33 Years Ago
In 1991, the City was building the Tucker Gulch Trail. As part of that project, they planned to remove the 9th Street car bridge over the Gulch. Since the street would no longer provide a way to drive across Ford into the Goosetown neighborhood, Coors Ceramics (now CoorsTeck) was requesting that the City vacate 9th Street from Jackson to Ford Streets. They wanted to improve access to their plant buildings by creating a gate on 9th Street.
City staff agreed with their request. Planning Director Steve Glueck reminded Council that vacating the street would relieve the City’s responsibility to maintain it. Public Works Director Dan Hartman said 9th Street handled about one vehicle per minute, and that the traffic could use 10th Street instead.
An editorial in the February 5, 1991 Golden Transcript supported staff’s recommendation.
…as badly as some residents want Ninth Street to remain open, it doesn’t look like that will happen. And it seems sacrificing that local street so that another of Golden’s high-impact employers can improve the appearance of its plant is worth the trade-off.
Forgive the bluntness, Coors, but the outward appearance of the ceramics plant has not reflected the high-tech status that your company holds world-wide. We’re delighted that is about to change.
CoorsTek now plans to redevelop their property. Their traffic study projects that the number of trips to and from that area will go from 1,282 trips/day to 9,170 trips/day. To accommodate some of that traffic, they plan to re-open 9th Street through to Ford Street.
