The May 7 meeting of the Town of Marble’s Board of Trustees was a
relatively humdrum affair.
With only two weeks to go before Memorial day, the town has been bustling with activity in preparation for the seasonal invasion of hordes of tourists. This notwithstanding, a full board turned out to tackle the somewhat light agenda.
Fortnightly camping permits were granted to Craig Helm and Jewel Campbell, both Marble residents wishing to work on each of their vacant lots from the relative comfort of an RV. Mayor Ryan Vinciguerra noted that the Marble Campsite would no longer accept waste from third parties and that Helm and Campbell would have to make their own plans for its removal. Additionally, a short term rental license was approved for Carey Levin.
Next came the discussion to renew the Beaver Lake Lodge’s liquor license for which Mayor Pro Tem Larry Good recused himself. Good, who owns the Lodge along with his wife Karen, received high praise from the Mayor for his exemplary, complaint-free business and the application was approved. The Goods have recently added a hydroponic freight farm to their property in East Marble which is capable of producing 990 heads of lettuce per week.
Adjacent to this is an indoor “gathering space” still under construction, intended to be used both as a teaching center for the students of the Marble Charter School and reception area for winter educational retreats. The freight farm operation is set up as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit “Jyoti’s seeds for change,” a foundation run by Karen Good and named after a late friend.
Trustee Amber McMahill quizzed Good on the likelihood of the space turning into an event venue, a thorny topic for the town. The Mayor stated his position: “I do not want to have another event center in that part of town (East Marble) that pisses people off,” a reference to the Marble Lodge on Beaver Lake Retreat owned by Vince Savage, which has over the years attracted complaints. Closing the discussion, Vinciguerra requested that the Goods provide the Board with more information before a liquor license could be approved for the new space.
The last item on the Administrator’s report was the approval of the Crystal River Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA). This is a collaborative statement of intent between local Colorado governments and water districts to protect the 39-mile stretch of the Crystal River from damming and transcontinental water diversions, a largely symbolic but practical commitment to maintaining the river as one of the last free-flowing, undeveloped streams in Colorado.
Describing the document as more of a “position statement” and not legally binding, Town Administrator Ron Leach announced that Town Attorney Kendall Burgemeister had reviewed the agreement and found no fault with it. The additional four parties to the agreement are Gunnison and Pitkin counties and the Colorado River and West Divide water conservancy districts. The board voted unanimously in support of the town’s participation.
Last, the Mayor moved the discussion on to his “favorite topic,” the proposal for a mixed use (business and residential) corridor to run through the town, an item that has been on the agenda for 18 consecutive months at the insistence of Councilman Dustin Wilkey.
McMahill explained that the majority of the board were keen to see more locally run businesses in Marble, but there were concerns that speculators from out of town might jump on any change as a purely commercial opportunity.
She added that the current code allowed for “home occupation” businesses, the definition of which could be “beefed up” to include a criteria-based matrix of acceptable trades.
Any additional requests from business owners to expand these parameters, she suggested, would be subject to board review.
Larry Good added that any growth should be “slow, measured and sustainable.”
The Trustees have committed to producing a fact sheet on the proposal ahead of the public hearing set for June 4 at 6pm at the Marble Community Church Fellowship Hall.
Looking ahead, there will be a meeting at the fire station at 10am, Saturday, May 16 at which Dr. Hussam Mahmoud will present the results of his wildfire prediction model. In addition, Gunnison County Commissioners will visit Marble on May 21, hosting two meetings, both open to the public, at 4pm and 7:30pm. The latter will be more of an “open table” event.
The next meeting of the Town of Marble’s Board of Trustees will be held on Thursday, June 4, at 6pm in the Marble Community Church’s Fellowship Hall.