Mt. Crested Butte briefs

New design for old footbridge

People may notice a new look around the base area when driving through Mt. Crested Butte this winter. The town of Mt. Crested Butte has approved a new design for the Snowcrest footbridge between the Elevation Hotel and the Snowcrest Condominiums.
The new design utilizes elements of Crested Butte Mountain Resort’s recent branding study, and will feature the resort’s new “wooden nickel” logo.

Town manager Joe Fitzpatrick
told the council on November 4 that
CBMR was asking for the town’s approval
to replace the existing sign on
the footbridge with a new design.
Earlier this summer the town
approved a new look for the colorful
banners hung up on streetlights along
Gothic Road. Fitzpatrick said those
also tied in with the new branding
study.
Fitzpatrick wasn’t sure who
would pay for the new footbridge
sign, but the bridge itself is owned
by the town. He said the Mt. Crested
Butte Downtown Development Authority
supported the new design at
their meeting on October 6 but did not
approve funding.
Although the new design will
highlight the town of Mt. Crested
Butte, it may have more of a resort
feel to it, Fitzpatrick said. He said the
current sign on the footbridge, which
clearly identifies the town of Mt. Crested
Butte, has been in place since 2000
and is in good condition.
“The flip side is, this basically is
the resort,” Fitzpatrick said. “Do you
want to help enhance the theme of the
branding study?”
Councilman Bill Babbitt said,
“I’m okay with it fitting in with their
branding. I think we are a resort trying
to be a resort community. And I think
they’re on to something good with that
study and the new look.”
The council unanimously approved
the change. Fitzpatrick said he
would meet with the Snowcrest Homeowners
Association and ask for their
support as well.
CBMR chief executive officer
Ken Stone says the resort would like
to have the new sign in place in a few months.

Subdivision codes changed to match with Fire Protection District
New cul-de-sacs in the town of
Mt. Crested Butte will need to be a little
wider in the future. On November
18 the Town Council approved a series
of amendments to the town’s planning
codes so they more closely follow the
design codes of the Crested Butte Fire
Protection District. The amendments
were approved as Ordinance No. 4
and No. 5 of the town of Mt. Crested
Butte, series 2008.
Some of the changes include adding
requirements for vertical clearances
on new streets and driveways, and
increasing the right of way diameter
on a cul-de-sac from 60 to 80 feet.
Mt. Crested Butte community development
director Bill Racek told the
council the amendments are “a result
of the Fire Protection District’s desire
to have our standards conform to their
standards”
Councilman Mike Kube asked if
Racek felt all the changes were justified.
Racek said the Mt. Crested Butte
Planning Commission had discussed
the changes over a number of meetings
held since May 28, 2008. “There
are items that the fire protection district
requested that are not in this ordinance,”
he said.
Council member Mike Kube said
in his experience the Fire District’s
codes were usually more stringent
than the town’s. He asked if Racek had
any other concerns about the amendments.
Racek said he had no problems
with Ordinance No. 4, but there was
one section on Ordinance No. 5 he felt
should be changed.
Racek said one section of the ordinance
included wording that the
design of fire lanes should be done in
compliance with the Fire Protection
District’s standards. Racek said he had
attempted to take out all references to
the Fire District’s standards, but the
Planning Commission decided to keep
this one reference.
“That’s kind of a blank check,”
Racek said. “If they (the Fire District)
have a problem with the town standards,
the proper procedure is to work
with the town and try to get those
standards amended, which is what
we’re doing here.”
Racek said that was the only section
of the document he had a concern
with.
Other changes include some issues
with semantics, such as the use of
written words instead of symbols for
terms like “feet” or “degrees.” The new
amendments also require Fire District
approval for the placement of things
like gas meters and fire hydrants.
Councilman Bill Babbitt made a
motion to approve the two ordinances,
including Racek’s suggested change to
ordinance No. 5. The two ordinances
were approved unanimously at first
reading, and will take effect as soon as
the council passes a second reading,
which is scheduled for December 2.

Sales tax still up
The town of Mt. Crested Butte
continues to see an increase in sales
tax revenues over the fall and summer.
Sales tax revenues for the month
of September are up 8.5 percent over
2007 according to town manager Joe
Fitzpatrick. He said it was a strong
month, with the lodging and restaurant
sales tax categories up over last
year. Fitzpatrick attributed sales tax
boost to the recent increase in activity
around Mountaineer Square.
“We’re still holding 8.5 percent
ahead of 2007,” Fitzpatrick said of
year-to-date sales tax collections. That
8.5 percent represents approximately
$100,600 for the year.
But Fitzpatrick wasn’t expecting
the strong sales tax revenue increases
to hold steady into November and December.
He said December could take
a hit because there is no Ski Free promotion
at the resort this year, and the
resort opened a week later in November.
“November is short. We’re not
open very many days, so November
is going to take a little hit,” Fitzpatrick
said.

New weed management plan
Noxious weeds beware—the
town of Mt. Crested Butte has put the
finishing touches on a comprehensive
weed management plan to eradicate
noxious weed species.
Since 2006 the town of Mt. Crested
Butte has been busy developing a
plan to eradicate noxious and invasive
weed species from the town’s property,
and more recently, to encourage private
property owners to do the same.
Last fall the town created a Weed
Advisory Committee to develop new
strategies to fight the growing weed
problem.
In June of 2008 members of the
Weed Advisory Committee asked the
council to consider some proposed
language for a noxious weed ordinance
that would allow the town to
eliminate weeds considered a nuisance
on private property, and recoup
expenses from the property owner. A
noxious weed removal ordinance was
approved later in August.
The recent creation of a weed
management plan gives the town
an official strategy to use in its fight
against invasive weed species.
Weed Advisory Committee
member Tom Walker said the town’s
new plan was basically adapted from
a similar weed management plan in La
Plata County.
Fitzpatrick said the town’s number
one strategy in the plan was to
educate residents about the troubles
invasive weeds cause and encourage
them to take responsibility for any
weeds on their property.
Fitzpatrick said the town made a
good effort battling weeds this summer
and acquired a new sprayer and
a seeder. “We’ve been out seeding
ditches…We’re trying to put native
grasses down where there once were
weeds. If you don’t put anything back
you’re sure to get more weeds,” Fitzpatrick
said.
Town attorney Rod Landwehr
said he had looked at the weed management
plan and made sure it conformed
to the town’s previously adopted
weed nuisance ordinance.
The council unanimously approved
the plan.