The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Seeking separation from town hall
By Kendra Walker
During their January 6 meeting, the Mt. Crested Butte town council gave town staff the ok to proceed with investigating the needs and location for a new purpose-built Mt. CB police facility. Staff will now pursue options for a new facility, including applying for a Department of Local Affairs administrative grant for the site analysis and assessment.
In a memo to the council, town manager Carlos Velado explained that “The current police space lacks proper separation from town hall’s administrative and public functions and does not provide adequate environmental controls for secure storage and handling of sensitive materials.”
He said the town had performed a building condition assessment of town hall and the adjacent maintenance facility, and looked into the possibility of repurposing that existing maintenance garage for a police facility.
However, based on the assessment and program needs, staff decided to pivot from the remodel option and instead pursue a new purpose‑built police facility. “A remodel of the maintenance garage would not fully address secure circulation, controlled access and dedicated public‑safety features without significant structural reconfiguration,” said Velado. Among the issues listed include building layout constraints, operational conflict with fleet and winter operations, renovation costs and risks with the space, community privacy and long-term scalability.
The council agreed to allow staff to continue with planning for a purpose-built police facility, including site analysis, pursuing grant opportunities and conceptual design. Velado said staff will return to the council to discuss site alternatives, conceptual layouts and funding options.
When asked whether the town had identified any sites for a new facility, Velado said staff has not gotten that in-depth at this point, but noted there is some potential on the town hall property, Matterhorn Lot and North Village, as well as private options. “This analysis will explore those further,” he said.
