The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Commissioners delay plan extension decision at request of Mt. CB
[ By Katherine Nettles ]
Gunnison County commissioners agreed this week to wait on considering the Hunter Ridge developer’s deadline extension request until the Mt. Crested Butte Water and Sanitation District approves or denies the developer’s request for its services. The decision to stall did not come without some discussion, however, and county commissioner Roland Mason asked if the board was creating a precedent for more delays.
The Hunter Ridge development is slated for a property located within the Three Mile Plan of Mt. Crested Butte town limits. The subdivision project received county sketch plan approval on January 7, 2019 as recommended by the Gunnison County Planning Commission and approved unanimously by commissioners.
The approval granted the applicant, Jamie Watt, one year to meet various criteria and then submit a preliminary plan to the county, or to request an extension within 30 days prior to the deadline. Watt met the criteria for that request, citing delays with the Water and San district and other administrative issues related to COVID this year.
Mt. Crested Butte town council has stated opposition to the Hunter Ridge development, having denied the development’s application when Watt first presented it to the town for annexation. The council recently wrote letters to both the Mt. Crested Butte Water and Sanitation District and to the Gunnison County commissioners regarding the project.
As previously reported in the Crested Butte News, the council requested that the Water and San board deny the Hunter Ridge petition for inclusion, citing concerns for impacts on town infrastructure and overburdened water resources.
“The council suggests that the property itself is capable of being annexed to the Town, however, that neither the project previously submitted for annexation, nor the project being processed through the County, is one the Town would be interested in annexing,” according to the letter.
The council also requested that the county delay a decision on whether to grant a preliminary plan deadline extension until after the Water and San board’s decision on the project, scheduled for December 16.
Gunnison County community development director Cathie Pagano reviewed the application’s history and letter from Mt. Crested Butte with commissioners before recommending that they hold off until after the district’s upcoming hearing.
“So they have met all the criteria of the request; it seems like the lingering question about acceptance or not into that district is a pretty substantial question to be answered,” said commissioner Jonathan Houck. “Based on the timeline, we don’t have to make that decision this evening. We could wait and make a decision based on what we sill see as the decision made by the Sanitation District. Is that correct?”
Pagano confirmed that the Land Use Resolution doesn’t require commissioners to make a decision within a specific timeline. “And given that the meeting is so close…my staff recommendation is that you do wait.”
Watt and his attorney Michael Dawson encouraged the board to make a decision independently of the district.
“Depending on what the district decides, we are still going to have to show adequacy of water and sewer,” said Dawson. “Those are conditions of the sketch plan anyway.”
“Like Mike said, there’s been a delay with Water and San…I think we’ve met the criteria to request an extension,” said Watt. He emphasized that even if denied, he would be proceeding with other options to get through preliminary plan. “If they say no, we still need our extension.”
Commissioner Mason said it would be up to the developer to continue trying to find central water and sanitation service if the extension was granted.
“What message does it send waiting for [Water and San] to make a decision?” he asked. “At the end of the day, approving the extension right now puts it back to Jamie’s court to try and get that.” Mason also asked if the district could potentially delay their decision and if the commissioners would keep delaying theirs as well.
“The important thing is that the applicant has met the timeline for a request of extension. And we have the opportunity to provide that on the 22nd,” Houck said. It will now be on the commissioners’ agenda on December 22.
