Crested Butte and fire district working on sewer hook-up possibility

Town expresses concern to county over potential septic idea

By Mark Reaman

Negotiations between the town of Crested Butte and the Crested Butte Fire Protection District (CBFPD) are ongoing over how the town could provide some utilities like water and sewer services to the proposed new fire station slated to be built just north of town near the Crested Butte Cemetery. Representatives of both entities described the talks as positive.

The CBFPD has applied to Gunnison County for a so-called “Location and Extent” permit that allows the fire district to be exempt from many normal restrictions of the county’s land use regulations. The town council approved a letter to the county on May 1 as part of the county process to express concerns with some of the CBFPD proposal. “Our comments are about life/safety issues given the situation,” explained Crested Butte community development director Troy Russ.

The letter primarily addresses the idea of the CBFPD using an Onsite Wastewater Treatment System instead of hooking into the town’s sewer system. The new CBFPD facility would be located within 400 feet of the town’s wastewater treatment system and town maintains that, under Colorado law, the fire district must tie into that system.

The letter also asks the county to require an extension of a sidewalk from town to the new facility in order to make it safer for pedestrians and bikers to use the proposed community meeting room that is part of the development plan.

The CBFPD proposal includes a 22,500 square foot fire station, a 6,000 square foot search-and-rescue headquarters and a possible training tower on land previously owned by Spann Ranches and located adjacent to Crested Butte’s Slate River subdivision and the CB cemetery. CBFPD CEO Sean Caffrey said while leaving space for the training tower, it won’t happen in phase one and might be relocated to behind the Mt. Crested Butte fire station.

Work on the new facility is now expected to begin in the spring of 2024 and be completed about two years from the start of construction.