NORTH FORK TIMES
SURFACE CREEK NEWS
DONATIONS NEEDED Junior high recreation area to take flight this fall, B1
SPORTS
LEADING THE FIGHT
DELTA INVITATIONAL
Yearlong fundraising puts Pondy’s Relay For Life team at the top, 3B
DELTA COUNTY
Mae Anderson leads Delta County runners across the finish line, C5 SEPTEMBER 9, 2015 VOL. 132, NO. 36
75¢
INDEPENDENT
www.deltacountyindependent.com
Supreme Court case prompts sign review BY ANNETTE BRAND Staff Writer
Delta city attorney David McConaughy reviewed with the Delta City Council a draft of possible revisions to the City of Delta’s sign regulations at the council’s work session Sept. 1. McConaughy’s advice to the council to review Delta’s
sign regulations was prompted by the June 18 decision in the case of Supreme Court of the United States v the Town of Gilbert, Ariz. A church in Gilbert, which had no church building, held its services in different places. The church placed signs around town to notify people
where services would be held. The church’s informal signage system conflicted with Town of Gilbert’s sign regulations. The Supreme Court’s decision stated, “The sign code’s provisions are content-based regulations of speech that do not survive strict scrutiny.” McConaughy’s draft ordinance reads, “The Delta City
Council directed the city attorney and planning staff to recommend any revisions to Chapter 17.68 of the City Code in order to ensure compliance with the First Amendment as well as taking the opportunity to update and improve sign regulation and enforcement generally for the city.” During the review of the draft ordinance, the councilmembers found they wanted to receive citizen comments on several points, including size of signs, size of flags, how long signs can be placed, political signage, whether signs should be restricted in certain zoning districts, illumination of signs, and other points. Signage is a zoning matter
and the Delta Planning Commission will be required to hold a public hearing before the proposed ordinance comes before the city council at a regular council meeting. The planning commission will hold a work session immediately before its next meeting at which time McConaughy will go over the draft ordinance. After that work session, the planning commission will schedule the public hearing. The planning commission will meet Monday, Oct. 5, at city hall. The work session with McConaughy will begin at 6 p.m., with the planning commission meeting to follow at 7 p.m.
DCED seeks continued financial assistance BY ANNETTE BRAND Staff Writer
The walls come tumbling down
Photo by Pat Sunderland
The buildings that once housed Delta Sand & Gravel are being torn down and removed by the Wells family’s Dirt Merchant business. Sean Wells reports the Highway 92 property, and some of the adjacent land, is owned by an out-of-state investor. When Dirt Merchant finishes demolition, only a large garage will be left on the property.
Blasting requires full closure of SH 133
Trail builders wanted With community volunteers, a new hiking/biking trail will be built near the County Line cross-country ski area on Grand Mesa. A trail build day is scheduled for what is expected to be a colorful day, Sept. 19. Volunteers should meet at the marked County Line trailhead, just off Highway 65 on Grand Mesa at 9 a.m.
The new, non-motorized trail has been planned and approved by the U.S. Forest Service, and COPMOBA, with the Delta Chapter, Delta Area Mountain Bikers (DAMB), charged with leading its construction. Already, DAMB members have put in dozens of hours, designing the layout, clearing corridors and cutting log barriers. Alan
Photo submitted
Ace Brown, points out the view from the County Line overlook, a feature of the new trail, to Chris Davis.
INDEX
Accent ........................... A4 Activities ....................... A7 Back Page ................... D8 Bruin Tracks ................C3-6 Business ........................ A8 Church ............................C8 Classifieds .................. D1-2 Editorial ......................... A2 Legals ......................... D3-4 North Fork Times ........B1-4 Obituaries ..................... A6 School Zone .................. A5 Service Directory ........ D7 Sports ..........................B5-7 Surface Creek News ...C1-7 TV Listings ................. D5-6
Delta County Economic Development director Trish Thibodo spoke of recent and pending economic development successes achieved by DCED, working with other stakeholders, when she met with the Delta City Council in work session Sept. l. She asked for the city’s continued financial support for DCED. Thibodo recounted receiving the recent grant for $5.2 million from Colorado Department of Local Affairs to begin addressing the availability of high speed Internet through
broadband, that availability being necessary for economic development in the region. The grant was awarded to the partnership of Delta County Economic Development, the cities of Delta and Montrose, Delta County, Delta-Montrose Electric Association and Region 10 LEAP, Inc. Thibodo noted that the $5.2 million came from the statewide allotment of $20 million to promote economic development throughout Colorado. She remarked on DCED’s strong relationship with the DCED TO A3
“Ace” Brown of Cedaredge has led the project, coordinating the agency approval and working with other COPMOBA members to make the trail a reality. The new trail is expected to be rated “easy to moderate” for both hikers and bikers, with only a few short climbs, and only a few short rocky sections. The present trailhead is paved, with restrooms available on site. As a loop, the trail will be approximately seven miles long. Users can also hike or bike partway, then back to the trailhead. A lovely overlook of Island Lake and Delta County is a reward for a short hike or ride of fewer than three miles. DAMB and COPMOBA will provide tools for volunteers, but participants should bring work gloves and sturdy shoes, along with a sack lunch and water. An after-build social event will follow. Hikers and bikers are especially invited to participate, so that you can become acquainted with the trail. However, everyone is welcome to help. For further information, visit the DAMBikers Facebook page, or contact Ace Brown at 210-6006.
SH 133 will be closed Sept. 10 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. near Somerset
On Thursday, Sept. 10, State Highway 133 between MM 24 and 25.5, will be closed for five hours for rockfall work, weather permitting. The full closures will be in effect from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Traffic must be held during this safety-critical rockfall work. During full closures, crews will perform trim blasting operations, which include both loading and detonating controlled explosives. Once the blasting is complete, additional scaling and cleanup are required before the highway can reopen under singlelane alternating traffic conditions. Additional five-hour blast closures are anticipated on Sept. 14 and 17. Closure dates will be indicated on variable message boards along the corridor, www. cotrip.org and the project hotline in advance of the work. CDOT is coordinating with emergency first responders and urges motor-
ists to plan alternate routes during full closures. CR 12, which provides access to Crested Butte over Kebler Pass, will only be accessible from the south side of the work zone via Somerset during full closures. Flaggers will be present at the SH 133/CR 12 intersection to maintain access south of the work zone when full closures are in place. Kissner General Contractors, Inc., has been contracted by the Colorado Department of Transportation to perform rockfall mitigation along an 11.5-mile work zone adjacent to the south end of Paonia Reservoir. This project will reduce the risk of rockfall in the area, as well as provide measures to capture some material in the event of rockfall. Work includes performing trim blasting, rock scaling and rock reinforcement. Crews will install anchored wire mesh, a ground nailed wall, ditch improvements and erosion control. The project is now anticipated to be complete in December 2015.
RR work to close Hwy. 50
Final DeltaFest takes place Thursday
Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) crews will be working with a specialty unit of the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) to perform much-needed repair work to rails that run on U.S. 50 in Delta. The closure is expected to last five days, from Sept. 18-22. The UPRR will be removing track, grading the ballast, installing the new concrete crossing panels then relaying and testing the track. CDOT crews will then repave the highway on either side of the railroad crossing. A detour will be maintained through the work closing U.S. 50 north of the First and Main intersection and south of the City Market and Ute Street intersection. Local business access will be maintained. For project updates, visit CDOT’s website at www.codot.gov and choose the envelope icon at the bottom of the page.
The kids are back in school, but summer’s not over yet! Join the Delta Area Chamber of Commerce on Main Street in Delta for the downtown DeltaFest on Thursday, Sept. 10, starting at 5:30 and going until dusk. DJ Watchman will be spinning tunes and taking your requests at the stage at 4th and Main. Dancers from the Columbine Dance Studio will be performing at 5:30 p.m., Grand Mesa Cheer Academy cheerleaders at 6 p.m., and the Del-Rose Chorus at 7 p.m. In honor of our first responders make sure you stop by and thank members from our fire department, police department, ambulance district and TransCare Ambulance. The city will also have equipment set up and a booth where you can meet your city council members. There will be around 40 vendors and PTK Ranch will again be providing carriage rides. The Delta Street Rodders will display cars and the library district’s Tomato Fest will be underway.