Flanked by a full Marble Board of Trustees, Mayor Ryan Vinciguerra extended a warm welcome to all who had turned out for the initial mixed use zoning public hearing on Thursday, June 4.
The proposed amendment of the town’s zoning code endeavors to extend mixed use (business and residential) zoning rights to all properties in Marble that border the main thoroughfare from Raspberry Ridge Café to Beaver Lake.
Town administrator Ron Leach illustrated the current position with the help of a large zoning map dating back to 1995. He explained that the proposal, if adopted, would impact around 60 properties in the “corridor,” or 27% of all the parcels that sit within town boundaries.
Councilman Dustin Wilkey, who first floated the idea in March 2025, made reference to the survey carried out as part of the town’s master plan, in which 57% of respondents had expressed a preference to see more businesses in Marble, but only 45% had been in favor of establishing a dedicated business zone. A fact sheet emailed to residents, available at townofmarble.com, had characterized the survey results as “mixed.”
Trustee McMahill spoke in favor of the proposal, citing the thorny issue of spot zoning — or altering zoning regulations in small parcels that are opposed to broader zoning restrictions in a community — and the need to avoid it. Concluding his introduction, the Mayor spelled out that property owners affected by the proposed changes would in no way be obligated to take up their business rights should they decide to maintain their home as a private residence.
The first member of the public to comment from the floor was Karen Good, owner of the Beaver Lake Lodge and Cabins.
Describing the proposal as a “massive, massive change,” she reported that the overwhelming feedback from her customers was that the town had already become too crowded and the proposal only risked making it more so. Concerned over the lack of employee housing in Marble, she asked whether a parcel currently zoned uniquely as a business would be allowed, by right, to also be used as a residence. The Mayor assured her that this would be incorporated into the wording of any ordinance.
Noting that there were scarcely more than a dozen members of the public present, Tiffany Burton sought clarification on how the Trustees planned to spread the word to a broader audience and was told that a mailer would be sent out ahead of a second public hearing which is set for August 6.
Doubts were raised over increased traffic congestion in West Park Street and its potential impact on emergency evacuation plans currently in the making, together with the associated cost of perhaps having to widen the road. Jerry Begly, however, was of the opinion that the introduction of businesses to the west end of town would conversely have a calming effect on traffic.
Worries were expressed about the current lack of sanitation infrastructure. Trustee Wilkey’s vision of visitors ambling along a chain of pop stands was challenged by Dylan Craaybeek, who said he struggled to see how the proposal would encourage a more walkable environment. The possibility of creating a pedestrian path along West Park Street was mentioned and Trustee McMahill weighed in that there had also been some discussion over the introduction of a “park and ride.”
Brian Souter, who has been looking to revitalize a pop stand in West First Street for over nine years (it is still not open for business), offered a calmer perspective, saying that mixed use zoning was not “a scary subject” and that Marble would continue to grow at a snail’s pace.
Mayor pro tem Larry Good gave some clarification on the subject of property taxes. After speaking with the office of the Gunnison County Assessor, he was happy to report that the plan would not immediately raise taxes given that property values are based on observed transactions and that any reassessment would only come to fruition should owners decide to sell. Good articulated his position against the proposal on the basis of the existing lack of infrastructure. Questioning the need for a business corridor at all, he insisted the issue become a ballot measure in the November election.
In other business …
A modified liquor license was granted to the Beaver Lake Lodge and Cabins, to incorporate the new gathering space adjacent to Jyoti’s Seeds for Change Freight Farm (see page 7). Finally, the Board agreed to spend $4,000 to match a grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs to fund a preliminary plan that would first make safe and then preserve the remains of the Marble Mill Site. Given its designation as a National Treasure, the project has attracted nationwide interest and will be reported on as a standalone issue.