Crested Butte council making several changes to zoning code

Reaction to reality

The Crested Butte Town Council made several changes, or began the process of making several changes, to the town zoning code at their meeting on Monday, April 19.

The council voted to put chiropractors into the “personal services” category in the zoning code, allowing the practitioners more freedom to select space on Elk Avenue, given horizontal zoning regulations.
Councilperson John Wirsing said he’d received negative comments from chiropractors who made business decisions based on the previous definitions in the zoning code. He and councilperson Reed Betz voted against making the change to the zoning code.
Speaking of everyone’s favorite zoning topic, horizontal zoning, the council directed the staff to draw up an ordinance clarifying language in the horizontal zoning regulations. The language will make it clear that historic buildings are not exempt from the “abandonment of use” requirements of the zoning code.
“Basically the idea of horizontal zoning was to maintain a viable shopping district that produced sales tax on Elk Avenue,” said Building and Zoning Director Bob Gillie, “and horizontal zoning is working faster than expected to accomplish the goal. To exempt historic buildings is to exempt two-thirds of the buildings on Elk Avenue and we don’t think that is a good idea.”
The council didn’t either; they will look at an ordinance making that more clear.
The council also directed staff to craft an ordinance regulating the “deconstruction and demolition of non-historic buildings.” It will call for those wishing to demolish a structure to provide a plan showing how materials can be given away or recycled. “The goal is to get 50 percent of the building re-used or recycled,” said Gillie.
The council will pursue the idea with an ordinance that mandates a plan be presented and people have two weeks to scavenge items from buildings that will be torn down.
The council also agreed to allow some uses that had been considered “conditional” in the commercial zone to soon be “permitted” uses. The C-zone has seen itself transformed from a place accommodating businesses like building contractors and instead drawing in more retailers and personal service businesses.
Councilperson Betz expressed concern the change would encourage traditional C-zone-type businesses, like plumbers and dirt movers, to relocate.
“That’s been the reality of the last decade-and-a-half,” said Gillie. “This change to the zoning code is a reaction to that reality. Those businesses have made the exodus to Riverland. I don’t think this will push anyone out of the C-zone. It’s an administrative change.”
The council will hold a public hearing on the matter on May 3.