Week of January 5, 2023
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JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
GoldenTranscript.net
VOLUME 157 | ISSUE 3
Year in review: Golden
Jeffco’s new climate action plan addresses emissions, climate change impacts BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Downtown Golden was a fur-for-all as the beloved Goldens in Golden event returned in February after a two-year hiatus. FILE PHOTO BY DEBORAH GRIGSBY
BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Iconic Golden events return after pandemic-related hiatus
Several of the city’s major events returned in 2022 after a two-year interruption during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Goldens in Golden event returned Feb. 5 with thousands of golden retrievers and their owners visiting Washington Avenue. The iconic Buffalo Bill Days also returned to downtown Golden July 28-31. Parfet Park was packed with people for the annual festival and concerts, and on July 30, the traditional parade drew crowds of visitors and locals alike to Washington Avenue. Other events like National Night Out and business attractions like the
Coors brewery tours resumed after taking a break during the pandemic. Overall, 2022 was a return to normalcy for much of the community. CoorsTek superblock approved, offers unique opportunity for Golden
After announcing the project in 2021, CoorsTek began the public input process on its new headquarters and superblock concept in earnest in early 2022. The project to build the company’s new headquarters, along with residential and commercial space, in its superblock near 10th Street and Ford Avenue went through several community meetings throughout the winter. There, residents offered feedback on how to best incorporate the project into downtown Golden. The 12-acre property was zoned for commercial use and manufacturing,
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 14 | LIFE: PAGE 16 | CALENDAR: PAGE 19 | SPORTS: PAGE 26
and CoorsTek plans to build its new headquarters plus other mixed-use buildings there over the next 15 to 20 years. Company representatives were hoping to start construction on the superblock’s first building — the new headquarters — sometime in 2023. Throughout the public approval process, residents and other stakeholders emphasized how the project will be a unique one for downtown Golden, offering new residential and commercial space, an arts district, and more. By spring 2022, CoorsTek got the nod from the city’s Planning Commission before taking its rezoning application to City Council on June 7. Council approved the rezoning, making CoorsTek’s next step the SEE YEAR IN REVIEW, P2
As Colorado becomes a hotter, drier place thanks to impacts from climate change, county officials want to make Jefferson County a more responsible, more resilient place. The county plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the next dozen years and ensure residents and business owners are prepared for the increased risk of floods and wildfires. On Dec. 20, the Board of County Commissioners approved Jeffco’s first Climate Action Plan, which has been in the works since September 2020. “We have a single mission: to protect and hand on the planet to the next generation,” Commissioner Andy Kerr said. “Today, I am excited we are finally putting the ‘action’ in the Climate Action Plan.” Over the past year, county officials have been collecting public input on the plan with community meetings and a survey, including a public comment period this November. The Climate Action Plan outlines reducing the county’s greenhouse gas emissions by 73% from 2015 levels by 2035. It also wants to SEE IMPACTS, P5
SOCK IT TO ’EM Charity offering hosiery to homeless
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