Fuzzy’s Olde Town Arvada location
don’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. The oldest of the cadre of Olde Town taco shops, Fuzzy’s has been serving up solid baja-inspired cuisine since 2012 and recently rolled out a breakfast menu. Can any of the newbies take down ole reliable? Only you, dear reader, can decide. SEE TACOS, P23
After two contentious hearings that spanned many hours and multiple days, the Jefferson County Board of Adjustments decided to uphold a land disturbance permit that will allow for the industrial development of a property located at 5950 McIntyre Street. While the hearing centered solely on the grading permit and not the development plans for the site, residents who live nearby have raised environmental concerns about developing the site, which center around the 40-acre site’s standing as a brownfield area. The grading proposed in the permit application calls for the Farmers Highline Canal to be moved in order to free up space for the potential industrial facility at the site, as well as for environmental monitoring wells to be moved to new locations within the site. The site was zoned light industrial about 60 years ago and was formerly the site of office buildings — though, for the last 20 years, it has sat empty. Jefferson County and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment have posited that since the Voluntary Cleanup and Redevelopment Program was completed in 2023. After over 200 people came to the first hearing, which was on March 5, and another 65 attended the continuation of that hearing on March 10, the Board of Adjustment thanked the public for speaking out, but said that the appellants of the permit — three residents who live near the site and are part of the neighborhood group McIntyre Neighbors United — fell short of swaying the board. “This is a hard case for me, because I think what we’ve heard today is very much, very indicative of the neighbors concern over SEE OPPOSITION, P12
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