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Granby approves use permit for Mountain Parks warehouse

Stephanie Miller
Sky-Hi Daily News
Byron Hetzler/Sky-Hi Daily News
ALL | Sky-Hi Daily News

Granby officials have approved Mountain Parks Electric’s conditional use permit to build a warehouse and garage adjacent to its Agate Avenue property.

The next step, said co-op General Manager Joe Pandy, includes filing a site plan for the new facility with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). Since there will be no new access points to U.S. Highway 40, Pandy expects CDOT to view the application favorably.

After certain conditions are met and if CDOT approves the site, Pandy will present to Granby’s planning commission final site and building plans. Having a garage and warehouse next to the Mountain Parks Electric building will allow for storage of equipment, such as transformers, utility poles and electrical equipment, and will be more convenient and offer better security, Pandy said.



The company’s warehouse used to be located between Orvis Shorefox and the lumber yard at the west end of town, but it sold the property to Orvis Shorefox.

Mountain Parks then bought the old El Monte property and tore down the old building to make way for new storage units.



It has been a “long and difficult” process getting the new warehouse and garage approved, Pandy said. The original application for the permit was in July of 2007.

Pandy expects the project to go into 2009.

“We appreciate Mountain Parks Electric making the changes that were suggested,” said Mayor Ted Wang, who added that a conditional use permit requires various steps. “It takes a while to work through that.”

Kum and Go annexation approved

Kum and Go, a major convenience store chain and gas station, was approved for annexation at the town board’s Tuesday night meeting.

The company is taking over where the old Mega-Matt Conoco gas station use to be. Wang believes Kum and Go will produce good sales tax revenue for the town.

“It’s something (the town) has wanted for quite a while,” he said.

Kum and Go plans to demolish the buildings on the property and build a new facility.

A site plan for the project will be presented to the board, possibly next month. The company hopes to be open sometime in the summer or early fall, Wang said.

Library district agreement discussed

Members of the Grand County Library District asked the town to commit to an intergovernmental agreement that would require the town to contribute $50,000 a year for five years to the Mountain Libraries Capital Campaign.

The members requested the money come from the town’s downtown enhancement funds, a restricted reserve fund that comes from development bond proceeds. That fund, which has a current balance of roughly $650,000, is dedicated for downtown improvements and recreation.

The board did not make a decision on the request Tuesday night, but discussed the proposal.

The reason for the request is because $250,000 in challenge grants is available to the library district if it can raise about $338,000 by March 1. The Gates Family Foundation in Denver would contribute $200,000 to the library district, and the Boettcher Foundation would contribute $50,000 if the district and the Mountain Libraries Capital Campaign meet its goal of $2.4 million by March. If the goal is not met, those grants will no longer be available.

Patrick Brower, a Granby citizen who introduced Bill Tetlow, president of the Grand County Library District, to the town board Tuesday, said developers who contribute to the downtown enhancement fund told the board of trustees last year that they endorsed the idea to use those funds for the library upgrade.

The money would upgrade the Juniper Library in Grand Lake, and the Granby Library, which were completed in 2006. The more money raised, the more funding there will be available for operations and programs, Brower explained. Brower is helping the library district raise money for the campaign.

He said he believes the money would benefit the town.

“The Granby library generates more foot traffic than any other business in historical Granby. Put that together with the post office, it keeps business in town, and draws business to town,” Brower said.

“We certainly support the library and recognize it is an important asset to this community, but we don’t’ have the resources to commit to that kind of funding level,” Wang said. “There’ll probably be additional discussions on how much we think we really can donate on an ongoing basis.”

Kirk Arnold voted on to Board of Trustees.

Kirk Arnold was voted on to Granby’s board of trustees to serve the remaining term of Mark Bujanovich, who vacated his seat. The vote passed 3 to 2.


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