Can you believe it’s August already? While March stretched on forever, summer feels like it is flying by. And while I’m certainly still very concerned about COVID19, the warm weather and ability to hit the trails is allowing me to almost feel like it’s a normal summer. We are so lucky to live in a place with so many outdoor activities, where we social distance naturally!

This morning, I hosted August’s First Friday in our virtual Zoom format along with Trustee Sandie Hammerly; we were joined by Mayor Pro Tem Mark Lish, Trustee Kevin Ryan, and Trustee Ken Lish. As First Fridays are casual in nature, and we often break into simultaneous discussions of different topics on the two sides of the table, it’s tough for me to fully recap the discussion. However, I hope it is still useful for me to give a short rundown of the topics I heard, which can help provide a pulse of the town.

Topics discussed at August’s First Friday include:

• Prairie dog pop up art: We praised the whimsical prairie dog art that is popping up around town thanks to our Cultural Arts and Public Spaces (CAPS) committee. Each prairie dog has been painted by a different artist, so they’re all very different – I would highly recommend a scavenger hunt around Superior to see how many you can find!

• Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport: Trustee Kevin Ryan shared that he and Mayor Pro Tem Mark Lish met with RMMA and a few of the flight schools last week; they will report out to the Board in more detail at Monday’s Town Board meeting. I noted that my priority is in limiting the late night (after 9pm) and early morning (before 7am) flights. Unfortunately, in the summer, it doesn’t get dark until late, and the flight schools do need to get practice flying at night; additionally, the unpredictability of Colorado afternoon storms cuts out a significant portion of the daytime, which is why many flights are starting earlier. Trustee Ryan said that we asked for the meeting to be held outside at Wildflower Park between 7am and 9am, to show the impact, but that RMMA declined this format; instead, the meeting was held via Zoom.
• 1500 Coalton: The work on 1500 Coalton Road is continuing, and we have just completed the interior demolition. You can learn more about the property and progress here, including seeing pictures of the space as it takes shape!
• Rock Creek fence color: The Town has begun painting the town-owned fence on the south side of Superior, as discussed / approved at our May 26 Board meeting. So far, all of the feedback our Board has received has been extremely positive. I also suggested that the Board
• Downtown Superior development: A resident asked about updates to the development in Downtown Superior and how it is progressing. We met with the Downtown Superior developer at our June 29 Board retreat, who proposed some changes to the approved plans in order for them to secure funding to move forward; our Board responded that even if it takes longer for them to obtain funding, we are willing to wait to see this done with a thriving commercial core.
• OSAC and PROSTAC committee merger: Our Board is discussing whether to merge the Open Space Advisory Committee (OSAC) and Parks, Recreation, Open Space and Trails Advisory Committee (PROSTAC), due to some overlap in their scope.
• New Open Space: On a related note, OSAC is seeking suggestions and preferences for the naming of the 182 acres of land we bought on the south edge of Superior along Highway 128, and rezoned to Open Space. You can click here to weigh in with your name choices!

Hope to see you at next month’s First Friday! If you have thoughts on these or other topics, I would encourage you to attend our next virtual Town Board meeting on Monday August 10th and speak up in public comment, or email the full Board at townboard@superiorcolorado.gov.