OPINION These wild places — what comes next for VanTuyl?

After moving across town a couple of weeks ago, I was initially grumpy about no longer living close to Signal Peak, its trails boasting views of the snow-capped Uncompahgre and the sleepy town nestled below the Palisades. But soon I realized I’d be closer to the VanTuyl Loop, a place I frequented when I first moved to the Gunnison Valley.

The 3-mile path provides just the right amount of time to think a dilemma through, clear your head after a frazzling day at the office or race a swarm of mosquitos on your bike at dusk. If I had to describe the charm of Gunnison to someone who had never laid eyes on the valley, I’d just send them to VanTuyl. Its open farmlands and the gurgle of the Gunnison River are the reason I can’t quite stomach spending more than 48 hours in Denver anymore.

One of the few things I miss terribly from my roots in New Orleans are the songs of the night creatures. The conversational roar of the cicadas and frogs during the summer signaled the arrival of the fireflies my sister and I would chase in the backyard. We were young and carefree then, cradling the wondrous blinking insects in our hands. Never were the nights silent, nor did I feel alone when the sun set.

When I first moved to Colorado, it was often so quiet

Letters

Voting in school board elections should be a priority

Editor:

2023

It has come to my attention that the first Gunnison Watershed School Board election in over 24 years is going to be held this November.

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Many people that I speak with are unaware that the Gunnison school board members have all been appointed and not elected by the people. Therefore, the representation for the people may or may not have been what the people of this valley had hoped for in many years past.

There are three positions up for election this year. The importance of the school board is far more important than most believe. The schools and the people we choose to run the board affect all of us, even if we do not have children or are not teachers. The future of our children, the education they receive and the ways our teachers are treated matter to everyone in the community and it should.

I am not a parent, but I care very much about the children, the education they receive and the future of the people in this property more than a decade ago. Water, the city officials preached. Water for the future.

Bella Biondini Times Editor

at night that it was diffi cult for me to fall asleep. During one of my fi rst bike rides on VanTuyl, which was now years ago, I heard a frog chirp. Then another. I slammed on the breaks.

Now I prefer to experience VanTuyl on foot to take in the sounds of the ranch. They remind me of the place I grew up: green, humid and full of wild things.

Last week, I, along with many residents, gathered at City Hall to learn more about what the engineers have in mind if they are indeed to construct a water treatment plant on the ranch. Some said it’s hard to imagine a facility of this size being silent, while others wondered if the project would turn the loop into a construction zone. For how long? Just look at the mess in Little Blue Creek Canyon for inspiration.

After poring over the 2010 VanTuyl Ranch management plan (it is 100+ pages long and no light read), I believe the city is not overstepping the original reasons it purchased the community. These children are the future. They will be the ones who are the decision makers and leaders.

All registered voters in the county should vote for the school board members. We all pay taxes that are used for the schools. We all should know that schools are the heart of our community. The children bring life and joy to us all. They deserve the best, the best education, the best teachers and a caring community.

This fall there will be a ballot in our mailboxes, and we get to vote for three people for the school board. You have to vote for your voice to be heard. It matters what decisions are being made for us and the future of our community, state and country.

The importance of voting in school board elections should be a priority, whether you have children in the school or not. It affects us all. Education is so important and making sure a quality education is offered to students across the country should be at the top of our list.

Cori Dobson Gunnison

Although I don’t disagree that the city must renovate its excruciatingly outdated water system, have redundancy in times of drought or that VanTuyl is the wrong place to put the treatment plant, I along with many, warn of what could be lost.

Sure, recreation wasn’t quite at the top of the list of management priorities, but why do we recreate where we recreate?

You will almost never catch me on a run in town. I try to get as far away from the buzz of the work day and the glow of my laptop as possible. In addition to VanTuyl, I am a usual suspect on Signal Peak’s Cemetery Trail, and the Cranor Hill bike loop.

All of these routes share views of the Gunnison Valley that make me contemplate why I’ve worked so hard to stay in this community and the countless things I have here that I am thankful for. It’s on the back of my bike that I've learned how to deal with loss and mourn the changing seasons and the friends that have come and gone.

I commend the city for its plans to try and avoid disturbing the area as much as possible, as well as hiding the lessthan-picturesque equipment in a barn that staff hopes will blend into the existing farmscape. But new pipes have to be

Regarding property taxes

Editor:

Having received the new valuation on my property, I must say it is as ludicrous as advertised. The Gunnison Valley governmental entities do not need this influx of cash. We pay these taxes for the continued services provided. Those services haven’t increased in cost to warrant such charges.

The businesses of our community are going to suffer from these punitive amounts. If they succeed in surviving, it will mainly be by raising their prices — thus making it more difficult for the citizens of our valley to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

The renters are going to suffer from increased rents because the landlords may not be able to consume this extra cost. Some homeowners will find it’s pay the taxes, or eat.

Our elected officials need to mitigate these amounts for the good of the community.

Susan Crawford Gunnison

placed underground somehow, and the machinery to build the plant parked somewhere. The possible addition of a storage reservoir in the future would require the partial flooding of an ecosystem that has existed for generations.

There is a chance once the plant is complete it may not make that much of a difference, tucked away off the main trail, near land that has already historically been used for ranching. It may just be a blip on the landscape, fading, maybe, into the background. Who can say?

Change is difficult, and we should be careful of what battles we choose to fight as a community and why. While some fight further development in Gunnison, others are pushed out by rising home prices and a lack of inventory. By accepting growing pains, (Gunnison Rising and Whetstone are good examples), it's a chance to make this community a better place.

I’d argue that ensuring there is a hearty water supply is necessary for Gunnison’s future. And that the most cost-effective place may be VanTuyl. While I implore residents to be open to change, I also ask the city to consider these wild places and what they mean to the community. They’re aren’t many left.

(Bella Biondini can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or bella@ gunnisontimes.com.)

This quality of care was comforting to us

Editor:

We would like to publicly thank the people who helped Donna in her long battle with Parkinson’s. Dominica LaCapra managed a team of outstanding caregivers who not only provided professional care, but each also cared for Donna personally.

In addition to Dominica, we would like to thank Heather Estes, Jeri Bates McGraw, Krista Brockschmit, Cearra Smith, Choying O'Brien and Alli Dages.

Although we do not know all of the names, we also want to thank the paramedics and the staff both in the emergency room and inpatient in the hospital who provided professional help in her final days, also in a very personal caring way.

This quality of care and kindness was comforting to us during this difficult time.

Dick Bratton, Susan Bratton, Sara Bratton Bradbury Gunnison

Wiggins for GCEA board

Editor: I have had the pleasure of working with Greg Wiggins in the board room for 10 years. He is a great leader and is very sensitive to the needs of the members and the dollars allocated to projects.

He supports cost effective renewables such as the Taylor hydro project, which is close to fruition. Wiggins supports employee education, safety programs, Gunnison County Electric Association (GCEA) fire mitigation planning and implementation of drone inspections looking for potential problems.

Wiggins is a great common sense business man who spends the members’ money wisely — always looking at the rates members pay and the benefits of dollars spent. A director influences all aspects of the business and Wiggins does a great job in all areas.

I believe Wiggins’ stable, proven and committed leadership is essential to GCEA’s continued success.

Roger Grogg Gunnison

Stern committed to green energy solutions

Editor:

I am a mother and homeowner in CB South. I’m writing to show my support for Frank Stern because he seems genuinely committed to bringing green energy solutions to the Gunnison Valley.

I believe such solutions are imperative for the health of our planet and the lives of our children and grandchildren.

Rose Meier Crested Butte

mitigation and he always works tirelessly at everything he does.

I hope that you will join me and vote for Stern for the benefit of our children’s future.

GCEA will mail ballots May 22 and you have until June 16 to vote online or until June 20 by mail.

Randy and Joan Swift Crested Butte

Mark it for Stern

Editor:

I am so pleased to see that Frank Stern is running for the District 1 Gunnison County Electric Association (GCEA) board of directors.

Stern has a lifetime of training that makes him an extraordinary candidate for directorship. Frank has a degree in civil engineering, with an emphasis in energy engineering, and 30 years of experience in the electric utility business focusing on green energy programs.

Stern has been active in the community since his retirement, helping as a volunteer at Habitat for Humanity, the Gunnison Food Pantry, CB Nordic Center, Gunnison Valley Climate Crisis Coalition and the Crested Butte Mountain Biking Association Stern’s resume can be found at franksterngceaboard.com or he can be contacted at frankforgcea@gmail.com.

Your GCEA ballot will be in the mail on May 22. Ballots are due on or before June 20. Please return your mail ballot or vote electronically at www.GCEA. coop.

Please do not discard your ballot, mark it for Frank Stern and mail it in.

Steve Schechter Gunnison

I will be voting for Stern

Editor: able May 22. I will be supporting my father, Greg Wiggins, as he continues to devote time on the GCEA Board of Directors.

I’d like to encourage all young adults that have a GCEA power bill to vote. For the past 12 years, he has had the opportunity to be a part of the board. He supports sustainable power, promotion of electric travel and providing excellent service to all GCEA members. Electronic voting will be available this year along with mail in ballots.

I’d like to thank the Gunnison Valley for its continuous support.

Montana Wiggins Crested Butte What has happened to us?

Editor:

I agree that as parents we must stand for our families and protect our children. In doing this, please don't ignore the parts in the Bible that teach tolerance, acceptance and unconditional love. Don't skip the words on compassion, understanding and kindness. If we ignore these lessons then our children really will need protection. We all will.

Christians cannot succeed in Christ-like behavior if they practice fear and intolerance, anger and hatred. Once you can let that go, this wondrous and amazing life God has gifted us is not awful at all.

“Why do you see the speck in your brother's eye, but do not see the plank in your own eye?"

Matthew: 7.

Jane Thomas Gunnison

May is Better Hearing & Speech Month

Editor:

Speech, language and hearing disorders are among the most common disorders in school aged children.

Frank

Stern is clear choice for GCEA

Editor:

I am writing this letter in support of Frank Stern for the board of directors of Gunnison County Electric Association.

Our country and local government is making great strides in electrification of homes and electric vehicles to mitigate climate change and air pollution. Currently the provided energy to GCEA by Tri-State is comprised of about 33% renewables. The remainder is natural gas and coal. GCEA/Tri-State is committed to 70% renewable energy by 2030.

This naturally will increase electricity demand for the semigreen energy that GCEA provides and is a very good start. We need board members that will ensure that we meet these goals or better yet, exceed them.

Polls show that the majority of Americans want to fight climate change as we experience unprecedented heat, and escalating natural disasters such as forest fires, hurricanes and flooding.

Stern is an engineer with 30 years of experience in the affordable clean energy sector. I know Stern very well and he is passionate about climate change

I am writing in support of Frank Stern for a seat on the Gunnison County Electric Association’s board of directors. I do not know Mr. Stern personally, but I know about his experience in the electric utility industry, his resulting expertise and his interest in addressing the calamity of climate change in these times.

Other than the steadily decreasing numbers of climate change deniers, the rest of us understand the importance of addressing the causes of climate change and the need to transition to sources of clean energy.

Mr. Stern is a strong supporter of cost-effective sustainable supplies of energy.

He has had decades of experience in developing, working and managing projects in his industry. He is also a dedicated member of the Gunnison County community and has helped a number of local nonprofit organizations.

I will be voting for Stern.

Laird Cagan Crested Butte

I encourage young GCEA members to vote

Editor:

Gunnison County Electric Association ballots will be avail-

May 14 was Apraxia Awareness Day, a severe speech and language disorder. Children with Apraxia endure an incredible and lengthy struggle to do the one thing that comes effortlessly to most children: speak.

My son has been striving to overcome this disorder for most of his life. He’s made steady progress thanks to his SLP, teachers, friends and extended family.

We are very lucky here in Gunnison as our local school speech-language pathologist, Lindsey Kemmerling, has specialized training in Apraxia. We also have one of the leading experts of Apraxia based in the Denver area.

“From the outside looking in, it’s hard to understand. From the inside looking out, it’s hard to explain.” Check out more information on what Apraxia is and what helps by going to apraxiakids.org who have supported tens of thousands families and professionals.

It’s vital to continue to believe in any child’s ability to progress and try to celebrate each positive step along the way.

Maren Eberly Gunnison

foot FedEx distribution center, as well as the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) new field office. Although both buildings are occupied, the rest of the property is still undeveloped. The primary roadways serving phase one are Ute Lane, East New York and eventually Hartman Boulevard, a road that is slightly east of the entrance to I Bar Ranch. This new intersection could eventually include Gunnison’s first traffic roundabout, but the plans are still awaiting approval from the Colorado Department of Transportation. If approved, construction is not scheduled to begin until next year.

The city has needed to overcome major grid capacity issues to make Gunnison Rising possible. This included the expansion of its electric and sewer infrastructure, as well as water line extensions into the subdivision.

According to project manager Jeff Prosapio, the team is gearing up for a “big push” to complete the off-site electric feeds that come down from the city’s substation in town.

The route — which will act as the primarily electrical service for the entire Gunnison Rising development — moves through a mixture of private, state and Western Colorado University lands. The original alignment of the electrical conduit must be moved because it passes through sensitive archaeological sites near the southern end of the route. The team has met Western

Anthropology Professor Mark Stiger in the field to mark off the areas he is most concerned have potential historic value, Prosapio said. The agreement is currently in its final stages.

While the city had enough power capacity to run the new BLM field office, the lengthy process of hooking Gunnison Rising up to electricity has forced the FedEx center to temporarily run on a generator. City Engineer Cody Tusing said it was known prior to the distribution center’s completion that there was not enough electricity in the existing system to feed the development.

FedEx signed an agreement with the developer that said it would operate at its own risk until permanent power was supplied, he said.

“That was their decision outside of our purview,” Tusing said. “We always had enough electric- ity for the BLM, but that tapped us out.”

Some of the electrical service feeds were also misplaced due to a “slight miscoordination” between the civil and electrical engineer, Prosapio said. The crew’s electrician will have to come out, dismantle some of the electrical boxes, pull up the cable there and reconnect them in the correct location, a fix that will happen early this season. Phase one is not expected to be fully energized until November.

Over the summer, crews will continue installing the utility lines as well as a system of roads and sidewalks at phase two on the north side of Hwy. 50. While some of the streets will be extended, such as College and Georgia, others will have entirely new names such as Lewis, Waunita and Wilson. Prosapio said this work will likely carry over into 2024.

Phase two, a 52-acre parcel, is set aside for Gunnison Rising’s first, and much anticipated, residential neighborhoods. The final maps and engineering plans are presently under review to make sure they match the city’s code and construction standards. Once the plans are approved by city staff, lots can be sold.

Gunnison senior planner Andie Ruggera said she expects approval within a couple of months.

The city has received a $1.8 million grant to complete Gunnison Rising’s first affordable housing development on the open parcel behind Western. The project will be developed by Archway Partners and contain 64 for-sale units reserved for locals making between 120-140% of Gunnison County’s area median income.

Prosapio described phase two as an extension of “what is going to look a lot like the rest of downtown” with residential neighborhood blocks, trail connections and the appropriate commercial amenities. Vertical construction is planned for early 2024.

According to local Bluebird Real Estate broker Brian Cooper, Gunnison Rising has generated a high level of regional interest from institutional investors and multi-family developers. Cooper has been officially named as Gunnison Rising’s sales and marketing director. The Bluebird team will represent all of the sales within the development and work closely with the public relations firm Verde Brand Communications.

Phase one is the only portion of Gunnison Rising that is publicly listed for sale, offering larger industrial lots — each approximately 3 acres and priced around $1 million. Four lots are still available for purchase following the BLM and FedEx, which brought two parcels for the distribution center.

Individual lots in phase two are not quite on the market yet, with a significant amount of infrastructure still required to get them there. But Cooper noted there’s still a lot of pent up demand for a variety of housing options in the valley — with the need for more land and more development stronger now than it was in years prior.

“We’re out of land in a sense, and that’s why building has slowed down in Gunnison,” Cooper said. “This is an opportunity to correct that.” ervations and flight bookings for the upcoming summer season are lower than years prior. In contrast to the bustling 202223 winter season, the Gunnison Valley is expected to experience a slowdown in tourism as the weather warms up — with the lingering instability of the economy and the slow lift of pandemic-era restrictions continuing to change the habits of travelers. Tourism and Prosperity and Partnership (TAPP)

(Bella Biondini can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or bella@gunnisontimes.com.)

Executive Director John Norton gave the Rural Transportation Authority (RTA) a briefing on what to expect this summer at a regular meeting earlier this month.

This summer, Norton said, he expected to see a 20% decline in lodging revenues across the valley. Crested Butte has already reported those numbers for March, while Gunnison County as a whole is down 25%. The number of airline reservations at the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport also fell 28% for the month of May.

“We had a solid air winter until March, where we fell out of bed,” Norton said. “I think skier days also fell out of bed.”

Norton noted that the declining demand for tourism is not isolated to the valley, but is a national trend. The

“West,” defined as destinations in California, Oregon and Washington, is taking the hardest hit, while the Rockies are faring a little better, he said.

“There's no region of the country that's showing positive numbers versus last year … I expect what we're seeing right now in May spells trouble throughout this summer season,” Norton said. “I don't think we're going to have a strong summer either in the drive market, which kind of abandoned us a bit this ski season while the air market didn't.”

The number of visitors traveling to the valley was also lower last summer, but hotels and other lodging providers were able to charge higher prices — keeping revenue levels mostly even. After enjoying “pretty big gains” in daily rates and occupancy over the last five years, that appears to be coming to an end, Norton said.

“They may not be able to push their pricing as much as they have in the face of declining demand even though their operating costs have almost certainly gone up with continued inflation,” he said.

RTA board member Jason MacMillan asked if the numbers TAPP has been recording are similar to those seen prior to the pandemic.

“Are we getting just kind of back to a baseline there?” MacMillan said. “Or is this a real shift in appetite for tourism in the Rockies?”

After one of the strongest winters yet in terms of lodging revenues, Norton said he still thinks numbers will remain stronger than 2019. The factors driving the potential slowdown are believed to be inflation, large layoffs that have stretched outside of the tech sector and the ability to travel internationally again.

For the first time in years, local rates are beginning to come down to adjust to lower demand, TAPP Marketing Director Andrew Sandstrom told the Times . He gave local businesses a briefing on what to expect at the Chamber of Commerce’s Spring SwingSummer Forecast on May 12.

“I think we're maybe finding our new normal, post pandemic,” Sandstrom said. “And with the downturn we are generally seeing with the economy, travel is typically one of the first things people cut.”

Summer flight offerings ing two questions: do we want to expand any further, and then how much are we willing to invest in dollars intended for education?” said Superintendent Leslie Nichols.

Air service at the GunnisonCrested Butte Airport is down to one daily flight on United Airlines to Denver. This will jump back to two flights daily beginning on June 2. The airport will reintroduce flights to and from Houston only on weekends during the summer season. JetSuiteX will also resume summer service on May 25.

(Bella Biondini can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or bella@ gunnisontimes.com.)

The district started the housing conversation several years ago and even purchased a duplex in Crested Butte for its employees. But the pandemic put the endeavor on the back burner, and it did not resurface until January of this year, when the board hired Williford to survey the nearly 300 district employees about housing situations and preferences. The survey received a “tremendous response,” Williford said, clocking 273 responses from just district employees — greater than entire counties and cities she’s worked with.

Survey results show mostly unsurprising trends, Williford said. In general, younger employees make less money, so they are more likely to rent, but be more interested in home ownership down the line. Conversely, long-time employees are more likely to own homes and experience greater housing security and housing satisfaction.

Although Williford’s data shows that district employees are paid better on average than the overall valley population, that doesn’t necessarily translate into “enough” for the housing market. About 75% of the renters, and 44% of owners, are not willing to pay more than $1,500 a month. The industry standard defi nition of “a ff ordable” is housing that costs no more than 30% of household income, but district employees have a “lower tolerance,” she said, limited by other costs like car and student loan payments.

“Th ey want something that's more affordable than 30% of their income,” she said. "That's just something we have to keep in mind as we set rents or sale prices at 30% of income. A lot of people are gonna say ‘hey, that's not really affordable to me.’”

A slew of staffing challenges are visible just years down the line, Williford said, which could result in the GWSD needing to hire 70-80 new employees as soon as 2028. A relatively young employment base — nearly half of district employees have worked for six years or less — means the district’s staff could become unstable as young people are priced out of the valley. That reality, combined with the 30-40 staff members set to retire in the next five years, could create a hiring bind for GWSD down the line, and it’s hard enough to get teachers into the valley now, said Board President Tyler Martineau.

“They're not going to be coming here unless they have some sort of housing arrangement, or they have a family connection,” he said. “There's some way they have managed to arrange housing not in the regular housing market.”

Employees seem to also have adapted to adverse housing conditions, Williford said. While almost half say they experience some type of chronic problem, like being forced to move from high rent or a home being in poor repair, 77% of renters say they are neutral or satisfied while 94% of owners say the same. Owners tend to have fi xed prices and housing security, so “they have control of their fate,” she said.

“When we looked at, ‘do you

YOUR GRADUATION GIFT GIVING HEADQUARTERS!

own or do you rent?’ we saw this extremely strong correlation with time in the district and owning a home,” Williford said. “This is where we start to be concerned about the folks who want to put down roots and stay in the valley but can't move into owning their own home.”

A philosophical question

In Gunnison County, the 2022 median sale price for a single-family home was $738,000, so a household would need an annual income of about $221,500 to swing the sale. Unsurprisingly, rental vacancy rates have been below 1% for a decade, meaning young employees and families are getting pushed out of the ownership market and into a rental one. The question is not employee need, but dis- trict readiness to participate in the housing industry, Board Treasurer Dave Taylor said.

“I'm skeptical as to whether it's the best use of education money,” he said.

Many organizations in the valley have taken their stab at the housing issue. From Sawtooth to Whetstone to Lazy K, both the city, the county, the hospital, Rural Transit Authority, Western Colorado University and even the Crested Butte Fire District are seeking housing for their employees through master leases or outright purchasing.

Th e duplex in Crested Butte has helped GWSD fill critical positions in the past, but it offers space for only a few employees out of the nearly 300 district-wide. The district owns three parcels of property in Gunnison that could be developed into housing, Nichols said. But Martineau pushed back.

“I don't think we should be looking at the couple of parcels that the school district owns. To me, that's microscopic … we need to be broader and meet a much greater need, a much bigger vision than how we deal with a couple of acres of property.”

Other districts around the state, like Eagle County School District, have already entered the housing market, using district-owned land to increase housing supply for their employees. It ultimately comes around whether the district wants to get into the housing game, Williford said, or instead support other initiatives happening around the valley.

“Housing is not a silver bullet, but it will help your competitiveness,” Williford said.

Although employees are keen for housing stipends and down payment assistance, those types of interventions would not resolve the supply problem — leaving employees with more money in their pocket but the same limited, pricey housing stock to choose from.

“Philosophically, what do we believe as a school district as far as employee housing?” Taylor said. “Right now, sitting here, I'm saying we shouldn't be in the housing business. I'm not saying we might not be in the stipends business, but I don't think we should be in the housing business.”

All board members agreed that before making any big decisions they wanted more information. Williford will present a housing research report on June 26 that includes basics of the valley housing landscape and what comparable school districts are doing. Later, with board approval, Williford may produce a Housing Action Plan, meant to lay out how the district could engage in solutions.

(Abby Harrison can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or

— come by and grab and application, talk to Ally!