Briefs: Gunnison County

By Katherine Nettles

Starview public hearing December 18

There will be a joint public hearing on December 18 with the Gunnison County Planning Commission and county commissioners for the proposed Starview development located along Highway 135 near Cement Creek Road. The public hearing is scheduled for at 9 a.m. in the commissioners meeting room at the courthouse. Major changes to the proposal this fall include a density reduction from 125 to 83 units, an increase in deed restricted units from 20 to 24 units (representing 22% of the project), a reduction in minimum square footage for 25 accessory dwelling units allowed from 800 square feet to 600 square feet and a reduction in open space from 71% to 51.5% to allow for some larger lot sizes in keeping with neighboring lots in the area. Last, deed-restricted unit setbacks were increased from 165 feet to 218 feet.

Head of community development resigns

Gunnison County’s assistant county manager for community and economic development Cathie Pagano will be leaving her position in early 2026. County communications director Patty Schmitz confirmed on Tuesday that Pagano recently announced that she would be moving on from her work with the county, effective at the end of January 2026.

Pagano has served the county for 24 years in planning, land use, housing and community development. “We are grateful for Cathie’s service, her collaborative spirit, and her deep commitment to the Gunnison Valley,” wrote Schmitz in an email to the Crested Butte News. She said the county will share more information about transition plans in the coming weeks. “Cathie will remain in the Valley as she pursues new opportunities, and we expect that she will work with the county to oversee the Gunnison to Mt. Crested Butte Corridor Plan in the near term,” concluded Schmitz.

Road and bridges updates

Gunnison County commissioners adopted amendments to their Public Works document titled “Standards and Specifications for New Roads and Bridges” during their regular meeting on November 18 immediately following a public hearing. The changes were made for clarity and brevity and to be more consistent with the county’s Land Use Resolution, and were covered in detail during work sessions over the past few months. “This is the largest revision it has ever undergone,” said public works director Martin Schmidt. There was no public comment.

Conservation easement near Raggeds Wilderness

Commissioners approved of a Gunnison Valley Land Preservation Fund grant agreement for Brush Creek Ranch LLC which is donating a conservation easement to the Colorado West Land Trust on 492 acres along Highway 133 in northwestern Gunnison County adjacent to the Raggeds Wilderness Area. The amount requested is $118,340 to cover transaction costs.

Gunnison Area Plan approved

Commissioners approved of designating the Gunnison Area as a special area and adopted the Gunnison Area Plan (GAP) and special area regulations (SARs). Commissioners also approved an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the city of Gunnison regarding the plan. They had a lengthy discussion to review the work of the community and economic development department in bringing this forward and concerns that came up from the public during the recent public hearing sessions.

The GAP and SARs process began in 2022 in collaboration with the city of Gunnison and aims to manage potential future growth while supporting attainable housing and protecting the rural character of the area in a proactive way. It sets minimum densities in certain areas identified for growth, but as staff emphasized there are no guarantees that any development will happen. The process is expected to streamline the project application and review process as well.

The city of Gunnison council was scheduled to consider approving their portion of the IGA at their next meeting.

Budget hearing December 9

Gunnison County chief financial officer Melissa LaMonica reviewed a few changes to the county’s 2026 budget on November 18 based on final insurance and grant figures; the public hearing for the budget will be Dec. 9.

Misc.

—Mark Rozman was appointed Gunnison County deputy chief financial officer on November 4.

—Commissioners approved $2,00 for the health and human services department to continue supplementing emergency food boxes on days when the Gunnison Country Food Pantry is not open. During the recent SNAP holds, HHS director Joni Reynolds said food boxes were used up more quickly than usual, particularly before long weekends.

—Crested Butte Mountain Resort nominated Andrea Kullhem to be its representative on the Tourism and Prosperity Partnership board of directors. Commissioners, acting as the Local Marketing District board, approved. Commissioner Liz Smith expressed her hope to collaborate more with CBMR on marketing.