Suggestion to stop the bus in the middle of town
The Crested Butte Town Council heard a request to have the Mountain Express add a new bus stop at the corner of Fourth Street and Elk Avenue. Don Cook of the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame, the Mountain Heritage Museum and Donita’s Cantina made the suggestion on Tuesday, February 16. Read More »

The Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association (GCBTA) is pleased to announce a slate of 12 board of director candidates for six open positions. A ballot will be emailed to Gunnison Country Chamber of Commerce and Crested Butte-Mt. Crested Butte Chamber of Commerce members on Feb. 23. Chamber members without email can receive a ballot in the mail by calling the Tourism Association office at 641-7992. Voting closes on March 12 at 5 p.m. Read More »

As the sun rises on 2010 there are a few local entities looking to be nimble, quick and interesting in the dawn of the New Year. Up in Mt. Crested Butte, a partnership appears to be forming that is changing the way the biggest employer in the valley is looking to do business. It’s never easy to turn a huge battleship but they are trying to move fast in a new direction. Good on ‘em.
 Crested Butte Mountain Resort, the town of Mt. Crested Butte, the non-profit Crested Butte Music Festival and the Mt. Crested Butte Downtown Development Authority all seem to be coming to the conclusion that there is more than one way to skin a cat. And in these economic times, you better be looking for two or three different ways to collect that hide.
In an effort to proceed without haste, the resort will soon contribute a chunk of prime real estate for a new Performing Arts Center in Mt. Crested Butte. Instead of trying to squeeze something onto the “Rasta Lot,” this group is pulling together to put up something nice, closer to the current mountain base area and with a future in mind. The decision by the town and DDA to shift focus from an aquatic center to a performing arts center is positive in the long run. The aquatic center will come if the tourists keep coming. A performance complex can help in that regard.
At the same time, CBMR executives are looking to significantly downsize their current plans for hundreds of residential units in the as-of-yet undeveloped north parking lot. They seem to have concluded that there are enough beds going empty at the moment. While numbers were okay during the busy holiday weeks, the resort’s hotel occupancies were under 50 percent. That’s not a good trend.
So… there exists an understanding that tourists might come not just for the sports this place provides in abundance… but for the arts. It can be a driver in the tourism sector. Putting up a high-end performing arts center that seats 400 or 500 people also has a good chance of attracting more folks thinking about the lifestyle element of the valley.
CBMR appears to be making a conscious shift in their game plan. Other entities are supporting that shift. They aren’t standing still. It is good to see pro-active decisions. The resort also seems to be making another shift toward fewer beds and more businesses on the mountain. That sort of acknowledges a move away from what’s always been an unspoken understanding; that the mountain town supplied the majority of beds for tourists who rode the bus to the downtown Crested Butte stores and restaurants. There’s apparently a new reality in the future. Downtown Crested Butte will always be a charming attraction but the mountain isn’t sitting idle.
The resort, the town of Mt. Crested Butte and the Music Fest have collaboratively decided to move ahead. They want it sooner rather than later. It isn’t easy to turn a big battleship but they apparently aren’t afraid to try. That in itself is interesting in these tough financial times, and deserves some applause.

The Crested Butte Town Council is relatively young. That is still no reason to waffle as a first option. Some unsolicited advice as you head into your January 12 retreat; please remember you are elected officials voted in to make decisions that impact Crested Butte. You were not elected to be timid bureaucrats straddling a fence, spending your time on the smallest details of process. Too often, council members fall into the safety net of mediocrity when confronted with real issues. It is much easier to schedule another meeting “to gather more information” than to take a stand, but it’s not always the right thing to do.
When 250 people packed the gym 10 days ago to talk about Snodgrass and the council weighing in with a letter to the Forest Service, not one person on either side came with the hope you would arrange another meeting to delve into the minutia of NEPA.
Not one.
That is the job of others, not the political body of Crested Butte.
Good politicians have the opportunity to set a direction and get a town from point A to point B. There is an equation for getting things done and politicians are part of it. Elected officials ideally set the tone and point the way. The staff is paid to figure out how to get the politicians where they want to go. In this particular case, you as a council can basically say, “we want to see the Snodgrass expansion plans end up A) in NEPA and eventually approved, or B) on the side of Charlie Richmond’s decision with no more development on that mountain.”
There is a strong staff behind you that is paid pretty well to dig into the details of how to get there. If it is the council’s priority, let them investigate the ramifications of NEPA or any other avenue that will get you to where you want to go. If you want to be personally briefed about NEPA, the folks at the Forest Service headquarters in Delta are very friendly and accommodating. They can be reached at (970) 874-6600.
But, believe it or not, this Snodgrass thing is a constantly moving target. It is situated less than you think in a hard-and-fast bureaucratic world and has entered a more political realm. Even the guy who wrote the decision has shifted at least one significant part of his conclusion. The decision that was declared final and not allowed to be appealed is currently under appeal. So digging into NEPA to find cast-iron rules and procedures won’t get you any closer to what people on both sides are looking for.

Here are a few easy arguments. Pick one or come up with your own but start 2010 with the council playing the proper role in the equation: Set a direction.

—We are a ski town and Snodgrass enhances the ski area. It will help boost a shaky economy (have you seen your sales tax numbers recently?) and help those working families who are here to be able to stay in the valley. Expansion will make for a more pleasant experience for ski guests and help the resort succeed by giving guests another day or two of winter fun. We’ve grown to a certain point and if we can guide the change, we all benefit. Let’s encourage the Forest Service to approve the plan with conditions specific to Crested Butte.
—If Snodgrass is not approved, the ski area will finally find its right size. There will always be a ski area up the road and we can focus on the current mountain. We can market the “smaller and greener is better” idea and shrink the town and its economy to a manageable size that works for the people who really want to be here. That move may help the working people to be able to better afford a home and raise a family here. We are what we are and being a smaller ski area can actually benefit those of us living in the valley. Let’s tell Charlie he was right.
—The town should never have taken a stand in the first place. Let’s write a letter explaining that the snapshot has changed since 2008 when the last council sent a letter, but remind the Forest Service it is their decision and Charlie shouldn’t put any of the blame (or credit) on us.
—Let’s protect our property values and economic quality of life. We all could use more money and Snodgrass can be part of a successful resort equation. This place will never be Aspen but we can all be more comfortable with a better ski area. Let’s do all we can to get it approved.
—We need to be more environmentally aware and Snodgrass would contribute to climate change and global problems. There are too many immediate local environmental concerns as well, such as water issues and the cutting of thousands of trees. Let’s do all we can to stop it.

Surely each of you sort of knows which camp you are closer to. There are ramifications to each position, so think about it. But looking at NEPA regulation 365.5-(subsection 7)-c.r.p isn’t going to change that core belief.
Look, it is too easy to use “proper process” as an excuse to waffle and pick up more splinters from straddling the fence. The Crested Butte council has always been given greater credence as a political body than surrounding boards. Recognize that and make an honest case of what it is you believe is best for the town. That’s why you were elected to sit in the cushy seats. You’ve had the time to consider options over the big issue, so take a deep breath and lead. Set a direction.

If you choose instead to waffle and spend your time facilitating work sessions on process…the council might find that when you want to discuss the next real issue, no one will bother to show up because there will be little faith you will do anything anyway.

“A lot of hard work went into it over the last year”

The Mt. Crested Butte Town Council was seeing “green” during its last meeting on December 15. The council adopted Resolution 12, and an Energy Action Plan (EAP) for the town, after more than a year of crafting, compromising, and working through the details. Mt. Crested Butte joins the town of Crested Butte, the city of Gunnison and Gunnison County in adopting a plan that aims to reduce CO2 emissions, waste, and other negative environmental impacts. Read More »

“There’s a bear denned up under the yurt”

They thought they were just applying for a conditional use permit… Read More »

People starting to play hardball on both sides…

Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR) isn’t just rolling over and accepting last week’s Forest Service decision to disallow lift-served ski expansion onto Snodgrass Mountain. Read More »

New vehicles will be street legal

The electric shuttles used by Crested Butte Mountain Resort to transport visitors between the parking lot and the base area were a hit last winter, and the resort is hoping to expand on that success by taking the shuttles along a different route that ends even closer to the ski hill. There’s just one catch. Read More »

Both sides stunned at the announcement

Saying that ski lifts on Snodgrass Mountain “would not be in the public interest,” the U.S. Forest Service has decided to end the debate. Read More »

Town Council Candidates

Guy Ciulla
Favorite Movie: Gremlins
And a question from the public: What would be your approach on council to balancing goals that might conflict, like being “Green” and retaining historic preservation; or promoting tourism and limiting growth?
We need to weigh the values and see what is most beneficial to the town, people, and the environment. As far as being green, I believe we can make energy efficient updates while maintaining the historical structure. The Dogwood is a fantastic example. We got a lot of sun here in Crested Butte and we should implement more ways to use solar power. Adopt a sustainable growth policy. As far as tourism goes we have plenty of room to grow. What we need to address is how to get people here at times other than peak seasons.

Read More »