By Will Cornelius
The Surveyor
Berthoud may get a new golf course and the town could be the owner. On Tuesday night, Sept. 9, Berthoud’s Board of Trustees listened to a presentation on a possible Berthoud Golf Park concept.
Public comment was lively, with a petition on a two-story height limit along Mountain Avenue and demands for greater transparency and communication around the town’s purchase of the former Sonoco building at 290 Mountain Ave.
Berthoud Golf Park concept
The odds of shooting a hole in one are 12,500 to one, according to PGA America. But local club pro Jeffery McNair thinks he can improve the chances for Berthoud residents.
Called the “Berthoud Golf Park,” he wants the town to develop a short-course municipal golf facility. The concept is for a shorter course, nine to 12 holes, on non-traditional golf properties.
Town Administrator Chris Kirk described it as a community golf park. On Aug. 6, McNair presented the idea to the Parks, Open Space, Recreation and Trail (PORT) committee, which recommended Berthoud trustees hear it too.
The course design would be simpler and more laid-back than traditional 18-hole courses. McNair said there would be no traditional sand bunkers or traditional tee boxes, saving on maintenance costs.
He described it in a slide presentation as “A high-impact community golf park concept that costs far less to build and maintain, increases town revenue while preserving open space and fits into our existing parks and trail system.”
McNair said it wasn’t about creating a smaller TPC Colorado either, but a new product that adds to Berthoud’s golf community and could become a strong revenue source for the town. He called the idea “an open lane in the golf ecosystem.”
A concept design for the Berthoud Golf Park showed the 70-acre Knievel property converted into a nine-hole par-3 municipal course with a driving range, chipping and putting greens, and a clubhouse. The average yardage per hole would range from 60 to 70 on the shortest to 200 for the longest, McNair added.
The plan at Knievel also incorporates an interconnected trail system and disc golf course. During his presentation, McNair also brought up the idea of closing the course one day a week so that it could also still be a park for non-golfers.
A conceptual design of a Berthoud Golf Park at the Knievel property, west of U.S. Highway 287. The course features nine par-3 holes, a driving range, chipping and putting greens, a clubhouse, disc golf and an interconnected trail system. (Photos from documents submitted to the Town of Berthoud)
The town owns the Knievel property and included it in Berthoud’s parks master plan. But unlike other parks and open spaces, there are no plans or design drawings for using the property.
McNair showed what a potential second golf site would look like, too, with a 50-acre property at the southern terminus of Fifth Street. Similar in design and scope, the site would complement the golf park at Knievel. The town does not own the property shown in the second design.
A second conceptual design, showing a 10-hole course on a 50-acre property south of Berthoud. The town does not own the property shown. (Photos from documents submitted to the Town of Berthoud)
McNair closed by asking trustees to consider pursuing the project further. The design is still at the conceptual stage, and trustees did not take any action, but the potential excited some board members.
“I think it’s a great way to make golf more accessible,” said Trustee Mark Brodie. He added it would be a great addition to the town.
Trustee Brett Wing agreed. “There’s just a whole bunch of good things about this,” he said, highlighting the affordability and accessibility of the idea. Because of the high fixed costs associated with a golf course, Wing argued for the board “to just really consider 18 holes.”
While Brodie and Wing were the two most enthusiastic voices, the rest of the trustees also expressed support for the golf park concept.
Mayor pro tem Sean Murphy explained that he did not see the need as a “pressing issue” but liked the concept and wanted to keep the discussion going forward. Trustee Tim Hardy joked, “I’m a putt-putt person,” but was supportive of the idea too.
The board will hold a study session next Tuesday, Sept. 16, to discuss the town’s various park and open space projects, including the golf park concept.
If trustees decide to move ahead with the golf park concept, Kirk said a feasibility and market analysis would be a good next step.
Public support for building height restrictions
At the start of the meeting, during general public comment, Jessica Higgins presented a petition with a list of signatures to the board to limit new buildings along Mountain Avenue to two stories.
Higgins said that over 1,500 Berthoud residents signed the petition, adding that the turnout “far exceeded our expectations.” She explained it was a grassroots effort where people told friends, family and neighbors to support the case.
The petition asks trustees to pass a municipal ordinance that would restrict all new buildings along Mountain Avenue, between First Street and Meadowlark Drive, to two stories. “Take this request seriously, and prioritize an ordinance that reflects the voice of the people you serve,” Higgins said in closing.
Several other residents spoke in support of the ordinance. However, another tangential topic emerged as well. The town’s recent purchase of the former Sonoco building at 290 Mountain Ave.
Town plans for former Sonoco building
In April, the town purchased the former Sonoco Building at 290 Mountain Ave. for $2.95 million. A request for financial help from the House of Neighborly Services (HNS) to build a Berthoud Life Center spurred Berthoud trustees to approve buying the building.
HNS provides basic needs services to households in poverty or situational crisis, like food donations and financial help with utilities. In Loveland, the Loveland Life Center hosts the HNS, along with other similar non-profit organizations.
As Berthoud has grown, the HNS has planned to use a similar model to create a Berthoud Life Center. But, since the town purchased the former Sonoco building in the spring, there have been no official updates.
“The town recently purchased the largest building in downtown Berthoud, to give away 19,000 square feet, at a deep discount, to House of Neighborly Services,” said Whitney Way, owner of City Star Brewing.
“HNS does important work for our community, I’m not arguing that,” Way continued. “But establishing HNS as the largest entity in downtown Berthoud, it does not contribute to a downtown that is thriving, charming, small, quaint—what our community is so hungry for.”
She asked that the town hit pause and get citizens involved in understanding what is happening with the property. Other residents also brought up the issue, urging better communication and transparency.
Bryce Filho appointed to planning commission
Trustees appointed Bryce Filho to the planning commission for a term lasting until Sept. 28, 2028. Town staff and trustees have been working to fill several vacancies across various sub-committees for the past few weeks.
Trustee May Albrecht, along with Mayor pro tem Murphy, interviewed various candidates and identified Filho as standing out.
In their application, Filho listed “sustainable growth and modernization” as the two most important issues facing the planning commission.
“I believe in a balance, that Berthoud should gradually build and modernize to meet growth and the future while also preserving the culture and character that makes Berthoud special. Change cannot be avoided. It’s how Berthoud changes that matters,” Filho wrote in his application.
Update from DA McLaughlin
District Attorney Gordon McLaughlin gave a brief update on his office’s work to the trustees. It was his third time speaking to the Berthoud town board as District Attorney.
Handing everything from careless driving to homicide, McLaughlin explained that the 8th judicial district is larger than both Rhode Island and Delaware. Covering Larimer and Jackson counties, he said crime is going down in the district.
“Felonies have been decreasing in Larimer County now for a number of years, which is great to see,” McLaughlin said. In contrast, he added that misdemeanors have risen in recent years, returning to pre-pandemic levels.
Notable to Berthoud, McLaughlin touched on the pending case charging Ebenezer Worku with first-degree homicide in relation to an April 28 shooting on First Street. He called the incident “scary and tragic,” while adding he can’t say too much about an active case.
“This was an individual apparently with no ties to this victim or to the Berthoud community,” McLaughlin said. Prosecutors are also alleging Worku’s involvement in other shootings. “We believe this was not an isolated incident from this individual.”
Other business
The Berthoud post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) asked the board to fund their rental space for another 12 months. Last year, Trustees agreed to pay $12,000 for one year’s rent at a basement space on Third Street for the Berthoud VFW and other veterans groups to use.
Kraig Patriquin, the commander of the Berthoud VFW, said there have been 20 events hosted over the past 11 months at the location and hoped to continue to grow over the next year.
He added that the groups had pursued a license to host bingo events, but ran into too much red tape. Patriquin added the group is planning a “pretty large poker run” for an event, though.
The trustees agreed to fund the group’s rental expense for another 12 months, up to $15,000.
Community Development Director Anne Johnson introduced an amendment to the Mountain Avenue overlay district. The amendment would reduce the property setback requirements for some properties on Mountain Avenue by expanding the downtown commercial character district further west.
“It doesn’t impact the number of stories. It doesn’t impact building height,” Johnson added.
The issue will come back to the board on Sept. 23.
Mayor Will Karspeck read a proclamation celebrating Constitution Week. Representatives from the Loveland-based Namaqua chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution thanked the Mayor and the board for the proclamation.
