Basalt

The Fields Developers Withdraws Application

The developer of a controversial midvalley proposal called The Fields withdrew an application for 135 residences after it became clear it would be rejected by the three Eagle County commissioners, the Aspen Daily News reported. The developers made a last-ditch effort to salvage the project by asking the commissioners to table the application and give them time to respond to the commissioners’ concerns, but the commissioners declined. The developer does have the option to rework the plan and resubmit an application, but it would start new.

The commissioners were in agreement that the nearly 20-acre property along Valley Road west of Crown Mountain Park is eligible for higher density and that the plan is compatible with the surrounding neighborhood. However, to get the higher density, the developer requires a change in zoning, and a major criteria for an upzoning is public benefit. The developer proposed price caps on 34 units and a “resident occupied” designation on another 20 but that was not enough to entice commissioners to see the full public benefit.

Basalt Shatters Sales Tax Records

Basalt’s economy keeps shattering annual records for sales and sales tax collections, the Aspen Daily News reported. The town government broke the $10 million barrier in sales tax collections for the first time ever in 2022. The town collected $10.49 million, up nearly 17% from 2021. The last year the town failed to increase sales tax collections over the previous year was 2016, when it slipped by less than 1%. Since then, sales tax collections jumped 9.3% in 2017; 2.7% in 2018; and 10.4% in 2019 before heading into even higher territory during the buying frenzy that marked the COVID-19 years.