Wildflower subdivision interesting idea but not reason for CBS Metro expansion

Any new inclusion has to be fair and equitable

[  By Mark Reaman  ]

The Crested Butte South Metro District wants to be clear that the upcoming wastewater treatment plant expansion project is not related to the Wildflower at CB development that is beginning to take shape near the entrance to CB South.

Metro District manager Ronnie Benson said conversations with the developers of the proposed Wildflower development are very preliminary but there appear to be some “potential benefits” to the district. He said if approved through the county, the subdivision could provide some things the district would want and so the idea of the new 76 residential home development coming into the metro district is certainly under consideration but would be taken one step at a time.

“The need for this expansion project was going happen on this schedule due to our growth and not because Wildflower has joined the conversation,” Benson emphasized. “The timing and aesthetics would suggest that we are doing the expansion to accommodate Wildflower which is completely inaccurate. Yes, the expansion would allow for Wildflower’s development as it would only account for probably less than 5% of our total capacity at buildout. Wildflower approached the district early in their vision just to see if this would even be a consideration. There are enough aspects of the project that could be beneficial to the district that we gave a green light for them to pursue what a development would look like. This is so far from a ‘done deal’ that I’m reluctant to even comment.”

The district would consider items of importance that Benson described as water based. “For example, water sources, water quality and augmentation to further support our water plan would be important,” he said. “These topics are very important to us as the West continues to trend toward drought. While we have very well-placed water rights and augmentation, I will continuously search for ways to improve or shore up our water availability to make sure our community is taken care of now and into the future. This project is an avenue to possibly advance our water position.”

Wildflower subdivision developers are optimistic the new development could hook up to the Metro District for water and sewer services. Test wells on the property have indicated there is plenty of water on the site.

If everything pans out, the Wildflower at CB would be expected to pay its way into the district. “The district would absolutely look at an overall ‘buy-in’ that would be fair and equitable for the development and our constituents that have paid for infrastructure that Wildflower would use,” Benson said. “This encompasses more than just a wastewater expansion and would include all infrastructure that Wildflower would need to meet the requirements of an approved water/wastewater system, regardless if they were included into the district or not. This includes things like fire flow protection, storage and water quality standards.”