On Dec. 16, 2025, the Pagosa Springs Town Council approved a liquor license renewal for Hidden Track, a speakeasy-style bar located at 251 B Pagosa St.
Usually, the renewal of such a license for an existing business is handled administratively by town staff, but after the business had failed to submit required paperwork, staff brought the renewal request in front of the council for a decision.
“If an incident occurs that staff believes warrants additional input, the Town Council, acting as the licensing authority, is asked to weigh in on the [liquor license] renewal,” states an agenda document on the matter.
“They are required to renew their liquor license each year, update any ownership changes and, if the managers change, they are required to submit a change request within 30 days,” explained Town Manager David Harris.
He said “they have 30 days after the changeover of manager” to submit the required paperwork, “and it’s my understanding that it’s been about four months.”
Council member Matt deGraaf asked, “I’m just curious, why the dragging of feet? It seems like they’ve violated state regulations. There’s all these delays. Why should we consider renewing something like this?”
Harris responded, “That is the concern we had in regard to this licensing,” adding that “many organizations would say that is an automatic refusal, so we just wanted to make sure that you [the council] were aware of this and we wanted to ask your opinion.”
Council member Matt DeGuise asked if there was any “objection from the Police Department,” asking Police Chief Bill Rockensock to address the council on the matter.
Rockensock explained that they had not been ticketed with any violations, and that the noise decibel measurements, taken by police after a neighbor’s complaints, showed that “they were within the actual [legal noise] range.”
He added, “There have been no documented noise violations.”
Mayor Shari Pierce asked if any “warnings” had been issued to the bar, to which Rockensock replied that “every time we test” the noise level, they are within the legal range.
Pierce added that “they didn’t submit a payment or a signed change of owner application,” asking for clarification, “Was there a change of owner?”
Town Clerk April Hessman clarified that the current owners have co-owned the business since it began, but that one of the owners had “dropped off,” and that it’s this different configuration of ownership that requires a change-in-ownership application to be submitted.
She also clarified that the town “did recently” get the change of ownership application, but was still missing the change-in-manager application.
She explained that the town has been trying to get all the required paperwork and has been “reaching out” to the business since June.
One of the owners, Nida Sellers, was present to answer the council’s questions and explained that “when we met with the town in June, we were still in the process of buying out one of the owners, and that didn’t happen until later.”
She said that “all of our new paperwork that was submitted for the renewal is accurate, and has the correct owners,” adding that “the only thing in question is the change-in-manager application.”
She explained that the “manager on the ground was changing,” because one of the co-owners “at the time was the manager on the ground,” and “we were in the process of buying him out, and so that is why we had the delay, and we do apologize for that.”
“As irritating as it is to look at the foot dragging and the increased administrative hassle created by the town, I kinda put this in the context of a business on 160 struggling during [CDOT] construction,” council member Gary Williams stated. “What can the town do to help a struggling business survive? So, despite the sluggish response from the owners, I guess I’m not bothered by this.”
Council member Madeline Bergon urged the business to “be a good neighbor,” in reference to some of the complaints lodged against the bar from nearby property owners.
One of the neighbors said, “Things have gotten better. Not great, but better,” and “I never thought I’d ever be complaining about a bar, but here I am. … I just don’t feel that they are in control of their business.”
He added that he thinks it’s time the town considers changing its noise ordinance, and stated, “I think, in the future, there needs to be a little more research before someone is just handed a license to have a bar.”
When a motion was made to approve the liquor license renewal for Hidden Track, it was seconded and passed unanimously by the council.
Pierce looked at both the bar owners and neighbor in attendance and said, “I hope you can work well with your neighbor, and I hope you can work well with your neighbor.”
derek@pagosasun.com
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