The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
CB still the hub but MetRec coming into play
By Mark Reaman
The latest Crested Butte planning initiative was discussed at a January 21 town council work session and focused on the town’s parks, recreation, open space and trails (PROST) 2025 master plan. The town has budgeted $150,000 for the planning process that is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Crested Butte PROST director Janna Hansen laid out the history and goals of the plan. The current master plan was developed in 2010 and the new plan is hoped to provide an “updated roadmap” for the department.
“We are a small community with a lot of partners,” she said noting that a lack of space for recreation programs has been a constant issue for decades with CB being the hub in the North Valley. “Crested Butte has traditionally been the primary service provider for recreation and the community is growing with more major development like Starview and Whetstone on the horizon. We want to retain our quality of life in the community with things like having access to trails that start in town for example. We want to plan in the most efficient way that meets our community needs.”
In the current five-year plan, there are several major projects including a renovation of Jerry’s Gym in the town hall, a Nordic Barn and bathroom construction for the east side of town and the biggest project, a renovation of the Rainbow Park playground slated for 2028. The department is also currently working on improving the website.
Hansen explained that PROST infrastructure and operating costs are paid for through a dedicated sales tax, some Crested Butte general and capital fund money, fees, grants and the real estate transfer tax. The staff and council made clear that with a recent voter-approved funding expansion for the Gunnison County Metropolitan Recreation District (MetRec), that entity could be a major partner going forward.
Councilmember John O’Neal mentioned that the town’s general fund was under a lot of pressure to fund various projects, and he wondered if recreation programs could be better self-funded.
“That’s a tricky one,” explained Hansen. “These types of programs are always subsidized by governments because they are expensive but also important.” She noted that while the local hockey program was one of the least expensive in the state, it still costs families thousands of dollars every season.
Mayor Ian Billick pointed out in response to some public feedback he had received that PROST gets much of its funding through Crested Butte sales tax and not property tax. That sales tax is gathered from residents, visitors and people living outside of town boundaries, so he saw little reason to charge tiered fees for people using PROST services. “While complicated, it makes sense that the town provides programs and things like some fields for the larger community,” he said.
“If most of the area’s kids are going to school in town, we can’t not be a provider for recreation programs, especially those after school,” added councilmember Gabi Prochaska.
“Crested Butte has historically been the hub of the places around it, and I see us maintaining that cultural element,” said councilmember Anna Fenerty.
Billick said with MetRec’s budget for the North Valley now around $2 million, MetRec has emerged as a major factor in the recreation realm. “The thinking when MetRec asked for that tax was that it could help with cross-jurisdiction projects,” he said. “So how do we use MetRec? What’s our role with the organization’s major emergence?”
Fenerty said given MetRec’s current planning process, major projects could be 10 years out from them.
“It sounds like we are open to seeing how MetRec grows into itself, but the town will continue to be the primary regional provider,” said Billick.
Councilmember Beth Goldstone said she struggled with the idea of wants versus needs. “A lot of this seems is based on wants. Being surrounded by so much open wilderness, we live in the middle of a playground,” she said.
“There are different benefits from participating in different types of recreation,” said Hansen. “Providing after-school programs fulfills a different need, for example. The indoor soccer program brings together different cultures to meet and play as well.”
“Recreation adds to being a connected community,” added O’Neal. “It is a place for people to gather.”
Fenerty suggested that since Crested Butte seemed to be behind other growing mountain resort towns, that the town poll those larger communities to see what they would have done differently and apply those lessons to Crested Butte.
Staff and council also discussed how new nearby developments in the county could be assessed a fee to help cover their impact on the PROST department.
“How do we evaluate the metrics of what is needed as the result of new developments?” said Hansen.
“If it was water or wastewater services we would have tap fees,” said Billick. “Maybe we consider some sort of impact fees with all new developments.”
“That would be amazing if something like that came out of the corridor plan,” said Hansen about an upcoming planning discussion between town and Gunnison County.
Hansen said the planning will follow the town’s Community Compass process and allow public participation opportunities. An advisory committee may be formed, and open space strategy will be included as part of any plan. The goal is to have the council look at an updated PROST Master Plan by next December.
