NEDERLAND — After not having met since May, the Nederland Downtown Development Authority (NDDA) spent their meeting on July 8, 2026, discussing concerns about Chipeta Park as a permanent outdoor event venue, and revisiting the Wayfinding project after reviewing feedback from the public. 

With the Wayfinding project in its concluding phases, several issues are being addressed, including moving certain signs and adding shopping and dining icons, while other issues still require a decision from the Board.

The Authority spent the majority of their meeting on this one discussion, as they were tasked with deciding whether to design and install more signs. They were also contemplating developing a physical business directory to be placed at the Nederland Visitors Center. 

The Great Sign War of 2026  

The NDDA’s $316,680 signage initiative began showing results back in May and yielded scrutiny from the public over the cost of the project, the hiring of out-of-state contractors, and the signs themselves, from their design to the lack of specific wayfinding for shops and restaurants.

NDDA Executive Director Kate Masingale updated the Authority on how she will be meeting with contractors in mid-July to address some immediate issues. 

Icons indicating shopping and dining will be added to the existing Downtown sign along Highway 119 after complaints from East 1st Street businesses of being overlooked entirely by the Wayfinding project.

Business owners at The Vault lobbied similar complaints, as a result of which a CDOT speed limit sign in front of their location will be moved under Town authority in order to unblock the view of the Wayfinding sign located there. 

The fight for business owners to be represented on signage paid for by the NDDA is a direct result of those owners feeling the need to circumvent Nederland’s own regulations regarding signage blocking the skyline or negatively affecting the Town’s aesthetic. 

For proof of the lengths business owners are willing to go to draw in tourist traffic, one can only count the signs along the highways and sidewalks that run through Nederland. 

As the NDDA's Wayfinding project comes to a close, local business clusters are vying for representation on signage, as they're always looking for ways to draw tourists' attention.

Photo by Christopher Kelley

The Wayfinding project’s contractors, Merje and Geograph Inc., will also be removing—at their own expense—some installed concrete footings in locations that were listed for signage implementation on an outdated site plan. 

Additionally, two more large $20,000 kiosks are set to be installed, one at the Visitors Center and the other on Lakeview Drive by The Train Cars Coffee & Kava. Train Cars owner Jesse Fox has stated his disapproval of the kiosk location, as it would greatly impede the coffee shop’s employee break area. 

What makes a town?

Photo by Christopher Kelley

Masingale also provided board members with the results from a survey distributed to local business owners, which included the tabulated results of the three multiple-choice questions, as well as all written comments for the one open-answer question. 

To the question of whether business owners would like to add one, or several, physical business directories somewhere in the Authority’s district, 30% out of 15 respondents answered “Yes,” though nearly 50% answered “Other” and supplied a written answer. 

The written answers varied, with some respondents suggesting that business directories should be easily updatable; one answered that they would prefer a weather-protected kiosk with brochures and other materials; and another answered that such directories are unnecessary since tourists will just park and walk to shops and restaurants. 

40% of respondents answered “Yes” to the question of whether there should be more signage indicating entrances to Nederland’s “Downtown,” and that such signage should include related icons. Some raised concern that the icons were too busy to read for those in vehicles, while others doubted the usefulness of particular signage.

As for what business owners would recommend to the NDDA, 33% recommended that the Authority add all of the new signs and directories, 20% specified to add only the Downtown indicator signs, 7% wanted only the business directories, 7% answered “none of the above,” and another 33% answered with written responses.

One response stated that the NDDA appeared to be missing the Wayfinding project’s main goal, which is to pull people off the highway and into parking spaces close to desirable destinations. Another suggested that the Authority not “go overboard” in being too specific with signs, and repeated the common belief that parking signage is the most important.  

The respondents’ open suggestions for Wayfinding improvements mostly noted the design of the signs as being too “yuppie,” “hoity toity,” and making Nederland resemble Estes Park and Breckinridge.

As for the questions before them regarding adding business directories and additional “Downtown” indicator signs, board members were in favor of keeping the business directory online and accessible by a QR code posted on the existing wayfinding kiosks.

The NDDA will be taking action on what, if any, additions to make to the final implementation of the Wayfinding project during their upcoming August meeting. 

Wear and Tear 

Nederland Town Manager Jonathan Cain, NDDA Chair Andrew Dewart, and Masingale spent some time during the meeting addressing a social media post which ignited a fervor in the community.

The post in question highlighted the Authority’s Agenda Information Memorandum on the 2026 Summer Concert Series, which stated that the July and August concert dates could be shifted to Guercio Field “likely due to drought.” 

The post elicited many responses from the public, nearly all of them stating a preference for the series remaining in Chipeta Park due to the venue’s size, its proximity to a playground, its proximity to parking, and because there is shade. 

The Summer Concert Series at Chipeta was hailed as “the best thing to happen to Nederland in a long time,” and many people complained about the conditions at Guercio Field and the NDDA’s lack of action in designing an outdoor concert stage in the area behind the field.

The outdoor concert space project was what had spawned the idea for the Summer Concert Series, as the series was originally intended to experiment with changing temporary venues throughout Town. It was determined by the production company early into the experiment that Chipeta Park was the best venue, though the series had only taken place at Chipeta and on East 1st Street.

The NDDA and the production company for the Summer Concert Series, Sweetwave Audio, have encountered the issue of drought conditions at the park before, when Nederland Parks Manager Nicki Koch and the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Advisory Board raised concerns early in that first year of the series, in 2024. 

Koch pointed out at that time the browning and balding spots on the Chipeta Park lawn, warning that dead grass will take up to two years to regrow. Though there was a concern about the wear and tear on the lawn due to a long list of booked summer events, the lawn was well-maintained by Parks staff and did not suffer any irreparable damage. 

In regards to the remaining concert dates in 2026, the Authority heard from Cain about the Town’s concerns moving forward with the remaining concert dates during drought conditions. 

“We all agree that Chipeta is a great place to have a concert, but I have a responsibility to make sure that space stays nice, and I have to make sure that the facilities and infrastructure stay the way they should,” Cain stated.

He added that the Town has spent three years and over $250,000 trying to grow grass at Guercio Field, and is hoping to avoid a similar problem with Chipeta. 

“Grass doesn’t grow great in the mountains. We’re in a drought year and we know that the grass there has seen signs of damage. We’ve increased the watering on the field and from a conditional standpoint we’re okay for right now; but we do need to be aware of the cost if it would damage the grass, and to have a conversation about where the concerts can move.”

The NDDA determined that they will prepare paperwork regarding moving the Summer Concert Series to Guercio Field, and will communicate with Sweetwave Audio about developing an alternative or “emergency” plan for moving the concert, which includes providing porta-potties and other amenities.   

The Nederland Downtown Development Authority meets the second Wednesday of every month. Their next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, August 12, 2026, at 6 p.m. and will be held online as well as in person at the Nederland Community Center. 

For more information go to: townofnederland.colorado.gov/downtown-development-authority.