Town

By Will Buzzerd Sopris Sun Correspondent

On Tuesday, Oct. 11, the Carbondale board of trustees met to discuss both a land use application for a potential recreational dispensary on West Main Street as well as the 2023 board budget.

The meeting opened introducing the fi rst round of “students of the month” for the 2022-23 school year. The Sopris Sun congratulates each one of them for their hard work. Furthermore, in the opening remarks, board member Lani Kitching wished to alert valley residents to the rise in bear reports. Kitching stated that in the area extending from Aspen to Glenwood Springs, there’ve already been 403 bear calls, up from 224 last year. Furthermore, trash is the number one attractant for these incidents and, as Kitching stated, the onus of responsibility is on the personal behavior of valley residents and tourists.

The meeting then moved into a public hearing on a three-part land use application made by Denverbased Pioneer Interests LLC (PI) for a potential 2,400 square foot recreational cannabis dispensary on West Main. The dispensary, part of PI’s chain of LOVA Canna Co dispensaries, would be constructed just beside the 7-11, near the corner of the Highway 133 and Main Street roundabout, where an old building currently sits.

On Aug. 11, the planning and zoning commission reviewed and denied the combined application, composed of a minor site plan, conditional use application and an alternative compliance request. The latter two parts of the application were necessary due to the unusual shape of the property and the restrictions of its parking lot as they corresponded with requirements set forth in Carbondale’s Comprehensive Plan and Unifi ed Development Code (UDC), which generally support pedestrian and bike-accessible design, especially along Main. However, the application was denied, citing that the proposal was not consistent with the UDC or comprehensive plan, specifi cally for the lack of a public entrance on West Main and traffi c concerns. On Aug. 18, the application was appealed to the board of trustees for review, which then had fi nal say on the matter.

Since August 18, PI’s plan has been slightly altered. Designed by Sopris Engineering, a publicly accessible entrance on West Main has been integrated into the building design, and the parking lot area has been modifi ed and increased both to better fi t UDC requirements and to exceed the required amount of landscaping by 5%. What has not changed is the storage container-esque, upcycled design of the building. Representative of PI Matthew Shifrin emphasized the company’s keen interest in starting business in the valley, citing his growing up in Missouri Heights and

PI’s focus on cultivating a tightly knit, cannabis-informed community. The application in the meeting was met with concerns, primarily with traffi c and public safety. The potential parking lot would be accessed by an Permítanos encontrar los already existing easement between recursos que necesita.

West Main and Highway 133 which loops behind the 7-11, but currently serves little use besides an indistinctly marked parking lot for both the gas station and the ReMax business next door. The concern being the possible risk posed by creating a traffi c path through what is normally considered a parking lot, especially at an already busy roundabout. Plus, with the addition of a second publicly accessible entrance, there were concerns that

LOVA may experience an undue burden staffi ng both doors with employees to properly ID customers. However, under the condition that the Main Street entrance be accessible and functional during operational hours and improvements be made around the easement to clarify the traffi c path (curbs, paint, etcetera), the application was approved. The motion was fi rst made by Erica Sparhawk and seconded by Kitching and passed by a 5-1 vote, member Chris Hassig voting against and member Luis Yllanes not present at the meeting.

Pitkin County Cares

Let us help you find the resources you need.

Pitkin County Human Services:

Community Resources:

pitkincounty.com/humanservices (970) 920-5235

Got Drugs?

Turn in your unused or expired household prescription and over-the-counter medication for safe disposal OCTOBER 29, 2022 • 10 AM – 2 PM The disposal location is: Carbondale Police Department

511 Colorado Avenue, Suite 911 Carbondale, CO 81623 970-963-2662

The following items WILL NOT be accepted:

Needles & Sharps • Mercury (thermometers) • Oxygen Containers • Chemotherapy/Radioactive Substances • Pressurized Canisters • Illicit Drugs

BASALT REPORT

Basalt joins wildfire reduction collaborative, and a lawsuit sends council into executive session

By Dyana Z. Furmansky Sopris Sun Correspondent

In the only matter requiring a vote at the Basalt town council’s regular meeting Tuesday, Oct. 11, councilors unanimously approved participating in a memorandum of understanding to form the Roaring Fork Valley Wildfire Collaborative (RFVWC). As the first such collaboration in the Roaring Fork River drainage and contiguous areas, the collaborative brings together 18 counties, cities, towns, fire protection districts and federal agencies.

According to its mission statement, the RFVWC will work “to reduce wildfire risk by identifying, prioritizing and implementing strategic cross-boundary plans and projects aimed at creating fire resilient landscapes and fire-adapted communities, while focusing on community engagement, education and inclusion.” Town Manager Ryan Mahoney said that RFVWC will compile information on potential sources of wildfire fuel, where it needs to be removed in the forests, the location of access roads and gaining a better understanding of the role wind direction plays in spreading fire. Basalt contributed $6,500 to the organization, which intends to file for nonprofit status. RFVWC will have an office at the Aspen Institute.

The council heard a detailed recitation of the first draft of the town's 2023 budget totaling $44 million. About $11 million in the general fund, one of the Town’s seven separate funds earmarked for different purposes, is projected to cover the Town’s standard expenses like utilities and staff salaries. Town Manager Ryan Mahoney explained that while the council will not vote on the final budget until Dec. 13, Basalt is required by both its charter and Colorado statute to hold its first review of the numbers before Oct. 15 each year. In years past, Basalt’s finance director, Christy Chicoine, gave the budget report, but left the position in August. Mahoney highlighted items in the 40-plus page draft budget. The town hired Doug Pattison as its new finance director. Pattison started his job Oct. 3.

Mahoney said that revenue from licenses and building permits is projected to be significantly lower in 2023 because most of the major construction projects that had been planned for are underway. Revenue from 2023 property taxes, however, is projected to be about 12% higher than in 2022. A 1,000 % increase in expenditures is projected for the cemetery, which needs a new irrigation system and other infrastructure updates.

Under the restricted fund, revenue generated from the tax on tobacco products has grown by about 74% since 2021. More than $1 million is projected to be generated. These funds are spent on school counselors, teachers and programs “that focus on keeping kids away from tobacco,” said Mahoney.

Another source of additional revenue for the Town will come from the lodging tax. Short-term rentals (STR), which are subject to the same tax as hotels, have been undercounted. Mahoney said that “people don’t come forward to buy an STR license” as they are supposed to.

The council heard two other presentations requiring no action at this time. Travis Gleason, founder of Basalt Connect, the free, on-demand, app-based ride service, spoke via Zoom about the first year of operation; Basalt Connect didn’t run in May, September and October. Last winter it transported almost 5,000 passengers in Willits and Basalt and destinations between. Ridership rose to 10,000 in the summer. Gleason said that riders had an average wait time of seven or eight minutes, and gave Basalt Connect high marks. Town councilors expressed interest in providing year-round service if additional funding can be secured.

Jacob Smith, executive director of Colorado Communities for Climate Action (CC4CA) spoke to the council about the 39-member coalition that advocates at the state and federal level on ways towns can advance climate resilience and sustainability. Smith said that CC4CA represents 25% of Colorado’s population. Councilor Dieter Schindler asked Smith why the number was not larger. Smith surmised that “communities that are purple” are not interested in participating until they are affected. “The politics are not there for a lot of communities,” he said, adding that it takes two years of “conversations” with CC4CA before they join.

At the end of the public meeting, the council announced it would go into a closed executive session with town attorney Jeff Conklin to receive legal advice. Conklin said a lawsuit had been filed against the council by Basalt resident Ted Guy, concerning council approval of the Basalt Circle Center development. In 2016, Guy charged that the council, composed of entirely different members at the time, had conducted executive sessions that were not in accordance with Colorado’s open meeting law. In 2020, the town of Basalt settled the case for $115,000.

october 14-16

@ the WheEler Opera House

�lms | performances | interviews | awards