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Wolf Creek group seeks variance for Bonanza archery range after conditional grant; county engineer raises paving, access questions
Summary
Representatives of the Wolf Creek Gun and Bow Association told the joint meeting they have a provisional Colorado Parks and Wildlife grant and seek a land-use variance so the proposed archery range can proceed without immediate paving requirements that the group says would make the project unaffordable.
Representatives of the Wolf Creek Gun and Bow Association told the joint meeting they have a provisional Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) grant and seek a land-use variance so the proposed archery range can proceed without immediate paving requirements that the group says would make the project unaffordable.
The association’s representative, Greg Dykstra, said the group has provisional CPW grant approval for $63,140 to develop an archery range on PLPOA green-belt land near Trails Boulevard and Bonanza. The proposal calls for an ADA-accessible pavilion, a beginner youth range, static targets from 20 to 80 yards, a small future classroom area and a parking area with access off a dirt road (Bonanza) to avoid requiring a traffic study and to reduce costs.
Dykstra said the association would lease land from the PLPOA and cover construction costs with grant funds, fundraising and volunteer labor; he said PLPOA is not contributing direct funding. He told commissioners the association already paid a $50 permit checklist fee and planned to submit a formal permit application by mid-March.
County engineering staff, as described in the meeting, raised requirements that could include a paved driveway and paved parking if the access is taken from a paved road; presenters moved the site to access Bonanza (a dirt road) to avoid that obligation. Dykstra said county engineer feedback included alternative driveway locations that would require building additional paved roads or removing trees, and that an engineer told the group Bonanza is scheduled for paving next year, which could create a requirement to pave the driveway and parking within two years. Dykstra said meeting an engineer-driven paving requirement would raise project costs by “a couple of hundred thousand” dollars and leave the association unable to accept the grant.
Dykstra said the group seeks a variance from paving and from a 15% landscaping requirement, and asked the county to allow a process to clarify engineering expectations. County staff told presenters the planning process requires a formal permit application and that variance requests are evaluated only after staff has an application and an engineered plan. County staff also noted that 501(c)(3) applicants have their permit fee waived under the county fee schedule; staff encouraged the association to submit engineering plans so staff could advise on which standards would require a formal variance and what public hearing steps would follow.
Safety and community benefits: presenters said the new range would provide an ADA-accessible, safer site for archery and reduce unsafe shooting elsewhere; they noted the existing Larry Fisher Range is difficult to access, steep, and not ADA compliant. The association said the proposed range could host youth programs and competitions if constructed.
Ending: Association leaders said they will pursue forwarded engineering input and a formal permit application; presenters warned that without a variance allowing unpaved access the project may be infeasible and the CPW funding could be declined.
