Council debates recent influx of lighting on Elk Ave.

Tacky or vibrant?

Does the proliferation of new lighting on Elk Avenue come across as nice, mountain-town ambiance or a gaudy carnival? That is the question the Crested Butte Town Council will deal with late this summer as more and more lighting emerges on Elk Avenue. Much of it is a by-product of the new outdoor seating boom and much of the lighting doesn’t meet current town code.

“Anytime the staff gets into enforcement issues, we get pushback,” Crested Butte Building and Zoning Director Bob Gillie told the council at the July 3 meeting. “That is happening with lighting. We are asking what the pleasure of the council is. Do you want us to enforce the rules that are on the books now or start work to change the rules?”
Gillie provided a staff report showing that 50 to 60 town buildings were using some sort of “holiday” lighting and/or moving toward string lighting that seems to be popping up over outdoor seating venues.
“I think we need guidelines of what we want the lighting to look like in our core and business areas,” he said. “What type of lighting are you willing to support?”
“I think the toothpaste is out of the tube,” said Councilperson Jim Schmidt. “Personally, I feel the lighting on the tops of the buildings that is geared to holiday lighting should just be allowed to be up and on just during the ski season. As for the other lighting, the code went in to place when we didn’t have all this outdoor seating.”
Schmidt suggested asking members of the Board of Zoning and Architectural Review (BOZAR) for their feedback.
Town Manager Susan Parker recommended not taking any action at the moment as the Town  is at the height of the summer season. “Maybe take some time to rethink the overall situation with Elk,” she suggested.
“Step back, observe, determine what you like and what you don’t. Give BOZAR a chance to monitor it. Let them consider the night sky concerns and historical aspects,” Parker said.
“We probably need to look at some guidelines for outdoor seating lights,” said Gillie. “We can’t just let it continue to proliferate.”
“The council should determine an overall feel of what we want Elk Avenue to look like in the long term,” said Councilperson Glenn Michel. “We shouldn’t piecemeal things. Overall, I’m more conservative. I am seeing a lot of white noise and congestion on Elk.”
“I agree,” said Councilperson John Wirsing. “I like preserving the aspect of the night sky. Some stuff out there now makes it feel carney-esque and tacky.”
“It’s not the time to fight the fight,” said Mayor Aaron Huckstep. “But we should let the businesses know that we will be looking at this and there could be some changes from what is out there now. I don’t think the town is getting a ton of complaints about it.”
Gillie agreed the time wasn’t appropriate to start reining in lighting. But he did ask the council to start taking a close look at what Elk Avenue is looking like at the peak of the summer season. “There are a lot of things going on on Elk. Take a look at all the components,” he said. “Don’t take any action but observe it. Lighting is only one issue. There’s all of our things like bike racks and benches and all the other stuff like signage and chalkboards. It’s a constant battle.”
“I think some people have gone too far,” said Schmidt. “If you look at Vegas and Times Square as being one extreme and maybe Elkton with no lights as the other extreme, we want to find the right balance for us.”
Longtime Crested Butte resident Bill Wheeler gave the council some history of lighting along the core business district. He also said it was difficult for businesses to make it in Crested Butte. “They shouldn’t have carte blanche but they should have some support from the town,” he said.
A letter from Liz Satterlee and Ben Baehrend of the West End Public House stated that the lighting adds vibrancy to downtown. “We should look like a busy, bustling downtown,” they wrote. “Who wants to walk down a dark downtown/’ghost town’ for late night dinner or drinks?”
Company Store and Lobar co-owner Kyleena Falzone agreed the lights on Elk might need some curbing. “Even I think it might be a bit out of control,” she said. “I’m turning more conservative. It does look too carnival at times. The key is to make it fair for everyone. I’ll buy the expensive lights if that’s the rule for everyone. But if we can have three-dollar string lights for the rest of the summer, I’ll probably go get some. I want it to look nice.”
The council will ruminate over what looks nice and hold a meeting in late summer or fall that includes BOZAR members and local business owners to discuss the lighting in particular and the look of Elk Avenue in general.