PARK COUNTY, Colo. — The Park County Board of County Commissioners, acting as the local licensing authority, approved an entertainment-facilities liquor license on July 23 for Mountain View Ranch, a wedding venue operated by Wedgwood Weddings in Pine. Commissioners voted to approve the application and directed staff to provide a written notice of the decision to the applicant pursuant to CRS 44-3-312.

The application was introduced by Melania Castle, Park County Clerk and Recorder, who said the office had investigated the materials submitted by the applicant and included the application, organizational documents, proof of possession of the premises, a premises diagram, background checks and a petition. Castle read statutory criteria the board must consider, including the clerk and recorder’s findings and the “desires of adult inhabitants” of the neighborhood as set out in state law.

In testimony for the applicant, Jeffrey Tucci, senior vice president of operations for Wedgwood Weddings, described the company’s experience and the Pine site, saying the location is “beautiful” and “in high demand.” Jordan Voguely, regional manager for the property, said the Pine venue operates seasonally (April through November), employs about 10 full-time and 20–30 part-time staff during the season, and provides on-site lodging and vendors. She described staff controls related to alcohol service: locked storage for liquor, one-ounce pour spouts on hard liquor, ID-checking for anyone who appears under age 30, trained bartenders, on-site security, and staff monitoring during events.

Eva Garretson of Liquor Pros, the petitioning firm, said her team collected 56 signatures during the needs-and-desires petition process and submitted them to the clerk; 42 signatures (75%) were in favor. Garretson called that 75% a “positive need and desire” for the license in the area.

Nearby residents spoke as interested parties. Alan Fisher, of the adjacent Elk Falls subdivision, said his neighborhood has a single-lane road with no shoulders and that cumulative changes in the area have increased traffic and noise; he warned commissioners to “think of where you live and why you chose to live there.” Didi Kreimeyer, who said she lives in the same subdivision, asked the board to deny the license and said she and other neighbors already experience frequent noise from weddings; “a liquor license and more liquor is just going to make more noise, more partying,” she said.

In rebuttal, counsel for the applicant noted the objections directed at another party (the Dunwoody family) and said those complaints did not pertain to the Wedgwood application. Tucci said standard wedding events typically end at 10 p.m. or 11 p.m., that dancing is held indoors with speakers equipped with decibel limiters, that the venue has added bolded quiet-hours notices for cabin guests (9 p.m. to 9 a.m.), extended security coverage, and that the general manager provides a contact phone number for neighbors. He also said the venue had recently added procedures in response to neighbor concerns.

During deliberation, one commissioner said zoning or prior promises by previous owners would be a separate matter from the licensing decision; another said the statutory standard for the license is needs and desires and that the petition and controls supported approval. The board approved the license and directed staff to notify the applicant in writing.

The board’s action covers only issuance of the liquor license. Commissioners and the applicant repeatedly noted that noise, zoning compliance and any alleged past promises or violations are separate issues that neighbors may pursue by other administrative or land-use channels. The applicant invited neighbors to meet for coffee and follow-up discussion.

Speakers cited in this article were identified during the hearing and are listed in the article’s speaker section for attribution.