The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Some love them and some hate them
The idea of a winter passing without some sort of Town Council discussion addressing snowbanks on Elk Avenue may have been too good to be true. So at the Monday, January 3 Crested Butte Town Council meeting, the issue popped up for discussion.
Crested Butte-Mt. Crested Butte Chamber of Commerce executive director Richard Bond came before the council to express disappointment on behalf of some Elk Avenue businesses.
“On Wednesday, December 22 I received several calls from Elk Avenue businesses asking for help in getting the town to get the snowbanks removed,” he explained to the council. “I spoke with members of the town staff and the mayor and it was explained to me that the plan was to clear away snow storage areas since a major snowfall was anticipated Wednesday evening. I was told it was a matter of safety.
“I have no problem with those priorities but the anticipated snowfall did not appear and the priorities remained the same,” Bond continued. “The Chamber and businesses the Chamber spoke with felt the priorities should have been flexed. It was a busy week right at Christmas. When the snowbanks extended out to Elk and parking was prohibited on the one side of the street, it impacted local business.”
“Given the snow we were dealing with, we were grossly overtaxed,” explained town manager Susan Parker. “Everyone with a CDL was working. We were pulling people from every department.”
“We had hoped that parking would be resumed on both sides of the street,” said Bond.
“Snowbanks on Elk have been an ongoing debate since I’ve been here,” added councilperson Jim Schmidt. “When the town didn’t plow the sidewalks, we’d push the snow onto the sidewalks and everyone would walk in the street. Frankly, I’ve heard just as many businesses like the snowbanks. Some people love it when they are piled high. That’s the picture the ski area sells. Some love it and some hate it.”
“I had seven or eight calls,” responded Bond. “The snowbanks had become slushy and dirty, given the warm weather. When the anticipated snowfall on Wednesday did not happen, the town priorities could have been changed.”
Mayor Leah Williams said, “I talked to [CBMR owner] Tim Mueller after you and I spoke Richard and he said he loved the snowbanks and didn’t want them taken away. So I’ll blame it on him.”
Parker mentioned that she personally had not received any complaints about the snowbank situation.
Former town public works director Bob Gillie added that it’s not a simple thing to suddenly shift priorities when weather doesn’t come in as planned. He said plans are made and warning must be given to all the crews working on the situation.
The debate ended there, but chances are it won’t be the last we hear discussion of the snowbanks on Elk.
