The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
by Kristy Acuff
Stallion Park affordable housing project gets under way
Gunnison County selected Christopher Kline Construction to build affordable housing on the county’s land in Stallion Park off Brush Creek Road. According to county manager Mathew Birnie, Kline Construction will build two four-plex buildings for deed-restricted housing. The eight three-bedroom units will measure in at 1,238 square feet and will be a mix of rental and for-sale properties built on-site. Birnie says he hopes construction begins early this spring.
Cottonwood Pass paving project gets a jump start due to low snow
County Public Works director Marlene Crosby reports that the Federal Highway Administration will begin work on the Cottonwood Pass paving project as soon as early April this year due to low snow. “They hope to have paving done by the end of August,” said Crosby. “But that might be a bit optimistic. There is still a lot of dirt work to be completed. But they are able to start early this year because of the low snow.”
Coal mine methane to be studied for use as a heat source to make bricks
As part of the ongoing effort to utilize the waste methane venting from the West Elk coal mine north of Paonia, county commissioners voted to support a feasibility study to explore the possibility of using the methane as a heat source to make bricks using silt accumulating in the Paonia reservoir. Colorado School of Mines will conduct the economic analysis for the North Fork Coal Mine Methane Working Group that has been looking at various alternatives to capture and utilize the methane, a potent greenhouse gas that is currently not regulated by either state or federal agencies.
