Snowmass In Brief: Shuttle switches to spring schedule; Brush Creek Culvert Project open house

Village Shuttle Switches to Spring Schedule

The Village Shuttle spring service schedules began on Monday, April 17. Many of the fixed routes and schedules will become on-demand only.

The spring schedule can be found online at villageshuttle.com/305/Spring-Fall-Off-Season-Schedules.

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Brush Creek Culvert Project Open House

Join the Town of Snowmass Village on May 4 at 4:00 p.m. to learn about the Brush Creek Culvert Reconstruction Project. Staff will be available in the Council Chambers in Town Hall to answer questions about the project.

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The Brush Creek Culvert Reconstruction Project includes the replacement and reconstruction of the culvert beneath Brush Creek Road immediately downhill from the intersection with Owl Creek Road. This project will result in the closure of the Brush Creek Road from the Blue Roof Condos to the intersection with Owl Creek Road from approximately May 15-Nov. 1, 2023.

Project information is available at tosv.com/566/Brush-Creek-Culvert-Reconstruction.

Town Performs Pavement Improvement

The Town of Snowmass Village’s paving contractor will commence the replacement of roadway pavement starting Monday, April 17 on Brush Creek Road immediately in the vicinity of the Wood Bridge and on a section of Owl Creek Road. Paving operations are expected to be completed by the end of the week. 

The paving work on Brush Creek Road follows work performed by Snowmass Water & Sanitation District (SWSD) to repair the water main underneath Brush Creek Road in January. This work also includes repairs to the roadway in the vicinity of the water line repair to address pavement degradation.  

The new pavement along Owl Creek Road will address existing pavement issues before the summer construction detour begins. As part of this project, the paving crews will replace the temporary asphalt with permanent materials. Temporary lane alignments will be in place for the duration of the project. The final pavement striping will take place at the end of May or early June.

Questions may be directed to Public Works at (970) 923-5110.

April 2023 Recreation Center Maintenance Closures

The Snowmass Village Recreation Center will be closed for maintenance during parts of April. 

Full schedule of Recreation Center closures:

• April 17 through mid-May – Hot tub closed for a resurfacing project.
• April 19-21 – Recreation Center closed for maintenance.
• April 17-21 – Leisure pool closed for maintenance.
• April 24-27 – Lap pool closed for maintenance.

For more information on Snowmass Village Parks, Recreation & Trails Department, visit snowmassrecreation.com.

Seasonal Wildlife Area Closures

The Town of Snowmass Village enjoys its connection to the natural world. As such, residents and guests can enjoy views, recreation, and interactions with wildlife. Wildlife is important to the natural landscape and Snowmass Village Animal Services enforces seasonal trail closures to protect sensitive wildlife habitats. 

Per Section 10-29 of the TOSV Municipal Code, it is unlawful for any person to use by any means identified trails during wildlife-sensitive periods. Trail closures are strictly enforced by the Town’s Animal Services Division, in partnership with Colorado Parks & Wildlife and U.S. Forest Service. Wildlife monitoring cameras are in use in closed areas.

There is a zero-tolerance policy for trail closure violations and fines can reach up to $5,000. 

2023 wildlife area closures are observed on the following periods:

• Anaerobic Nightmare Trail: April 25-June 27 (opens June 28)
• Sequel Trail: April 25-June 20 (opens June 21)
• Tom Blake Trail: April 25-June 20 (opens June 21)
• Government Trail east of Elk Camp Work Road: May 15-June 27 (opens June 28)
• Rim Trail North: Dec. 1-May 15 (opens May 16)
• Seven Star Trail: Dec. 1-May 15 (opens May 16)
• Upper North Mesa Equestrian Trail: Dec. 1-May 15 (opens May 16)
• Viewline/Deadline: Dec. 1-May 15 (opens May 16)
• Vista Trail: Powerline to Government section April 25-June 20 (opens June 21), and Government to Elk Camp May 15-June 27 (opens June 28)

For more information, please contact Animal Services at animal@tosv.com or by calling 970-923-5330. Animal Services information is also available online at tosv.com/115/Animal-Services. 

Snowmass Village Spring Bear Sightings

Snowmass Village is in prime black bear habitat. Residents are encouraged to be bear-aware and minimize the risk of bear-human interactions as bears awaken this spring. 

Human-bear conflicts will increase when residents leave food sources outside of their homes. Trash, recycling, and compost bins are common food sources for foraging bears. Pet food, bird feeders, and outdoor cooking equipment such as grills and barbecues also attract bears to the home.

Black bears are curious, intelligent, and very resourceful; they will explore all possible food sources. If they find food near homes, campgrounds, vehicles, or communities, they’ll come back for more. Snowmass Village urges all residents to remove food sources from their yards, vehicles, and other human-occupied areas to reduce the likelihood of a bear interaction. 

Snowmass Village maintains bear-resistant trash enclosures for residential solid waste and recycling. For those residences with curbside pick-up service, the town will be modifying trash bins over the coming month to make them more resistant to bears.

Crews will be installing a locking strap mechanism to containers that will help reduce the likelihood that a bear is able to access the solid waste inside. Even with these modifications, containers may only be placed outside on the day of pickup and returned to an inside location by 6:00 p.m. that same evening.

To report a bear sighting in Snowmass Village, please email Snowmass Village Animal Services or call at 970-923-5330. The information that you provide is used to track their movement and behavior and will help keep black bears alive. Trapping and relocating wildlife is a last resort tool. A bear will be relocated after an incident only once. The second contact results in euthanasia. Wildlife sightings are part of mountain life – please appreciate and respect an animal’s right to thrive by being bear-aware!

For information on living in bear habitat, visit the Town’s webpage on bear education. Additional information can be found online with Colorado Parks & Wildlife.