Letter: Get it done right

After attending the Basalt Town Council work session Friday morning, I came away with the distinct impression of a council feeling the pressure to just do something in the remaining open space at the former Pan and Fork property but not feeling at all comfortable about what the size and nature of that “something” ought to be. I have a suggestion that would go a long way toward relieving the town of such pressure: Purchase the property outright. By removing all outside partners from the equation, the town will be able to proceed with its review of and recommendations for this parcel at its own pace. Due to its unique location, downtown at the confluence of our two gold-medal trout-fishing rivers, this parcel is worthy of whatever time it takes to arrive at a decision regarding both the type and amount of development that will be approved. Anything less than a thorough, thoughtful review of the long-term impacts of any approvals would be a disservice to both current and future generations of Basaltines. Clearly, this is a case where it is more important to get it done right than it is to get it done.

Greg Shugars

Basalt