The Board of Trustees tackled another packed agenda Tuesday, Sept. 24, with all in attendance counting Jess Robison who joined via Zoom while traveling. Town Manager Lauren Gister was absent.
The consent agenda was swiftly approved, including accounts payable, meeting minutes, appointment of Kevin Hanian to the Environmental Board, special event liquor licenses and liquor license renewals. Trustee Chris Hassig asked about the Black Nugget’s status given controversy that surfaced the last time its license was up for renewal. Mayor Ben Bohmfalk said he wondered the same and nothing had been reported.
During trustee comments, Colin Laird championed the West Mountain Regional Housing Coalition’s Good Deeds program which helped close on a now deed-restricted house in Glenwood Springs sold to a Valley View nurse. He said three more people are “in the pipeline” for purchasing homes in Glenwood Springs, New Castle and Carbondale.
ANB Bank
The first of several action items was an ordinance approving ANB Bank’s application for a mixed-use project on Highway 133, near City Market. The combined application was approved with a public hearing last October, however the approval ordinance was pulled from a March agenda by the applicant to review the deed-restriction language. This time around, they faced scrutiny from newly-elected trustee Ross Kribbs over a change in the design which has the second story extending an additional foot into the landscape buffer.
Kribbs’ concerns stemmed from setting a precedent that other applicants could make similar requests, rather than reduce the size of their buildings to fit code. The project’s lawyer asserted that this was an “already approved project,” and “we’re here to document the resolution, as well as enter into a [development improvement agreement]” to secure public improvements, including a requested sidewalk realignment for pedestrian traffic flow. He had no update about the fate of the existing ANB Bank building half a mile to the north.
The ordinance and development improvement agreement were approved with Kribbs dissenting.
Chester’s
Next, trustees saw a new application for a restaurant at 522 Highway 133, currently the site of a derelict strip mall. Applicant Chester White and his team seek to demolish the existing building to construct a two-story, 4,100-square-foot building on the triangular property, with a parking lot to the south and green space to the north where it meets the Rio Grande Trail. The proposed building incorporates a repurposed railroad bridge feature paying homage to the trail’s history.
In addition to a variance request and two alternative compliance requests, the applicant asked for the Town to share 50% of the cost of undergrounding power lines, not to exceed $120,000. This money would come from a fund with Xcel Energy dedicated to utility upgrades which currently sits around $240,000, Planning Director Jared Barnes stated.
While the project generally received support, its location flared concerns about the Dolores Way intersection at Highway 133, where cars rely on a “suicide lane” to turn left during heavy traffic. Several Satank residents commented on the history of Dolores Way, which is now the only access to their neighborhood, as well as the Carbondale Community School and industrial park businesses.
Laird proposed a traffic impact fee proportional to the project, as was done for the new City Market and other developments near the roundabout. This would help fund a second roundabout or other infrastructure like a pedestrian crossing. According to Yancy Nichol with Sopris Engineering, the restaurant would be limited to right-in, right-out if the Town decides to do the same with Dolores Way. However, this new project would theoretically have less of a traffic impact than the existing structure which has multiple commercial spaces and two access points.
The public hearing was continued to Oct. 8 for additional considerations around sharing the costs of undergrounding utilities and also mitigating the traffic concerns. “No one has said they love that old little strip mall,” Bohmfalk assured. “I hope you’re hearing we’re supportive.”
“There’s a little part of me that’s going to miss it,” Hassig admitted.
Community housing
Next, trustees continued their discussion of updating the Town’s Community Housing Inclusionary Requirements. The proposal was to increase the number of accessible units (based on Carbondale’s area median income, www.bit.ly/CdaleAMI24) to 25% of all residential developments with more than three units, including rental-only properties. Bohmfalk considered it “one small step in the right direction, rather than a big leap.”
Kribbs felt the lack of pushback from the development community was indicative that they could go further. “I wonder if this is a small step or a shuffle,” he remarked, proposing they increase the requirement to 30% for developments over nine units. Town staff responded that would require additional public noticing and another 30 days, at a minimum.
Laird noted, “90% of free market housing in Carbondale is unaffordable to the average Carbondale household,” adding, “It’s pretty obvious we have a big problem around housing.” He said, “This is an important step. We haven’t changed this [inclusionary housing requirement] in over 20 years. It’s about time.”
Trustees unanimously agreed that this amendment should be approved. “I think we should just move forward with the way it is now and look at a study in the future,” said trustee Jess Robison. “Action is better than waiting for something better.”
Parks and Rec
Lastly, trustees met with the Parks and Rec Department, first to consider a grant application with the Land & Water Conservation Fund for improvements at Chacos Park. If received, the grant would require a $800,000 match from the Town toward the park’s $1.6 million redesign. Because $300,000 has already been dedicated to the project, it would entail a $500,000 investment from the 2026 budget. Approval was unanimous.
Trustees then received the full guaranteed maximum price for the new pool. A staff memo announced that fundraising efforts have brought in $1.05 million toward the original $1.6 million goal which would achieve the original $11.6 million project budget. The funding gap would be some $470,000 more to include a spa element, and an additional half million or so for the full design with all add-alternates. The Town will know by December the status of two grant applications.
With additional contingency funds approved from an existing half-cent sales tax dedicated to Parks and Rec, the full guaranteed maximum price including the spa was approved with a 4-3 split vote. Trustees will decide in December when they approve their 2025 budget whether or not to truly include the spa and other add-alternates.