CB Council delays vote on Center for the Arts plan

Rainbow is off limits. Pitsker might move to…

Pitsker softball field will not be moving to Rainbow Park. Where it ends up is still undecided but the Crested Butte Town Council made it clear that as part of a Center for the Arts upgrade, Rainbow Park should not be affected.

Relocating the historic field located along Sixth Street by the Center for the Arts was a possibility as part of a recommendation by parks consultant firm Mundus-Bishop, which looked at site possibilities for the proposed Center for the Arts expansion.
The main plan shifted the art’s facility north from the current location onto Pitsker. Pitsker would then move to Rainbow Park and the Rainbow soccer field would relocate to the entrance to town. That proposal came before the Town Council on March 16 and the board was considering a resolution of support for the plan at Monday’s meeting. But after scores of letters for and against the idea and three and a half hours of public debate, the council decided to give its support to shifting the Center for the Arts north but look for another place for Pitsker Field.
The staff indicated there are two possibilities without Rainbow. They will look at the area near the Tommy V baseball field that comes with some wetland issues and they will consider a smaller, Little League–oriented field on the lawn south of a new Center for the Arts with a backstop by Stepping Stones. It could also remain in the current location. The council will again consider a general resolution of support for the center’s site plan at the April 20 meeting.

Background on the plan
Town planner Michael Yerman opened the meeting with some background and history of the center and the Town Park. He said that just like the decision by the town to obtain the old county shop and turn it into an arts center 30 years ago, this upgrade and expansion of the building would be a “legacy” project that would help define the town for the next 30 years. He outlined the pros and cons of the proposal that the town had received through public comments. He said the Center was aiming to bring a plan to the Board of Zoning and Architectural Review (BOZAR) by this summer, so the board and staff needed a solid idea of where they could place the new building. That’s where a council resolution supporting relocation came in.
“I told the board that, given the importance of the project and the fact it would be so important for the next 30 years, we should look at every possibility,” explained Yerman. “So the Center agreed to pick up the $5,000 cost of having our consulting firm that was looking at the Big Mine Park Master Plan look at this and consider different options.”
Yerman said the main directive was to make sure there would be no loss of any park amenities with a new plan. He said while things were shifted, the town actually gained a couple of smaller soccer fields, some public restrooms and saw the current amenities upgraded. “I would encourage the community to think big,” he said.

Two Centers are okay
Center for the Arts executive director Jenny Birnie told the crowd that the proposed Biery-Witt Center planned for Mt. Crested Butte would provide services very different from an expanded Center for the Arts in Crested Butte. “We actually meet quite regularly and are cooperating well to make sure we aren’t duplicating services,” she said. “The overall idea is to provide something special and unique for the arts in the valley. Biery-Witt will be a larger facility and serve different needs. It will be the home of the Crested Butte Music Festival, host conferences, and have a 500-seat performance space. The Center for the Arts will be a community arts center. It will have a 260-seat theater. The [Ccenter for the Arts] vision is to put all these local arts programs we have in one building.”
The cost for the expansion is estimated to be between $11 million and $15 million. The Center board wants to raise operating money and an endowment for the facility to support the first five years of operation as part of the overall budget. The Center would pick up the cost of any park renovations needed as a result of the expansion.
According to Birnie, the expanded Center would have a $1.6 million annual budget. Half of that would be raised through contributions. Ticket sales would be budgeted to go from $75,000 a year to $203,000 a year. Visits to the Center would double from the current 35,000. The thought is that while the current Center provides a $3 million economic impact on the area, the new facility would increase that to $5 million.
“We are bursting at the seams,” said Birnie. “We need a bigger building to meet the needs of the local arts community.”
Parks and Recreation director Janna Hansen said her department is seeing similar growth. “The number of people participating in our programs is drastically growing,” she said. “We are a small community that has space used by many groups. There is multiple use of the same space. We need to efficiently utilize the town park space. The new plan has a lot of benefits for the town parks.”
Tina Bishop was the primary consultant who came up with the concept. “Park space is valuable in a town,” she said. “Maintaining the green spine by keeping the entrance to town green and setting back the new building from the highway to about where it is now is a major benefit of the new plan. It keeps the views of the mountain for those at Alpenglow and that was a key characteristic.”
Yerman said the building is expected to be about 30,000 square feet and be two stories. “The design has to go through BOZAR and I’m confident they will make sure it is a building the town can be proud of,” he said. He expected that public process to take several months.

Answers to questions
Responding to questions from the public, Yerman said tour buses would unload off of Seventh Street. The 73 parking spaces along Seventh Street would be plowed in the winter. Yerman said there would be an effort beginning this summer to get people to use the school parking lot during performances that take up the close-in parking.
Resident Jamie Walton said that while Big Mine Park was receiving lots of public attention through a comprehensive master planning process, this proposal had the feeling of a major master plan, but little public participation.
Property owner Pete Dawson suggested putting Pitsker to the south of the new Center. Yerman said the concern there was the need for fencing and netting that would be a conflict for Alpenglow concerts. There was also a desire to not have fences at the entrance to town.
Veronica Jarolimek said Seventh Street was already pretty busy and congested and she questioned the idea of adding more cars and tour buses to the street. Yerman said a sidewalk would be part of the plan.
Walton said it was appropriate for the town and the council to set parameters for the Center expansion up front since it was a town-owned building. “If the Center goes under, it will be up to the town to take it over,” he pointed out.
“As part of the earlier council resolutions and as part of this proposed resolution, the town will review the business feasibility to address those types of concerns,” said mayor Aaron Huckstep.
“Keep in mind that the $12 million to $14 million cost is being raised totally by the Center,” added contractor Crocket Farnell. “If the Center goes up in smoke, the town gets a $10 million asset for nothing.”
Danica Ramgoolam voiced concern to the council about changing Rainbow Park from a soccer-oriented place to a softball-oriented place. She pointed out that open containers are not unheard-of at softball games and drinking is an issue close to a children’s play park. There could also be conflict between softball games and events taking place in the pavilion.
Bishop said there was separation between the park and the field, while Hansen said such mixed use coexists at every park in town.
Robin Brazell asked if the town had considered moving the high school soccer field to the school. Hansen said it hadn’t been as part of this plan and mentioned the track and finance issues with the school district and the town as being a roadblock.
Walton asked why the performance space was increasing to only 260 seats from the current 215 if everything from dance to film was already maxing out. Birnie said audiences and performers wanted to preserve the intimacy of the theater. She said seating could go to 300 seats if needed but the user groups wanted to maintain an intimate performance space.
Sue Navy said that given the budget increases it sounded like ticket prices would need to be raised. Birnie said they have subsidized rates for the community and while average ticket prices are about $20 now, they would probably go up to about $25.
Councilman Skip Berkshire said he felt Pitsker could fit behind the school near the Tommy V baseball field. Yerman said it could but there are wetland issues and he would contact the Army Corps of Engineers to see what sort of mitigation would be needed if Pitsker were placed there.
Berkshire also suggested the town might consider vacating Sixth Street behind the Old Town Inn and use that as parking. “I bet we could get a ton of parking there and it would help the Center and the Majestic Plaza,” he said.
Councilman Chris Ladoulis asked about the scale of the building and architect Jennifer Hartman said the footprint from the current building would increase but with a second story some of the scale issues could be mitigated.

Citizen comments
Kate Barney lives near Rainbow and implored the council not to change the use of the park. “Changing that park space will change the nature of the park,” she said.
Rob Boyle said it would be prudent for the council to allow more time to consider all the options for a Center expansion.
Pete Dawson agreed. “If this is a ‘legacy’ project, then look at the whole town and involve the entire town. Open it up for more comment. There are some smart people in this community.”
Connie Hayden agreed that to change the use of the park at Rainbow will change Rainbow dramatically. She too suggested working with the school to consider getting rid of the too-small track and using that space for fields.
Nicholas Reti said everyone was ahead of themselves without seeing the design of the new Center for the Arts. He said that would steer some of the decisions.
Roxana Alvarez said Rainbow Park was “a huge lawn that invited lots of uses. People fly their kites there.”
“They fly their drones there. They just play there. It is used as an invitation for free play. A softball field doesn’t have the same invitation,” Alvarez continued.
Sue Navy asked the council to consider the plan in the context of all the changes being discussed in town, from a new annexation to the transportation plan to a possible high-end music hall in the old Grubstake. “Look at the wholesale changes and don’t consider them piecemeal. Tonight’s discussion is part of a bigger picture. Look at everything together,” she asked.
Glo Cunningham said she was not pleased with the idea of two large buildings (Anthracite Place and the Center) at the entrance to town. She was “extremely opposed to moving Pitsker, given its history. It is a family-oriented field and I love seeing that when coming into town.”
While saying she loved the Center, Cunningham hopes the Center stays affordable and told the council she stopped using the facility for functions she organized because it had already become too expensive. “If the economy stays the same or gets better, it’s brilliant. But can we really afford all of this and the Biery-Witt in a small town?”
Alex Fenlon expressed concern with putting netting and fencing at Rainbow. “The park is amazing and has a ton of activity,” he said. “It works well as it is and we have learned to deal with the impacts. This plan is a huge change for a residential area. It feels rushed and I urge the council to put the brakes on a little bit.”
Tricia Kubisiak felt the council should give priorities for the Center expansion. “If we do this over, give the planners guidelines instead of burning all this at the Grump next fall,” she said.
Artist Suzanne Pierson said there was a creative momentum happening in the valley and the Center was critical to the community. “But this should unite our town and not be a divisive thing for us,” she said. “Let’s create an incredible opportunity. Don’t over-think it but think it through.”

Council debate
Birnie said the Center board would ideally like a clear resolution passed so they could give some direction to the architect concerning the location. She said that would lead to more solid plans that could be utilized for fundraising.
As the council began discussion, Roland Mason recused himself since his wife works for the Center and the Trailhead Children’s Museum.
Councilman Jim Schmidt and the rest of the council agreed Rainbow Park should not be affected as a result of the proposal. He said he wanted to keep Pitsker in the same area, preferably on the south side of the Center with a backstop by Stepping Stones. Yerman wasn’t sure a softball field could work in the spot but a Little League field might. He and Hansen will investigate the option.
Schmidt wasn’t overly worried about parking and was open to Jamie Walton’s idea of pursuing the old Academy lot for mitigation. He said with a move to the north, people would be inclined to use the Visitors Center parking lot for evening performances and an inviting sidewalk from the lot to the Center should be part of the plan.
Councilman Glenn Michel was in favor of the new Center location, given the setback advantage and said it would allow the current Center to stay open during construction. He too preferred keeping Pitsker in the Town Park but was open to other locations.
Councilperson Chris Ladoulis expressed disappointment in the town process for not planning ahead for this type of discussion. “We tend too often to react when a proponent wants to do something. The town needs to stop being so reactive. We need more forethought. An overall town park master plan would have been good to have.”
“It’s an imperfect process,” admitted town manager Todd Crossett. “But as beneficial as it is to be ahead with comprehensive planning, we have a responsibility to react in certain situations. Some things are beyond our nexus of control.”
“If the council wants an overall parks master plan, that is a huge cost,” added Yerman. “That will be a budget discussion.”
Councilman Shaun Matusewicz said having only 14 days for the public to consider a plan that will last 30 years wasn’t appropriate. “These are major changes,” he said. “There should be more public meetings for the public to look at this.”
Councilman Skip Berkshire said it is probably too late for a new parks master plan. “The cat is almost out of the barn,” he said. “We do need to do a better job of thinking long-term. I do believe this is a ‘legacy’ project and it is up to us to explore options and come up with a better solution. It will all work out.”
Mayor Aaron Huckstep was ready to adjust the proposed resolution to take out any reference to Rainbow Park and vote on it Monday. He voiced a desire to allow the Center to move ahead with the new location and give council support through a resolution.
After much discussion, the council generally decided that the fate of Pitsker Field was still too much of an unknown. Allowing the Center to begin planning a building on the current Pitsker Field without a definitive replacement strategy was deemed too shaky.
“The feedback we’ve gotten has been valuable,” said Yerman. “If Rainbow is off limits we don’t need to move the soccer field. We have to look at the softball field. The Center is too important a community building. We will do this right.”
After three and a half hours, the council asked the staff to look at options for a Pitsker relocation. They will consider a new resolution of support for a revised site plan at the April 20 meeting. Huckstep will be out of town on that date and Mason will not vote on the resolution so it will be up to five councilmen to look at the new resolution.