TELLURIDE – After the Telluride Town Council granted several Land Use Code waiver requests at it’s meeting on Tuesday, a new and more feasible Clark’s Market expansion is in the works.

Members of council granted three LUC waiver requests on Tuesday to allow a grocery store by right and to exceed the 15 percent floor-area limitation, to increase the maximum site coverage allowed from 38 percent to 53.3 percent, and to exceed the 10 percent fee-in-lieu payment by making a full cash-in-lieu payment of affordable housing mitigation.

While owner Tom Clark has an approval in place for a much larger expansion of the market located at 700 W. Colorado Ave., he told council that because the economic climate has shifted, he’s had to reconsider the expansion and go in a more feasible direction.

“I want to mention that this is a very difficult decision to make,” Clark said. “We have invested a tremendous amount on the project but [found out] it wasn’t feasible. It is important that we do something in this community.”

Tuesday’s waiver approval is one of the initial steps Clark must take in seeking ultimate approval of the newly-planned expansion. He must now get approvals from the Historic and Architectural Review Commission and final approval from Town Council.

If all goes as planned in the approval process, Clark says he hopes to open the expanded market by Christmas 2013.



TELLURIDE’S FIRE BAN REMAINS IN PLACE



Telluride’s emergency ordinance banning open fires, fireworks and the restriction of smoking within town limits remains in place after the Telluride Town Council decided to wait until next month to approve a second reading of an ordinance that would repeal the restrictions.

The emergency ordinance was enacted just before the Fourth of July holiday when drought conditions in Telluride were at it’s most severe point of the summer.

A second reading of an ordinance that would repeal the fire ban was before council on Tuesday but with an expected influx of visitors coming for the Telluride Blues and Brews Festival, council ultimately decided to wait until next month to repeal the fire ban.

“I am concerned about [repealing] this quickly,” Councilor Thom Carnevale said. “Conditions are stable but I think we are expecting a large influx of people in September and I don’t see any harm in doing this after that.”

After discussing the issue, council agreed with Carnevale. One of the main concerns council had was if a fire were to be sparked, the town’s ability to fight a wildlife in the midst of a water shortage is limited.

The fire ban also bans the use of charcoal-fired grills.



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