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Sopris Carbondale’s
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Stepping out, stepping up
Sun
Volume 3, Number 17 | June 9, 2011
VCR developer touts store’s “green” features By Lynn Burton Sopris Sun Staff Writer
T
“Valkyrie” by Jack Howard-Potter will be stepping down Main Street for the next year as part of the new Art aRound Town exhibition. Carbondale’s Public Arts Commission stepped up the exhibition’s overall quality this year by soliciting entries on the Web site callforentry.org. For more, please turn to page 5. Photo by Lynn Burton
he Village at Crystal River developer touted his proposed grocery store’s sustainability features at Tuesday night’s board of trustees meeting, claiming it would be “the most green (grocery store) in the state.” Richard Schierburg also told trustees he has no problem with committing 20 percent of his project’s open space to urban farming. “Does this Carbonize the project (enough) for you?” he asked in reference to urban farming (such as a community garden), his proposed LEEDs building standards, and other responses to a six-point spread sheet on sustainability he and the trustees discussed for almost two hours Tuesday night. As expected, the trustees took no action on the Village at Crystal River planned unit development application, and continued the public hearing to a later date. The Village at Crystal River is a proposed 24-acre mixed-use development bordered by West Main Street to the south and Highway 133 to the east. Several years ago Carbondale voters turned down a larger, more commerciallyfocused project on the same parcel. The three-page spreadsheet prepared by town staff listed six sustainability topics for comparison: Building Energy Efficiency (Energy Star), General Green Development – Site Phase (LEED Neighborhood Development), General Green Development – Building Phase (LEED New Construction), Passive Solar Design (South Facing Residential Units), Renewable Energy, Urban Farming and Transportation Energy. After each topic, the spreadsheet listed the topic’s “intent for discussion, current staff recommendation, approval options” and the “applicant’s proposal.” For example, the intent of urban farming is to “Prioritize urban farming as it is a sound strategy to improve quality of life, build community and allow residents the opportunity to grow their own food. The intent is to require community land and access in perpetuity.”Trustee John Hoffmann said the VXR urban farming area would cover a plot of about 100X100 feet. Schierburg said he was OK with urban farming and would even “build a shack” for the project. Other proposals, such as requiring all buildings to be equipped with showers for workers to use (presumably after biking to the jobs) he wasn’t too crazy about. VCR page 4
School boarder explains vote
Here comes Carll
Growing your own
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