Past and Future Growth in North Golden, a New Play Unveiled Tonight

Looking north from South Table Mountain with Coors Brewery below and the sun breaking through the clouds over the foothills — *Golden Eye Candy – Gunnar Tande, Jr. – Sun Breaking Through the Clouds – enlarge*

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN GOLDEN TODAY?

7:30AM Golden Young Professionals Monthly Membership Meeting @ Golden Visitors Center
9-9:55AM Silver Sneakers Classic (Virtual)
9:15-9:45AM Baby Time @ Golden Library
10AM-12PM Weedbusters @ DeLong Park (map)
10-10:30AM Call In: Mid-Morning Meditation (Virtual)
10AM Wild West Walking Tour
10AM, and 1PM Wild West Short Tour
10-10:55AM Chair Yoga (Virtual)
6PM Run Club @ Runners Roost
6:30PM Choir Concert @ Bell Middle School
6:30PM Everything Dinosaur Lecture – Stegosaurs (Virtual)

*Newly-annexed property in north Golden – enlarge*

7PM Parks, Recreation and Museums Advisory Board Meeting @ City Hall
Planner Lauren Simmons will provide an overview of plans for the newly-annexed property at the north end of town. Consultant Steve Glueck will update the group of Heart of Golden plans (remodeling the Clear Creek Corridor) and the Arts & Culture Master Plan. Robin Fleischman and Steve Glueck will update the group on Public Art Commission plans. The board will discuss plans for Ulysses Park, which will be redesigned to include multi-use sports fields. Learn more about any of these topics….

7:30PM The Oldest Boy: A Play in Three Ceremonies @ Miners Alley Playhouse (May 19 – June 11)
The official opening night of this new play is Friday, May 19th, but you can attend tonight’s preview for only $22!

See the complete calendar of events.

LIVE MUSIC

5-8PM Teague Starbuck @ Mountain Toad
5-9PM Josh Blackburn @ Wrigley’s
5:30-8:30PM Yard Art @ Goosetown Station
5:30PM Gratefully Acoustic @ Over Yonder

6-9PM Mad Dog Blues Duo @ Buffalo Rose (Sky Bar Stage)
6PM Dave Abear & Friends @ New Terrain Brewing
8PM Karaoke @ Rock Rest Lodge

GOLDEN HISTORY MOMENT

aerial view of north Golden from 1990 — *North Golden in 1990, with development just beginning – Bill Robie – enlarge*

41 Years Ago
The May 18, 1982 Golden Transcript included the second in a 4-part series detailing future growth. Several large landowners–Coors, the Foss family, the Peery family, and the Kilgroe Construction Company–were planning to develop former ranch land and private open space.

side by side maps of Golden in 1982 and 2022 — *Left – 1982 Map from the Transcript, showing projected future growth Right – 2022 Map from the City of Golden, showing “rooftops” in north Golden enlarge*

As the maps above show, most of the anticipated development has since happened. The Coors land has become Canyon Point and Tripp Ranch. The Foss land is now Mesa Meadows. The City bought the Kilgroe land, because they wanted to build new city shops. They have sold off most of the unneeded land and the area is now an industrial park. Only the Brunels have kept their land undeveloped.

aerial view of the north end of Golden, 2022 — *North end of Golden, 2022, with the Coors, Foss, Peery, and Kilgroe land developed – photo by Patrick Klein – enlarge*

The Planning Director detailed several improvements needed to support the new construction. He felt that Mitchell Elementary needed to be moved to the north end of town (which happened). He thought the junior high should also move north (which didn’t). He thought we’d need a new shopping center with a supermarket in north Golden. We have some shopping at the north end, but no grocery store. His most emphatic requirement was the need for a new fire station in the north end of town. That didn’t happen, though the existing fire station at 10th and Washington has undergone several upgrades over the past 40 years.

Thanks to the Golden History Museum for providing the online cache of historic Transcripts, and to the Golden Transcript for documenting our history since 1866!