Posted on: February 6th, 2021

Questions on 900 Pine

Introduction 1
Why is a community space needed and what might be the functions? 2
Uses not under consideration 4
Size of the Community Space 4
Zoning 5
Water and Septic 5
Parking 6
Housing Stock 6
Historical Rebuild 7
Relationship with the Fire Barn 7
Cost and Financing ideas for the Community Space 7
Financing the Purchase and initial repairs 8
Running Costs 8
Purchase of 900 Pine and group involved 9
Questions moving forward 9
How the community wants to proceed 9

Introduction

We want to emphasize that the Friends of Gold Hill Community Center (we’ll call ourselves the “Friends group” for simplicity here) would have loved to explore and resolve many of the questions that have come up well in advance of any purchase. We would also have loved to talk with neighbors and the community as a whole. However, with the speed that real estate transactions have been occurring recently and the Frank and Jennie Justin Corporation’s desire to close the sale before the end of 2020, if we wanted to create the opportunity for the community, we had to move quickly. The Friends group only found out that 900 Pine was actually available and offers could be accepted in early December. Getting a group together, making commitments and the logistics of actually buying the place over the holidays simply didn’t allow time for wider conversation.

This document contains preliminary responses to some of the questions that came up during the special GHTM meeting held on 1/25/2021. It’s intended as a “work in progress” rather than a definitive set of answers. The Friends group (owners of 900 Pine) anticipates that many of the questions will be answered collaboratively over the coming months. Many of the more detailed responses depend after all on how the GHTM decides it would like to proceed with regard to a community space and how that fits (or doesn’t fit) with the offer the Friends are making to sell 900 Pine to the GHTM. That’s a process that depends on the community. The Friends are more than happy to support and, as community members, weigh in where appropriate – but we’re not the decision makers.

The Friends group sees itself as creating a very simple opportunity for the community. By purchasing 900 Pine and offering to hold it for up to two years, we are giving the community the chance to have tangible discussions with neighbors and make real decisions regarding the needs for a community space and how that fits with the objectives of other community institutions. The time will also allow the community to evaluate the specific characteristics of 900 Pine and, if the community decides to do so, with our help raise the necessary funds to purchase it. Furthermore, if the community decides not to move forward, the Friends group expects to sell 900 Pine. Whether it serves community functions or is restored as a private residence, the community benefits!

Finally, on the questions that emerged at the recent special meeting, many (particularly those on parking, size, water and septic) would require a detailed evaluation of options along with development of a long-term vision and planning for the site. The process of more detailed site evaluation and option development needs to occur collaboratively. As a result, the Friends support undertaking this type of evaluation through a committee of the GHTM. The process is likely to take some time and would probably occur over the spring should the GHTM make a decision in principle to go ahead.

Why is a community space needed and what might be the functions?

Discussions around developing a community space (we’re calling it a “space” rather than “center” because the latter term implies something much larger) have been going on for decades with different functions being central at different times and among different groups. As a result, the “friends” group took as one of its starting points the perspective that we shouldn’t define the functions ourselves but that those should emerge and be defined through wider discussions within the community. Ultimately the uses would be defined by the GHTM (assuming it is the owner) and any agreement they reach with neighbors and other community members. Where the “Friends” group is concerned, we saw our role as providing an opportunity rather than defining (or being wedded to) any particular outcome.

The above said, the needs that have emerged most frequently in our own thinking and discussions with many others tend to require a relatively small physical space. The types of uses that have emerged at different points and are listed below should be taken as indicative since the GHTM would be the ultimate deciding body. They include:

1. A space for meetings of various types. These would range from the larger GHTM types of meetings to smaller planning or project meetings where groups of 3-5 people might join for several hours and need desk or table space to lay out maps, designs or larger documents.
2. A location to store things: This would include tables, chairs, heaters and other equipment owned by the GHTM, food for the food bank, and refrigerator freezer space
3. A place to test and demonstrate sustainability technologies: It’s seen as a potential place to, for example, develop a net-zero building by heating it with a mini-split, providing solar with battery backup, demonstrating fire resilience building and landscaping techniques, testing the viability of composting toilets, doing roof-top water harvesting and having a rain-fed community garden and/or other plants. The idea is to test and demonstrate things that reduce energy demand, reduce water demand and reduce pollution while sustaining and enhancing the natural environment. This is where a location near the school is seen as advantageous so that children could be easily involved.
4. A place for community organization and connection during the types of emergencies and disaster recovery processes when evacuation orders aren’t in place. It’s seen as a location where people could come to access WiFi and other communication systems reliably even when the power grid is down and where they could meet neighbors without getting in the way of emergency and recovery personnel who need to use the fire station. It’s not seen as a location for “shelter in place” during wildfire events.
5. A potential location for the delivery of support services to the elderly and others who need them: Several people have brought up the idea of having a visiting nurse come in monthly to deliver vaccinations or other checkup needs to elderly residents who find it difficult to get to Boulder. Similar ideas for non-medical needs such as technology support, Medicaid enrolment and insurance advice have also emerged at times.
6. A potential small co-working space: The idea has been to provide a small space where parents with kids at home (or others who need to get away) could “escape to” for a few hours work. This is particularly important for some families here because of the small size of many houses in Gold Hill coupled with the growth of remote work.
7. A location for group cooking: A location that community members could book when they want to cook as a group or have cooking classes.

Beyond these, other activities that have been discussed at times (yoga, talks, etc.) would require a larger facility.

Aside from the types of uses outlined above, one could see the “need” for a community space in much the same way that we “need” the other institutions that help to create a sense of commonality and community in Gold Hill. Many of our residents don’t use the school but the school is a central feature pulling young couples in and helping define the community. The same could be said of the Gold Hill Store or the Gold Hill Inn: some people don’t use them, others do…but almost everyone recognizes them as fundamental elements of the community. A community space would be much the same. A place where people could gather for community projects, meet people during periods of crisis, enable other community activities such as the food bank to function, access services, work together and so on. It’s much more than just a room for occasional meetings (which is what we have access to now in the Fire Barn). It’s also very different from the Inn or the Store where small meetings are possible but spreading out papers and talking for several hours would block space and undermine the business. Furthermore, at present there is no location where community project documents could be left out as long as needed (days, weeks, etc…) or where energy, water efficiency and that type of demonstration activity could take place. In sum, many of the needs a community space could address are not possible to meet with what is already in place.

Uses not under consideration

Two potential uses were mentioned at the special meeting that, as far as the Friends are aware of, have never been discussed in relation to 900 Pine or any other potential community space. These are:

1. Not for Sheltering in Place: The space would not be used to “shelter in place” during emergencies, such as major fires, when a mandatory evacuation order has been issued. The main disaster related uses that might occur would be for recovery coordination or, for example, if severe snow or flooding blocked roads.
2. Not for as a public water source: We’ve never heard serious discussions of using the space as a location for residents to meet their regular water needs.

Overall, we think it’s important to avoid general assumptions regarding what the property would and would not be used for. Assuming a committee of the GHTM is set up, uses would be worked out through broad-based community discussion.

Size of the Community Space

At present, the house at 900 Pine is small and that would fundamentally limit the type and scale of activities undertaken there. Since any additions on the site would require discussion in the community, extensive fund raising, and regulatory/historical approval, they are not likely to occur in the near future if at all. This has significant advantages in that it would give the community time to identify, discuss and agree on potential activities well before those actually occur. As a result, any additions whether to the existing building or in the form of new structures would provide opportunities for input by neighbors and the wider community.

Currently, the space at 900 Pine would be sufficient, in a limited way, for the set of activities that have been identified as potential priorities in the preceding section. It would not be sufficient for any requiring a larger amount space. As a result, the amount of space available would limit the types of activities at 900 Pine and thus, the traffic, parking, septic load, water demand and number of people using the site.

Zoning

The platted area of the town is zoned as historical. Virtually all of the potential uses identified are small scale, would involve only community members, and would not be classified as “commercial.”

In relation to other uses of public, non-residential properties in the same section of town (i.e. west of the area that is understood as available for more commercial applications), use would be much lower than the school but somewhat higher and more continuous than the museum.

Water and Septic

Where water use is concerned, it’s important to recognize that most of the demand from community uses of the space would probably be lower than for typical residential users.

In most residences, bathing, daily kitchen activities and laundry are, in addition to toilets, the dominant indoor uses of water. Elimination of showers, laundry and daily dishwashing would substantially reduce water use in comparison to typical residential patterns. Overall, as a result, even if toilet demand for water increased, there should still be a net reduction in water extraction and disposal in comparison to residential use.

Where septic is concerned, the small size of 900 Pine would limit requirements. While day-time use of the septic might be higher (if the building was occupied full time), night and morning uses – which typically place the largest demands on toilets — would be much lower than for residences. As a result, the net impact on septic use and water quality would probably be no different than if the location were used for residential purposes. In addition, one of the core ideas that has emerged in discussions is for the space to become a location for testing and demonstration of sustainable technologies. As a result, rather than expanding water and septic needs, use of 900 Pine as a community space might reduce water use and septic needs further below those that would occur in a residence.

Where septic location and size are concerned, possibilities would take further investigation for any detailed response and would depend on the GHTM’s longer-term vision for the site. As a result, specific size and location aren’t possible to specify until completion of a detailed site plan.

Where the well itself is concerned, if it dries out seasonally or has limited water, that could be addressed by installing a large cistern (possibly in conjunction with a new septic) and/or, as new residential owners would in any case do, by drilling a new well. Installation of a large cistern could benefit neighbors if it were fitted with the connection required for use by the Fire Department.

Where quality is concerned, if after testing and filtration that remains a concern, water for human consumption could be supplied, as in many residences, from bottles filled at the Ward spring or other clean sources.

Overall, the core point is that water availability and quality concerns should be relatively easy to address and would probably be lower than if the site were used as a residence.

Parking

Allocation of places for parking would depend on development of a detailed site plan by the GHTM with input from the wider community. There is substantial space in the back of the lot and potentially also in the front. In any case, given the large lot size it would be possible to develop a limited number of parking spaces without contributing to additional congestion on Pine Street.
Housing Stock

Use of 900 Pine as a “community space” would remove one residential building from the overall housing stock in Gold Hill. If, at some point in the future, community space functions moved to another location, 900 Pine could return to residential use.

Historical Rebuild

A core value to the “friends” group with regard to 900 Pine is its historical character. The current building is a classic example of the small wood frame houses constructed in the late 1800s and early 1900s. As such it would probably be possible to access funding for historical restoration from the county and similar sources.

Relationship with the Fire Barn

Several questions came in on the relationship with the fire barn and why a separate community space is required.

The core reason for a separate community space is that, with the exception of the occasional meeting, the current fire barn serves relatively few of the uses people have identified as needed. More specifically, while the fire department occupies the current building, there is no place that can be set up permanently to serve community functions such as on-going planning processes, co-working, equipment and food storage, and so on. It’s also not the type of place where sustainability projects (water harvesting, solar, rain gardens, etc.,) could be installed and demonstrated. In addition, aside from vaults, the fire barn doesn’t have water, septic or other sanitation system. Without these, any form of sustained use is difficult.

The above core reasons are amplified by the difficulty in coordinating and approving functions. The fire department has it’s own training and other uses for the single available room. This makes it difficult for community functions to utilize that room for anything much more than the occasional meeting. Insurance issues have also presented a constraint. Finally, physical access to the space is difficult for anyone with mobility challenges, particularly during winter months.

While it might be possible to address the above issues in the future by constructing a new building with spaces that are specifically dedicated for fire department and community uses, that depends on what we believe would be a much longer process of identifying a site, developing plans, obtaining approvals and large scale fund raising. This is something that could be explored in depth by the GHTM committee and others involved.

Cost and Financing ideas for the Community Space

The “Friends group” is offering to sell 900 Pine to the GHTM over the coming two years at a price that incorporates all the costs the group has incurred for the purchase, maintenance and repair plus a return of 2% annually. The price we paid was $255,00 and the assessed valuation in its current condition is $300,000. All expenses and original purchase costs will be fully documented with receipts should the GHTM decide to move forward.

Costs for urgent repairs (the roof, porch and some electrical) and the septic will be estimated as soon as possible. Given the extensive training he’s had, the Friends group has full confidence in the inspection undertaken by Dan Maedke prior to our purchase. We also have pictures that Denver took documenting repairs in less accessible locations. Beyond this we anticipate obtaining an additional evaluation regarding structural conditions including the foundation. Estimates for the costs associated with these will be communicated to the GHTM as they become available.

Financing the Purchase and initial repairs

Financing purchase of 900 Pine by the GHTM should be possible to achieve over a two-year period from the following types of sources:

1. Tax-deductible donations to the GHTM by community members and other individuals who love Gold Hill;
2. Grants from county and state sources including, given the historic nature of the building, sources targeted for historic preservation.
3. If larger purposes related to climate and resilience or similar issues can be well articulated, grants from private foundations;
4. Donations from businesses;
5. Fundraising events organized by the GHTM, “friends” and wider community;
6. If appropriate, volunteer contributions toward specific repair or improvement needs.

Experience with fundraising suggests that if the community is solidly behind the project, the unique character of Gold Hill would make fundraising fairly easy. Boulder County is wealthy and Gold Hill is well loved by both the county and many residents and businesses. Efforts to maintain the unique characteristics of Gold Hill while also improving its viability as a community, its environmental sustainability and its resilience to disaster would receive widespread support and with that the possibility of significant financing.

Running Costs

Where running costs are concerned, the most common way of covering those is through user fees. Anyone wishing to use the community space for a personal use (work space, musical event, etc…) would pay a small fee. In addition, any projects implemented by the GHTM that use the community space could charge a small overhead fee that would go toward running costs. Finally, the users could host annual fundraising events such as those held by the Museum and school. Since the community space would be owned by the GHTM, it would not have to pay property tax. As a result, the main costs would be insurance, power, heat and on-going maintenance.

Purchase of 900 Pine and group involved

Where the original purchase of 900 Pine by the Friends group is concerned, as discussed at the recent special meeting, the process was relatively straightforward.

Several of us heard through word of mouth that the property was for sale and that offers could be accepted. Since three or four of us had already thought about joining together to purchase some property for community use (and had actually looked at 601 Main Street when that went up for sale a few months ago), we reached out to others who might be interested in joining in the purchase effort. We also reached out to Rich Lopez and engaged him as our lawyer to help on the purchase.

Ultimately a group of 10 people (Marcus Moench, Elisabeth Caspari, Jessica Brookhart, Todd Swift, Gretchen Diefenderfer, Michael Albes, Erich Gundlach, Lacey Story, Mark Elder and Dina Elder) committed sufficient funding to make an offer. Four other individuals also indicated willingness to contribute but ultimately didn’t join since the group already had sufficient funding committed for the purchase. Since the Frank and Jennie Justin Corporation (the sellers) wanted to close before the end of the year, the Friends group had an inspection done and made an offer of $255,000, slightly above their asking price. That offer was accepted and the deal closed.
Questions moving forward

How the community wants to proceed

The main question going forward seems to be how the community would like to proceed.

Establishment of an active committee of the GHTM to evaluate community space requirements, look at the role 900 Pine could play and answer the many questions involved with it (or any other site) would be a logical next step. If the GHTM decides to do that, the Friends group would happily support the process. If not, the Friends group would, as private owners, make it’s own decision on how to proceed with the property. In any case, the current tenant has a lease that extends through April. As a result, while estimates are being collected for important for essential repairs and renovations, no major work or other changes regarding the property are likely to occur before then.