The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Public hearing set for September 15
by Kendra Walker
The Mt. Crested Butte town council has resumed discussions regarding the proposed Hunter Ridge subdivision, and during their August 18 meeting reviewed the request to annex the 10-acre parcel located along the south side of Hunter Hill Road into the town. The council approved the first reading of the Hunter Ridge annexation application, and set a public hearing and second reading review for September 15.
The applicant Hunter Ridge, LLC is proposing to subdivide the parcel into eight residential lots that would be zoned with four single-family lots, two duplex lots and two triplex lots for a total of 14 residential units. The plan requires the construction of three on-site community housing units to be delivered concurrently with the market-rate development.
The property, which sits adjacent to town limits in unincorporated Gunnison County, has a complex history. After an initial development and annexation proposal for the site was denied by the town in 2018, the developer Jamie Watt pursued approvals through the county which were denied because the Mt. Crested Butte Water and Sanitation District denied its inclusion into the district. Council members and community members had previously expressed concerns over the parcel’s steep topography and slope stability.
In 2021, Watt returned to the town of Mt. CB with a revised annexation, rezoning, and subdivision application, and the sketch and preliminary subdivision plans were approved in 2021 and 2022. According to town planner Shannon Hessler, the applicant has been working through both the town and Mt. CB Water and San’s processes. The final outstanding requirement for being eligible for annexation into the town was the property’s inclusion into the Water and San District. Hessler confirmed that the applicant received inclusion from Water and San on February 24, 2026.
If the council approves annexation, they will then consider the final subdivision application for approval, which includes the final plat and execution of a subdivision improvement agreement.
The council once again expressed concerns over slope stability and emphasized the desire for updated geotechnical reports.
“I’m still at a loss of why we’re so far down this road,” said councilmember Roman Kolodziej. “I thought they had to work through this process and be compliant to produce this product within town limits.”
Town staff explained that those detailed requirements are reviewed through the final plan application, and the town must approve annexation in order to move forward with the review.
“I remember slope stability was a concern, has that been satisfied?” asked mayor Nicholas Kempin.
“That is all part of the subdivision application. As of now it’s incomplete,” said Hessler.
“We have to be annexed to continue the town process. We can’t submit the final plan until we’re annexed,” said Hunter Ridge, LLC representative Mike Dawson. “We will still have to meet all final plan requirements.”
The council voted 5-1 to approve first reading and set a public hearing for second reading on September 15 to allow newer council members to get up to speed on the project and for staff to prepare more information for the council’s review. The council set the expectation that a final decision may not be made on that date for second reading.
