Briefs Crested Butte council

by Mark Reaman

Dog park and signage issues

In response to concerns brought up by citizen Anne Moore, the town staff said they would increase signage directing people to the recreation path that is located behind the infrastructure construction project on the northeast side of town. The path is apparently hard to find, with big machinery blocking the view.

The council did not feel the urgency, however, to take steps suggested by Moore to provide a town dog park to accommodate local pooping pooches or the need to replace the admittedly ugly orange construction fence around the project with something nicer.

“We need to pay attention to the small things and treat our land and our space with respect,” Moore told the council as she submitted a petition with about 200 signatures in support of a dog park.

Later in the meeting, councilmember Skip Berkshire said the area near the old dirt jumps where construction is now taking place had been a “sea of dog crap anytime of the year. There is some responsibility needed by dog owners. I don’t know where we could put a dog park. But maybe we can make it easier for people to be more responsible dog owners with the placement of more strategic locations for poop bags and places to dispose of them.”

There was not much passion by the council at the end of the council meeting to pursue a formal dog park. As for the orange construction fencing, it should come down when the project is completed in October.

Chamber bathroom issues and update

There will be an upcoming meeting between the Crested Butte Town Council and the Crested Butte-Mt. Crested Butte Chamber of Commerce. Chamber executive director Dave Ochs had wanted to discuss the public bathroom situation at the Visitors Center. Under the building lease, the chamber is responsible for the maintaining the bathroom facility and it is getting pretty hard to keep up. The council wanted to expand the meeting to an overall discussion of how the chamber is doing. That meeting will take place in the next month or two.

Sixth Street Station movement—sort of

The major Sixth Street Station development on the north side of town asked for and received an extension of its vested property right this month. The proposed development currently is approved for a fractional ownership hotel, retail and public space development. But it appears unlikely that a project with the current approvals will happen, given the market. Development spokesperson Gary Hartman told the council that negotiations are ongoing for a new partnership with a new concept for the property. If that doesn’t happen, the current property owners are looking at a new design. Either way, the currently approved project is not likely to happen any time soon but the approvals expire this summer. So the development team is looking for a three-year extension. It was granted at the July 20 meeting. Any major change in the proposal would have to take another trip through the BOZAR (Board of Zoning and Architectural Review) process.

Annexation still grinding away

The council will get a look at a pre-annexation agreement within the next month. A development group is hoping to bring 44 acres just north of the town boundary across from the Gas Café into town. Preliminary talks had included the possibility of a spot for a new fire station in the development but that has apparently been nixed. Crested Butte Fire Protection District board chairman Paul Hird wrote the town council a letter stating that the board was “very disappointed with this development as the property provides the best hope for the location of a much needed larger fire station to serve the Town of Crested Butte.” The fire board asked the council to reconsider and include a space for a new and expanded station as part of an annexation.

Slow down on the side streets

At the request of citizen Sally Johnson, council asked town staff to look at ways to curb speeding on the town’s side streets. Johnson had suggested bringing back the flower boxes that acted as barriers and cut down on speeding vehicles. The council was not ready to do that but they asked the staff to consider bringing in more “15 miles per hour” signs that could be placed in the center of the streets. Staff will address the situation and try to come up with an answer.

Sego steps down

Longtime town janitorial guru and swamper extraordinaire Larry Sego submitted his resignation. Town has signed up a Telluride company for a two-month contract to see how it does. Kudos to Sego for a longtime job well done.

Want to be on Town Council?

Three council members and the mayor are up for election this November. If you want to join the fun you need to reside in Crested Butte and circulate a petition and get ten of your fellow residents to sign it. Petitions can be picked up at the town clerk’s office and be circulated starting August 4. They must be returned by August 24. Aside from mayor Aaron Huckstep, councilmen Shaun Matusewicz, Glenn Michel and Skip Berkshire are up for election.