The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Pre-annexation requires petition within five years of first building permit
By Mark Reaman
If and when a Crested Butte annexation process is started for the Whetstone affordable housing development south of town, the Crested Butte town council agreed to pick up the cost of staff time in its review so as not to burden the county with the costs. The general estimate is that waiving town personnel costs and fees would amount to about $10,000.
The issue came up Monday, February 5, during a discussion over a pre-annexation agreement between the town and county. Gunnison County attorney Matt Hoyt told the town council the county was okay with the council mandate to petition for annexation within five years of the start of the project, but since it was a town request, the county should not pick up the entire tab of the annexation review process.
Council members have stated they wanted the possibility of a Whetstone annexation in order to give future residents in the development the ability to vote in town elections and actively participate on town boards. An annexation would also increase the town’s influence on future corridor development.
Some on council have said that given the sales tax benefits that will come with the project, annexing the development and giving residents a role in town government is fair. The actual annexation detail points would be publicly discussed and vetted when that annexation petition process is started and, given potential timelines, it could involve elected representatives not currently on the council.
“We appreciate this being a separate agreement from the utility extension,” said Hoyt. “We have no problem applying for an annexation if the town desires, but if it is a town desire, we think the fees should not be the entire responsibility of the county. Any dollar we spend not on building this Whetstone project puts the project at risk.”
Mayor Ian Billick, a proponent of future annexation of the property, said given the estimated staff time involved and potential costs being in the neighborhood of $10,000, he was in favor of not charging the county in order to facilitate “good will.”
Councilmember Mallika Magner said she was starting to see more potential costs being shifted to the town from the county that were not originally anticipated. She wanted to be careful of such cost creep.
The majority of the council agreed to pick up the town costs of the annexation review process.
In separate action the council approved on February 20 an ordinance allowing the extension of water and sewer utilities without the need for a property being annexed. Current municipal code does not allow the council to consider extending municipal sewer service outside of the town boundary without annexation. The proposed ordinance limits such extension to future affordable housing, accessory dwelling units or emergency service provider projects. Public benefit must not be part of the request.
