And therein lies the rub (see related stories and public commentary here):
John Stroud:
"The new attractions are part of Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park's five-year expansion plan, which was approved last week by the Garfield County commissioners."
Other items in Stroud's piece today that sound like they're going to stir the pot of public commentary:
"...The new coaster is modest by steel roller coaster standards. The Cliffhanger tops out at about 54 feet, compared to the tallest roller coaster in the world, the Kingda Ka, at 456 feet, located at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey...."
"....A portion of the coaster will be visible from parts of Glenwood Springs extending above the piñon-juniper tree line, according to the master plan that was presented to the county last week. However, the steel framework is to be painted a dark color and should blend in with the hillside, according to the plan....."
"...“The good thing about this is it will double our capacity, from 1,100 rides per hour to 2,600 rides per hour,” he said. “That will significantly help with the line waits.”...."
(Read the article? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
7 comments:
lol.
"The good thing about this is it will double our capacity, from 1,100 rides per hour to 2,600 rides per hour,” he said. “That will significantly help with the line waits."
Right.
Would that be per day or per entire season?
This is just so, so bogus. Paint it a dark color? That would be factory powder coating, right? Does Steve have any idea whatsoever what that is going to cost him on that little detail he obviously didn't think about until all the fuss from out here came in? Does Steve realize he better have those 11 semi's unload at wherever he has hired to do that factory paint because that kind of thing doesn't happen with a paintbrush and a family paint day.
You know, the really sad problem here is that another abuse of power in letting this ram through the bocc is a real problem for the locals. Count on it that they are going to bring Granny and the kids up to the Caverns park even less than they already do.
Beckley and his boys really need to step back and look at a lot bigger scope than they are. Thanks for putting up a link to our other posts, Nanny.
riddle me this:
1. if it was equal billing for all businesses in 81601 for advertising with tourism dollars nobody could or would say a word that Beckley's out paying mega bucks roller coasters and then spending matching or more to paint it an acceptable to the peeps and natural wildlife color. Can't have those deer, elk, bear and mountain lions up there freak out over pink and green cliffhangers.
2. but the truth is that Beckley has enjoyed a free ride to the tune of mega, mega bucks in advertising dollars that are public funds. for a long time. if the numbers were ever investigated like they should be against what his capital increases are on the bottom line, that coaster probably belongs to the peeps.
here's the riddle:
what's the real monetary benefit to the peeps of 81601 since we're already really in the hole thanks to the big boys flowing that advertising dough their way?
My first impression here is that Steve was pretty sure of himself being blown past all the rules and regulations of Garco development before he even bought this equipment. Since when is it either assumed an expansion can happen without following everyone else's rules?
Dark green? Sure it's better than sage, I guess. But paint it? What happens when that non-factory paint job chips and peels? It's a roller coaster, for gosh sake. A paint job will never hold up especially 34' in the air. Who's going to climb up and keep the paint job maintained so the thing isn't an eyesore? High school kids?
Noise. What he has now can already be heard on Traver Trail. Slap all this on top of the mountain and every type of wildlife will never, ever return. Who's looking after the environment on this? Where's all these activists who gripe and groan about a gas well 20 miles from their house? That coaster and the screams are going to carry in sound clear across Glenwood and the canyon in all directions.
What a perfectly lousy idea this is. But where it really smells is in the carte blanche nod Beckley and the Lion's are getting from BOCC and the city.
Nobody will ever catch me being an all the way advocate for land development codes. Especially in Pitkin and Garfield counties. Both counties rank in the high category of worst in the nation for senseless obstructions for development and construction.
But. There have to be basic rules and regs. The no-brainer kind have to be a given.
Garco BOCC just let Beckley the Lion slap a roller coaster in the middle of what amounts to wildlife and public land. A roller coaster that hangs out over a cliff and one of the most traveled and famous canyons in the world. We already put up with hearing the screams on a clear day of folks on the swing. At least those screams are limited on one or two people in the swing at a time.
Now we can proudly claim to hold a capacity for 2,600 screamers a day? Dozens at a pop if the cars on the coaster are full?
It's pretty rare that Garco BOCC falls flat on their face with a major screw-up and man, they really did it this time. Talk about a biff.
Notice not a word from city council. But then again I missed watching last week's mtg. Somehow I doubt that this major ball drop got brought up though.
There are some days that Elitch's can be heard around 20 blocks away. Say goodbye to all wildlife in the area and probably clear out past No Name. Animal hearing is far more sensitive than human. Especially funnel driven in both west and east canyon. Beckley's a great guy but this isn't as easy for these guys to backtrack over and clean-up like Schneider's bar and grill misstep. What it is, is senseless for BOCC and council to let this get this far.
That's per hour not per day. Anybody can see that 1,100 rides per hour is not going to happen let alone 2,600. The point is that it's not just the major wildlife that will suffer from the noise and assault of not just screamers but the noise of the rides themselves. We have raptors in that area and more small wildlife than can be counted. That's a protected public land that surrounds Beckley. What a biff this is by Garco is a clear understatement and that's saying quite a bit right now. The caverns are the attraction not the add-ons to rake in more cash sales and visitors. The caverns are what the people approved after a long and hard battle to get that done. This should be reversed because if allowed to be built it will destroy a lot more than the wildlife and land around it. How disappointing to see Steckler, Leahy, McKinney and Bershyni vote down Svatos and put in their good 'ol boy Hooner. And even let Moak come back for the chamber. That should just about clinch ability to get rid of McKinney, Steckler and Bershyni at next council election time. hammer's right and has been right all along. All roads lead to back to Rome and the chamber and the marketing dollars. Now that it's right out there in the open that our council and commissioners will protect that cronyism at all costs and ignore what's right in front of them we all need to step back and regroup. I've got family in Oasis Creek and I don't want this. Neither do they. How clever of Beckley and company to go around city council and over to county. That probably has backfired or will backfire on them more than they know. If you do not have locals supporting marketing efforts and instead shouting out the air smells foul you've hurt us all.
I find it disgusting that we haven't heard more on these concerns.
Has anyone looked at the damage to the caverns themselves from the vibrations of running these carny rides over the top of them?
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