Council’s actions mark an essential step in the town’s long-standing goal of preserving the bulk of the 117-acre Kentucky Placer as open space. The Telluride Planning and Zoning and Historic and Architectural Review commissions have yet to review applications to approve the three-lot planned unit development on the annexed property, but that is scheduled in the coming months.
The sale of three lots on the 1.74 acres is anticipated to generate funds to pay for the open space preservation of the remainder of the Kentucky Placer.
The Kentucky Placer, which runs east from the entrance to Bear Creek Preserve to Bridal Veil Falls and incorporates part of Town Park, is currently owned by the nonprofit conservation organization The Trust for Public Land. TPL acquired the property from the Idarado Mining Co. in 2004 as three 35-plus acre platted parcels, with the intention of ultimately transferring the land to a public entity for preservation purposes.
The development application that will now advance proposes serving the three residences by a common driveway and auto-court through which tunnels would lead to underground parking beneath each home. Development would cover a total of only four-tenths of an acre out of the 117 acres that constitute its property.
“I’m really pleased we’re moving forward with this,” said Mayor Stu Fraser, after council approved the annexation and zoning. “It has been a long gestation period.”
Gold Run Project Advances
Telluride’s town limits will likely grow to incorporate another acre of land on its eastern boundary. The land is being developed jointly by the Town of Telluride and San Miguel County as an affordable housing project consisting of about 15 homesites. The so-called Gold Run project may also include a preschool.
The Town Council on Tuesday found an application for the proposed annexation of the land submitted by the San Miguel County Commissioners to be in compliance with state statues, and set a hearing date of June 3 for the annexation to be reviewed.
The county acquired the land for housing from the Idarado Mining Co. when it approved the Idarado Legacy Project.
Clark’s Market Settles Parking Issue
A dispute that held up the proposed expansion of Clark’s Market has been settled. The Telluride Town Council on Tuesday approved a resolution finding that, thanks to the settlement of the dispute, the expansion will not compromise a parking easement benefitting the Telluride Lodge.
Council’s action represents a finding that a key condition of the town’s approval of the expansion – that Clark’s resolve the dispute with Telluride Lodge – has been met.
Farmers Market Gains Annual Permit
The Telluride Farmers Market may expand beyond the South Oak St. location it has used since 2004 to use the gondola plaza this summer, thanks to an agreement with the Town of Mountain Village.
The market will once again take place on Fridays starting on June 13 through the fall as long as the weather permits, except for the week of July 4, when it will take place on Thursday, July 3.
The Telluride Town Council unanimously awarded the temporary use permit to the Tomten Institute, which administers the market, on Tuesday. Council also waived the $1,800 application fee, in recognition of the market’s economic and social benefits to the community.
Town Protests Gas Rate Increase
The Telluride Town Council on Tuesday ratified a letter to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission protesting a proposed 16.1 percent rate increase from SourceGas, which provides natural gas to the region. Council also directed town staff to step up the town’s involvement in the matter by becoming a formal intervenor.
While the protest argues that the rate increases aren’t justified, as an intervenor the town would have to produce evidence of that, and would have the opportunity to testify formally before the PUC, Town Manager Frank Bell explained.
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