With Saturday’s news of Larimer County’s variance request having been partially approved, two big wins for Estes Park tourism include dine-in service at restaurants allowed to resume immediately and short-term vacation rentals allowed to return to the marketplace beginning June 1st.
Find out what the variance means for your business by visiting larimer.org/variance, where you will find information by industry. Here is a quick outline of how the variance will affect Estes Park businesses. Please visit larimer.org/variance for complete information.
Restaurants:
Larimer County restaurants are open for limited in person service with restrictions.
No restaurant may operate dine-in service until they can meet and maintain all the applicable requirements in the re-opening checklist, found here.
No reopening inspections are required prior to a restaurant reopening provided they meet and maintain all requirements in this checklist.
Vacation rentals
Short term rentals can open up for operation with a plan to monitor and follow the new guidance beginning June 1st.
Groups larger than 10, except those all from the same household are not permitted
No contact recreational activities
Rental of outdoor recreational equipment is permitted if the equipment can be cleaned and sanitized between uses. Kayaks, boats, bicycles, and golf clubs may be rented if procedures are in place to clean and disinfect the item after every use.
Salons, Spas, and other similar personal services must continue to operate with occupancy restrictions intended to provide adequate physical/social distancing. Those resuming operation with an occupancy above the limit of 10 (clients plus employees) must submit a plan to Larimer County Health Department to demonstrate compliance with the specific criteria outlined.
Indoor malls
Retailers in indoor malls with a separate exterior entrance may operate per the requirements for non-critical retail in Appendix A, Section II. Retailers with no exterior entrance may open provided mall management submits a plan to Larimer County Health Department to address the specific criteria outlined in the variance plan.
We are still waiting for more details from Larimer County and can expect changes on a weekly basis.
We have updated our messaging and will continue to update it as we are able to honestly communicate that we are open for business and welcoming of visitors to Estes Park.
We will continue to work with Larimer County, the Town of Estes Park and our business partners including the Chamber, EALA, EDC and many businesses through the accelerated recovery task force to advocate for relief for businesses. This includes the recent variance request submitted by the County. If you have any questions or need help, please feel free to contact me at 970-588-0500 ext. 1231.
Rocky Mountain National Park
The Park announced specifics on its plan to implement a phased reopening starting tomorrow:
Visitor centers will remain closed
Wild Basin area will remain closed
Trail Ridge Road will be open to Rainbow Curve
Fall River Road will not be open to motorized vehicles during this phase, but will open to bicyclists and pedestrians.
Park managers are seeking approval to implement a timed entry system
Park staff will evaluate the level of visitation, crowding and congestion, and will meter access based on the level of visitation.
We’ve added functionality to listings on visitestespark.com to allow you to communicate to guests how your business is currently functioning. Listings now have a “Special Business Operations” field in which you can add special instructions, assurances of safety, etc. There is also a new amenity category called “Business Continuity” allowing guests to sort by business offerings. You can add and edit these new options in OLIVE or by emailing Claire Molle.
Claim Your Masks
We still have masks available for business owners and their employees. Please respond to this email with how many masks you would like and where we can make a no-contact drop. Please note that these masks are intended for you and your employees, not for guests. Masks for guests may be purchased by ordering via this email at a cost of $2.50 per mask.
We are in this together,
Eric J Lund
President/CEO, Visit Estes Park
We also want to share with you a video featuring many of our local business owners and friends regarding the endurance of our community during the past month. Feel free to share it on your social media channels. Contact Rachel Oppermann for the embed code if you'd like to post it on your site. https://www.visitestespark.com/blog/post/a-message-of-hope-video/
