The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Preliminary PUD plan approved
By Kendra Walker
During their July 15 meeting, the Mt. Crested Butte town council approved the preliminary planned unit development (PUD) and subdivision application for Crested Butte Ridge.
The proposed development, formerly known as Nevada Ridge, is located off Summit Road and borders the West Wall ski lift on Crested Butte Mountain Resort. The project includes nine new single-family homes, the extension of Nevada Summit Road and related infrastructure improvements. The first phase of the project will include replatting the existing eight lots into four single-family residential lots and the installation of related infrastructure. The second phase includes developing five additional lots, extension of Nevada Summit Drive and construction of a skier bridge.
The Nevada Ridge PUD was originally approved in 2006, and infrastructure for the project was started, including the construction of the Nevada Summit Drive access road, retaining walls and sewer and water utilities. However, the project was abandoned sometime around 2007 and all entitlements associated with the property expired in 2016. The applicant proposes to construct new retaining walls, due to inadequate design, construction, drainage and dewatering of the original walls over time.
Town staff explained that the northern portion of the site is held in a conservation easement by the Crested Butte Land Trust as open space, and a skier easement exists through the property from the top of the West Wall lift above the existing retaining walls. “The applicant has stated that they will grant an easement for public access for the San Moritz trail below the existing retaining walls to provide year-round access to the resort trails,” said town planner Shannon Hessler and community development director Neal Starkebaum in their memo to the council.
Several neighbors spoke during public comment asking the town and the applicant to ensure that the skier easements would be maintained. “It will not impact any of the current skier access paths,” said Crested Butte Ridge, LLC representative Jacob With. “Big picture, I see nothing that’s going to change their ski access.” He did say that public access to the San Moritz summer trail below the retaining walls may be shut down for a period of time during construction.
Town staff also explained that the applicant previously discussed workforce housing options with the council, but given the site’s location and distance from transit and services, the general consensus was that the community housing needs would be better met by the applicant paying a fee in lieu of providing community housing on site.
During their July 15 review of the application, members of the council expressed interest in asking the applicant to explore community housing plans outside of the payment in lieu, and agreed to include that as a condition for approval. Town attorney Nicholas Klein explained that while payment in lieu may still be the most sensible for this project, the condition would at least explore potential alternatives.
The Mt. Crested Butte planning commission reviewed the preliminary application for the PUD and subdivision on June 4. They recommended approval to the Town Council with some conditions, including compliance with the recommendations of the Mt. Crested Butte Water and Sanitation District that the town will not issue any construction, excavation, land disturbance or building permits for the project until the developer obtains Water and San’s written approval of the developer’s water and wastewater utility plans. The district has asked that no building permits be issued for upcoming major developments until it has rectified its main sewer line capacity issue. Town manager Carlos Velado confirmed that this conditional language is consistent with the town’s conditions for the recently approved Villages at Mt. Crested Butte and Upper Prospect developments.
The council unanimously voted to approve the Crested Butte Ridge preliminary subdivision and PUD plan with the conditions outlined in the planning commission’s recommendation, in addition to the conditions that all skier and trail easements are included on the final plat and that the applicant submits community housing plans outside of fee in lieu payment. The proposal will now go to the final plan review stage of the application process.
