NEWS RELEASE
December 26, 2024
Contact:
County Manager, Connie Hunt, chunt@ourayco.gov
County Attorney, Leo Caselli, lcaselli@ourayco.gov
Planning Director, Mark Castrodale, mcastrodale@ourayco.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Ouray County Lifts Stop Work Orders, Blasting Project Authorized to Resume at Queen Street
Ouray County, Colo. – Ouray County has authorized blasting and other work to resume for a construction project for an underground garage, located near Ouray at 400 Queen Street. A Notice to Proceed was issued on December 24, 2024, approving a revised blasting schedule. The County will issue finalized building and right-of-way encroachment permits, and lifting two stop work orders, which will be effective as early as December 30, 2024, due to the holiday schedule.
Hinkson Development (the project’s contractor) and Brian Briggs, P.E. (the project’s engineer and licensed blaster), both undertook extensive efforts spanning several months, to pause work on the project and obtain outside geo-technical review. The contractor and engineer have now provided multiple geo-technical engineering reports demonstrating no likelihood of impact to the Ice Park or nearby structures, from construction operations from the Queen Street project.
The County obtained third-party review from the Colorado Geological Survey, School of Mines, which provided additional recommendations for proceeding with the project. A letter from the Ice Park Board of Directors additionally noted proper precautions, based on the professional recommendations. A schedule to resume blasting has now been approved by the County. With a December 24, 2024 Notice to Proceed for the approved schedule, the County is authorizing work to resume, based on extensive expert review, pending the issuance of a right-of-way permit and lifting of stop work orders. A copy of the Notice to Proceed with the approved schedule, the geo-technical reports, and the Ice Park correspondence, are available online for public viewing here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1pwfOtn4W4kKxu8Ukx1qCI-2_YS7Ah8jh?usp=sharing
Blasting and related construction work is therefore authorized to proceed, beginning January 6, 2025, on Monday through Thursday at 3PM, including the weeks of: January 6 through 9, January 13 through 16, February 3 through 6, and February 10 through 13. According to the approved schedule, notice will be provided in-person, to houses within a 500 foot radius of the blasting schedule. Each day, the contractors will also notify the County Building Inspector and Emergency Manager, by 10AM, whether blasting is expected to commence that day. Additional public notifications of daily blasting can then be provided electronically by the County, through public notice and emergency communication platforms. Blasting will not occur during the weeks of January 20 to 23, and January 27 to 30, due to the Ouray Ice Festival.
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UPDATED: Feb 6, 2025:
Blasting Schedule: Blasts scheduled for 3 pm Monday through Thursday, weather and other factors permitting.
December 23rd -January 5th Holiday Observance (No Blasting Activity Onsite)
January 6th - 9th Active Operations
January 13th - 16th Active Operations
January 20th - 22nd Ice Festival Observance (No Blasting Activity Onsite)
January 23rd- 26th Ice Festival Observance (No Blasting Activity Onsite)
January 27th - 30th Active Operations
February 3rd - 6th Active Operations
February 10th - 13th Active Operations
February 17th - 20th Active Operations (expansive grout process)