The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Hoping for approval this summer
By Mark Reaman
The combined preliminary and final plans for a proposed 44-acre subdivision just north of Crested Butte off of Highway 135 has been submitted to the Gunnison County Planning Commission by Cypress Foothills, LP. With exhibits, the plan encompasses 425 pages.
The developers hope to construct a “hybrid” development, where 14 acres of the property will be annexed by the town of Crested Butte while the 30 acres on the eastern portion of the parcel will remain in the county.
Up to 23 residential lots are being proposed for the eastern 30 acres. No structure would be taller than 30 feet and the main house would be no larger than 5,000 square feet. The Slate River essentially would divide the development.
Part of the development entails cleaning up the old landfill that is buried on a portion of the property. That cleanup would be conducted in accordance with the state’s Voluntary Clean Up Plan and would be overseen by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Crested Butte would supply water and sewer services to the development.
According to the proposed plan, “Cypress intends to develop the Project in a single phase. Ideally, Cypress would like to obtain final County approval of the Project in the summer of 2017, enter into a development improvements agreement with the County, and record the plat of the East Parcel lots in the summer of 2017,” the plan states. “Construction of the infrastructure necessary to serve the proposed development on the East Parcel is estimated to take up to six months to complete.”
A traffic study conducted as part of the sketch plan indicated that “Per the Traffic Impact Study the east side of the development with 23 residential homes and a maximum 23 accessory dwelling units could produce 353 daily trips and an additional 60 daily trips for trail access for a total trip generation of 413 per day… At the peak hour, there is projected to be no more than 15 vehicles turning into Pyramid Avenue from Gothic Road from either direction at full build out.”
The plan submittal addresses the five primary concerns brought up by Planning Commission members in the sketch plan phase, including: the location of the access road off of Gothic Road, known as Pyramid Avenue; impacts to wildlife including elk migration; visual concerns from the Crested Butte cemetery; getting the town to supply drinking water to the subdivision; and the potential extension of Eighth Street into the subdivision from the town.
In the event the project is approved, Cypress has agreed to construct a public river trail along the west bank of the Slate River through the west parcel in order to provide potential connectivity to the existing Rec Path south and east of the property. Public use of the west portion of the property will be addressed through the town annexation process but could include parks, affordable housing, a school site and other public facilities.
Gunnison County Community Development Department assistant director Neal Starkebaum said he is “tentatively looking at a work session with the Planning Commission on April 7 in Crested Butte. I think this project will get through the preliminary/final review process in two to three months.”
According to Cypress attorney Marcus Lock, the developers hope to be at a point in the process where a public hearing could be conducted on the plan in May.
