Crested Butte’s Economic Stimulus Wish List

The projects cited by Crested Butte town manager Susan Parker in her letter to state and federal politicians include:

Wastewater Treatment Plant Clarifier, $1.8 million: A recent assessment of the plant indicated that the lack of the second clarifier represents a single point of failure which could result in a significant amount of partially treated sewage discharged in the Slate River and threaten the short-term and long-term public health, safety and the aquatic environment.

Wastewater Collection System Repair, $736,000: A recent assessment of the collection system recommended the rehabilitation of 23,000 feet of Asbestos Cement and 20 manholes to reduce the water infiltration of the system. Without this rehabilitation, the wastewater plant risks overloading and could result in a significant amount of partially treated sewage discharged in the Slate River and threaten the short-term and long-term public health, safety and the aquatic environment.
Eighth Street Pavement Project, $475,000: Eighth Street was designed as a local connector in a 2000 calendar year annexation. The street remains unpaved and connects the K-12 Community School with a playground, soccer field and recreation trail. The unpaved street creates air quality issues during the summer months and the lack of designated separation between pedestrians, bicyclists and vehicles poses a year-round threat to children’s safety.
Block 79 Infrastructure Improvements for Affordable Housing Development, $577,390: A recent community survey supported the need for additional affordable housing units. As a resort community, land costs and inflated construction costs have effectively halted affordable housing construction by the private sector. The Town of Crested Butte has dedicated Block 79 to provide 26 affordable units. This project would prepare the unimproved lots for construction.
 Water Distribution Replacement Project, $980,000: A recent analysis revealed a high percentage of water loss in our distribution system. During the first 11 months of this year the distribution system lost 45 percent of production or on average 5.3 million gallons a month. Replacement of this system could help us achieve the industry standard goal of a 10 percent loss.