There’s been no new commercial development in historic Morrison for six decades. Add at least three more months to that tally as the town’s board approved an emergency ordinance that temporarily halts any new land use applications.
The move comes amid controversy over a proposal for a three-story, 21-room hotel on Bear Creek Avenue that would require razing the buildings now home to Rock ‘n Roses boutique and Blend smoothie café.
The plan for the Red Hotel has drawn ire from many who worry the charm of Morrison could be lost in the deal.
But the three-month moratorium won’t stall the town’s consideration of the hotel’s plans, submitted by Evergreen’s Root Architecture.
The hotel proposal met the town’s code and included a recommendation for approval from town staff, though many residents and elected leaders said the building is too big, and out of step with the small, historic community.
Recent public hearings on the hotel revealed potential conflicts between Title 10 of the town code — written in 1978 — and the historic overlay district, an amendment to those regulations adopted in 2019.
The code allows a building up to 40 feet in height. Many buildings on Morrison’s historic main street are one story.
“One of the things we want to do is lower the height requirement in Title 10,” Town Trustee Katie Gill said. “Our plan is to meld the historic overlay and Title 10 together, to take the important pieces in the historic overlay district and write them into the code so they will no longer be separate.”
The 1978 code includes “archaic rules” that don’t “reflect the goals and objectives of the town,” and that’s led “to zoning and subdivision approvals that do not promote the health, safety and welfare of the town,” according to the moratorium ordinance adopted March 19.
Language in the more recently adopted historic overlay follows the town’s motto of “Keep Morrison Morrison.” That aims to maintain the small-town feel and history, keeping it “isolated yet accessible from the Denver metro area,” while blending in new development.
During the moratorium, implemented in mid-March, board members will work with the town attorney to rewrite zoning regulations it said will reflect the residents’ vision. And, the moratorium could be extended beyond three months if town officials think it is necessary to do so.
The moratorium doesn’t stop the Red Hotel from continuing through the town’s approval process. It was already in the pipeline when the ordinance passed. Struck down by the planning commission in February and heavily critiqued during a March 5 town board meeting, the project is now undergoing a redesign.
It’s set to come back for another town board review on April 2.
Planning commissioners cited language in the historic overlay amendment in their February denial of the hotel proposal.
Hotel developer Chad Wallace said the commission’s decision showed “complete disregard for the zoning code and design guidelines they themselves developed and approved.”
While Trustee Adam Way said 90% of Morrison residents oppose the Red Hotel, the proposal also has many supporters. Among them is Dave Killingsworth, owner of the Morrison Holiday Bar, who says the town should consider its business owners as well as residents.
“1961 was the last commercial building built in Morrison,” said Dave Killingsworth, who owns the Morrison Holiday Bar. “You guys have done great keeping Morrison Morrison. It hasn’t changed a bit.
“I know people are trying to get new things done. It’d be nice to have a little progression.”
Wallace hopes the hotel will be one of those new things. Hotel developers have already had one meeting with town leaders to talk about ways to redesign the project.
“We defined some give-and-take and we felt positive after the meeting,” he said. “We believe there may be a path forward.”
“I think we had a productive discussion,” Gill agreed. “We’re hopeful that they will be bringing back a resubmittal that addresses some of the community’s concerns.”
The town board will hold a worksession about the changes to its town code at 5 p.m. April 5 at the Morrison Town Hall.
Morrison has less than 400 residents, with 180 of them living in Prestige Care Center, a nursing home.