CRIPPLE CREEK • Despite stiff opposition, City Council reversed a 2013 order by a previous council that closed the Cripple Creek Heritage Center gift shop.

Michelle Rozell, the city’s heritage tourism manager, presented a request to reopen the gift shop at the July 6 regular council meeting. She said gift-shop sales would help offset the cost of running the city-funded center.

“We’re not looking to compete with other businesses,” she said. “We’re hoping to collaborate with other businesses — maybe working with them to create some of the items we would sell.”

She said the heritage center is open year-round, while many other businesses close for the season. “We encourage people to come back when other businesses and museums are open,” she said.

Kirstie Crawford, manager of the Old Homestead House Museum, said the museum relies on grants, fundraisers and gift shop sales and still can’t keep the Homestead House open year-round.

“If people buy items at the Heritage Center before they visit our museums, they aren’t going to buy,” she said. “The center should be used as it was originally proposed — to direct visitors to other businesses and not to complete with those businesses.”

During public comment, at least six other business owners made similar points and suggested other ways the center can increase revenue, including renting space for receptions, weddings and small conventions. Several other audience members shouted their opposition out of turn, requiring Mayor Milford Ashworth to use his gavel to call for order.

In the end, Ashworth and Councilwoman Missy Trenary voted against reopening the gift shop, but they were overruled by the rest of council. There was no discussion on when the gift shop is likely to open.

In other business, the council approved on first reading, a proposal to allow homeowners to build 200-square-foot detached accessory structures on their properties without a permit. Currently, only 120-square-foot accessory structures are allowed without a permit.

At a recent meeting, council agreed to participate in the state Opioid Settlement agreement. Now the Colorado Opioid Abatement Council has asked what the city will do with the funds.

There were two options. One was to take direct payments and use them for city opioid abatement projects; the other was to immediately turn those payments over to the assigned region — El Paso and Teller counties.

Council approved the first option. City Administrator Frank Salvato said the city would receive almost $8,400 the first year and a total of $74,500 over 18 years.

“If we like what El Paso County and Teller County are planning, we can redirect the funds to their programs,” he said.

Acting as both the city planning commission and city council, council members continued to July 20 a request by Robert Gatlin and Janet Gail for a dimensional standards variance to change the front setbacks from 5-feet to zero feet for lots 20-31 in Block 33 of Hayden Placer.

The Cripple Creek Heritage Center will reopen its gift shop now that the Cripple Creek City Council has reversed a decision by a previous council that closed it in 2013.

Norma Engelberg, Pikes Peak Courier