The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Not all residents pleased
Crested Butte South became the latest community to request the U.S. Forest Service to commence with the National Environmental Protection Act process for Crested Butte Mountain Resort’s expansion plan onto Snodgrass Mountain last month.
During its meeting on Wednesday, June 18, the Crested Butte South Property Owners Association board voted unanimously, 3-0, to send a letter to forest supervisor Charlie Richmond, following a presentation by CBMR representatives. Approximately 15 people attended the discussion.
Crested Butte South POA board president Al Smith said the board felt comfortable moving ahead to encourage the Forest Service to collect more information on the project. “The general consensus is we were in favor of writing the letter,” he said. “We think it’s worth [the Forest Service] investing their time and money to collect the data so we can understand the costs and benefits of CBMR’s plan.”
CBMR hosted a public meeting in Mt. Crested Butte in early June, introducing its refined plans to expand lift-served skiing onto neighboring Snodgrass Mountain.
The revised plan calls for 263 acres of skiable terrain on 16 ski trails, 121 acres of snowmaking, three main lifts, a small surface lift, and two small restaurants. A gondola is also planned to connect the main mountain, the proposed North Village, and Snodgrass. Part of the proposed development would dip into the Washington Gulch drainage but would not be accessible from homes the area.
Smith, who attended the Mt. Crested Butte meeting, says CBMR’s presentation to the POA board on June 18 was similar, albeit shorter. Smith says the board decided to invite CBMR to present after the town of Crested Butte decided to ask the Forest Service not to allow the project to proceed into NEPA.
“There was some feeling amongst our board that the town of Crested Butte was trying to speak for the entire East River Valley and that wasn’t appropriate,” Smith says. “We thought that we might not agree with them… We want to have the debate.”
The Gunnison City Council agreed to send a similar letter to Richmond during its meeting on Tuesday, June 10.
With the decision in Crested Butte South transpiring quickly, some residents are not pleased. Crested Butte South resident Pat Del Tredici says the board didn’t poll its residents before making the decision. “I felt they kind of did this behind our backs,” she says. “I think this is an issue where they might have asked a current opinion [of residents.]”
Del Tredici also noted that the Crested Butte South board did not give notice of the possibility of sending a letter—only that the CBMR was giving a presentation. “I had attended the CBMR presentation early in June so when I read the agenda, I didn’t feel like I needed to hear the same thing,” she said.
Association manager Chris Behan says he did notify the board that notice of the possible decision to send a letter had not been given, although CBMR’s presentation was posted in the newspaper. “They decided to proceed with it,” he said.
Smith said the board hadn’t intended to move ahead but was comfortable making a decision. “We felt comfortable with the position that we’d like to get more information,” he said. “I don’t think there are an overwhelming number of people in Crested Butte South that would oppose (allowing CBMR to enter the NEPA process.)”
The decision comes at a time when Crested Butte South is in the midst of election season, with the vote occurring during Crested Butte South’s annual meeting on August 10.
Smith is currently running again for his seat on the development’s five-member board of directors, as is Carlos Gonzales-Brito, who will replace current board member Don Montgomery at the July meeting.
In addition, Crested Butte South resident Pat Wallace has decided to run for the board. Board member Erin Dellaporta is not running again. Incumbent board members Peter Carey and Dave DiBerardino are not up for reelection.
