Town of Snowmass Village
Council: No dogs on new Hawk Ridge Trail
Leaning to the recommendation from one of its citizen boards, Snowmass Town Council decided July 15 night to keep dogs off the new Hawk Ridge Trail.
The quarter-mile trail is being built behind the Mountain View neighborhood and will connect the South Rim and Mountain View trails. The village’s Parks, Open Space, Trails and Recreation board (POSTR) has been reviewing the access since the spring and feels the trail should not have dogs since the housing complex does not allow dogs.
While many on council felt it might be difficult to enforce or that the town’s trails should have a consistent rule about allowing dogs on-leash, they agreed to back the board’s decision (Councilwoman Alyssa Shenk was absent). Town staff will need time to put up signs and information to users, town manager Clint Kinney said, and it will be difficult to enforce.
“I applaud my fellow councilors,” Councilman Bob Sirkus said. “I have been sitting on the other side of the table numerous times on a board where recommendations have been made to council and council has paid less attention than I felt was appropriate and decide to go on their own, and I know how that made me feel about the work I was asked to do. This is the reason we have boards and commissions, to talk about and make recommendations about issues where they can get down into the weeds.”
There are volunteer trail building efforts Thursday and July 25 at 4 p.m. Those interested in helping build the trail can meet at Town Hall those days.
New message boards for town entrances
New message signs that can be displayed in full color will be installed at the town’s entrances on Brush Creek and Owl Creek roads after council agreed to Police Chief Brian Olson’s request for a change.
Council previously approved $80,000 for new variable message signs that have amber lettering (which is standard currently in message boards), but after reviewing the options Olson found newer technology that will last 20 years or longer. He said the signs cost more, but they will be able to stay within that budget.
The police department will control what is on the signs and when color would be appropriate, Olson said. The two boards should be installed by the end of the year.
The one on Brush Creek will be at the same spot as the current message board (which is not working) and the other will be on Owl Creek Road near public works building.
Thumbs up for Pitkin County solar project
Town Council has agree upon a letter of support for the proposed solar project on Highway 82 near the Brush Creek Road intersection.
The project, which is going through the Pitkin County review process, will be set on the other side of the Roaring Fork River on a 55-acre parcel. It will be visible from Brush Creek Road as well as other roads at the opening of the drive up to Snowmass Village.
The letter reads in part: “As a quasi-judicial land-use review body ourselves, we understand that this can be a difficult decision with a lot of competing values to consider. However, the town believes that the benefits of this project would be far-reaching. Not only will this project create a clean source of renewable electricity for all of our residents, guests and businesses, it also will be a testament of our community’s sustainability values.”