The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Skate park and disc golf to be relocated
by Mark Reaman
After nine months of meetings and debate, the Crested Butte Town Council approved the Big Mine Park Master Plan at its September 8 meeting. The guiding document is not a work or project plan but is meant to detail direction for the park.
Part of that direction includes moving the skate park out of Big Mine and over to Town Park by the Center for the Arts. The proposal calls for more “street features” and would be more than 14,000 square feet. The plan also recommends that the disc golf course be moved to another site.
The town had received a $60,000 planning grant from Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO). The ultimate plan developed by landscape architecture firm Mundus Bishop expands the current Nordic Center warming house and constructs a separate space for hockey and ice rink-related activities.
Tina Bishop presented an overview of the plan to the council. The master plan will be used to apply for various grants and fundraise for specific projects associated with Big Mine Park.
Parks and recreation director Janna Hansen said the plan is a culmination of a lot of public input and gives a solid direction for the area. “There are multiple projects within this master plan,” she said. “Each will have to raise funds and go through the public process like BOZAR before any are ultimately approved.”
Councilman Jim Schmidt used the presentation to remind citizens that there will be an initiative on the November ballot to fund parks and recreation. “The proposed sales tax will help accomplish big ambitions for the town with its park improvements,” he said.
