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In favor of space on the river

Dear Editor:

On Tuesday, April 1, the voting populace of Basalt will have the opportunity, through the purchase of general obligation bonds issued by the town, to gain ownership of the Pan and Fork Mobile Home Park. The Basalt Board of Trustees is recommending that the Town of Basalt purchase the property. As a longtime Basaltine, I feel strongly that we should take advantage of this opportunity and close the deal.

If we vote for this purchase, the Basalt Board of Trustees will finally, after years and years of discussion, be in a position to control the future of this property. The trustees will be able to negotiate the relocation of the residents living at the Pan and Fork directly with any developer without a third party being involved in the process.



Is the above a perfect scenario? Most certainly not! Is there risk involved? You bet! But let’s be honest, most deals are not perfect and most deals involve risk. At some point, there has to be some element of trust.

I do not agree with our Board of Trustees on all of the issues, but I do believe they have performed due diligence in reviewing most issues. This particular issue has been reviewed “ad nauseam” for years. In this case, I believe the board has earned and deserves our trust. Now, a reasonable offer to sell the property to the town has been made and, in support of the board’s recommendation, we should seize that opportunity and vote in favor of the purchase.




I am sure there are those of you who are concerned that the price of the land is too steep. To those of you, let me just say this: If the value of your property in Basalt is worth $800,000, a yes vote on this purchase will cost you about $144 per year. To put things in perspective, please consider the following: Your $144 investment is equal to two tanks of gas for your car, one round-trip for two to catch a Rockies game or one dinner for two in Aspen. Moreover, unlike the above examples, your investment in this property is not a one-time event ” you get to enjoy this space on the river every day of the year.

Please vote YES for parks and open space on Tuesday, April 1.

Greg Shugars

Basalt