Request for a Code Text Amendment - EPK Adventure Rental

[con...@epkrental.com]

Dear Trustees, 

I’m a small business owner in Estes Park who has had a considerable struggle finding a way to sustain my unique business model in Estes Park. I am the first business in Estes Park to offer 3-wheeled scenic drives to visitors to Estes Park and am writing to request that the Town Board sponsor a code text amendment to allow my business (a small, visitor-serving autocycle operation (dispatch/return of 3-wheeled, 2–4 seat street-legal vehicles) to operate in a privately owned location with parking in the Commercial Downtown (CD) district, subject to the Town’s normal discretionary review and conditions. I understand private parties cannot initiate text amendments; I’m therefore asking for Board initiation so a proposal can be evaluated through Planning Commission and Board hearings. I’ve provided some information below. Please let me know what additional information I can provide if needed.  

Why my business belongs downtown (tourism value) 

• My business is a scenic, experiential attraction that keeps visitors in the core, complements shops and restaurants, and supports shoulder-season activity. 

• It serves small groups (2–4 seats) with short, scheduled hand-offs, so the operational footprint is modest. 

• Supports adopted goals for a vibrant downtown, The Town’s Strategic Plan emphasizes maintaining “a vibrant, attractive, and economically viable downtown” and building a “diverse, healthy, year-round economy.” A small experiential attraction that starts/ends downtown directly advances those goals by activating the core and encouraging local spend before/after rides. 

• Scenic drives are season-extending; they draw couples and families on clear fall/spring days, complementing merchants who need off-peak transactions to stabilize revenue. 

• The CD purpose is compact, pedestrian-scale commercial activity. This use functions like other visitor-serving services (guide shops and tour dispatches) that already fit downtown storefronts with minimal back-of-house needs. 

• Small-format storefronts in CD are ideal for the check-in/briefing function; no large format building or yard (typical of CO/EV corridors) is needed. 

• We offer a low-cost, family-friendly activity with flexible durations, from 2-hour loops to full-day outings, broadening options beyond shopping and dining and helping visitors of varied budgets enjoy Estes Park. 

How this differs from a car-rental business 

• Purpose: recreation/experience (scenic drives) rather than transportation replacement. 

• Vehicles: autocycles (3 wheels, 2–4 seats)—not sedans/SUVs; small footprint and low stall demand. 

• Scale: small fleet, primarily pre-booked appointments; no large storage yard; no on-site maintenance. 

• Operations: brief, hand-offs/returns on private property; no airport/terminal model, no high-volume turnover. 

• Parking/traffic: short dwell times and a parking-neutral plan; provide dedicated private stalls during rentals so public parking remains available; no on-street staging; 

 

Please let me know what additional information you might need to sponsor a text amendment to allow “Visitor-serving Autocycle Operation” as a special-review use in CD.  

Thank you for considering a small, well-conditioned way to keep visitors in the core, support merchants year-round, and meet the CD district’s purpose with minimal footprint. 

 

Sincerely, 

-Chris O'Neal

EPK Adventure Rental

[con...@epkrental.com]

Hello Trustees,

I’m following up on the email I sent last week to see if you have any questions or need any additional information about my request for board sponsorship of a code text amendment.

My company is the first Polaris Slingshot rental business to operate in Estes Park, and I would like to operate a small, visitor-serving autocycle rental in a private parking lot in the CD district under special review guidelines. 

Would the board be willing to initiate the text amendment change? 

Please advise me on the appropriate next step. I’m available to meet at your convenience.

[con...@epkrental.com]

[Mark Igel]

Dear Mr O'Neal,

I'm responding to acknowledge that I received and read your email. I don't have enough information to support your suggestion. I can provide my initial reaction to what I believe is your request to change the code, to add a sightseeing vehicle rental service in the downtown core. Based on my own experiences, this type of activity seems like it would be better suited outside of this corridor. I am not interested in making this proposal based on the information you have provided. 

Mark Igel, Trustee

Town of Estes Park  |  PO Box 1200  |  Estes Park, Colorado 80517

www.estes.org
Direct voice mail: 970-577-3713

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