LET’S VOTE TO BRIDGE OUR DIFFERENCES

I want to commend Susan Dreyer for her commentary ³Community Divide

in Basalt Should Be a Bridgeable Gap². She is spot on. After attending

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Basalt¹s Town Council meeting last Tuesday, I kept thinking how the

Park/Open Space folks and the Growth/Development folks are not that far

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apart. The consolidation of common areas of agreement could be presented

by the Town Council in form of a vote for the citizens to either approve

or turn down. If passed any developer willing to be bound by the town’s

vote could then proceed by entering into a pre-development agreement.

Here are the four common areas I’ve heard meeting after meeting which

should be included in the vote:

1. Limit the size of a building/hotel to 35,000 sq ft to be placed next

to the RMI. No other development allowed on the CDC property.

2. Keep the View Plane ³Big V² where it is or make it even larger towards

the west.

3. Consolidate Town Hall and the Wyly into a new building that is up

against the hillside next to Two Rivers Condos leaving almost all of

Lions Park open.

4. Plan to build residences/condominiums across Two Rivers Road up

against the hillside in the Merino Park area.

I truly believe if this plan came to a vote it would pass by a huge

majority. It keeps the river parcel wide-open, adds a hotel for RMI

participants, provides residences/condominiums, and keeps Lions Park a

magnet for visitors to attend markets, music and events.

If we¹re heading for a vote, Town Council please construct a ballot

question that will bridge our two camps, not divide us. We all want the

best for Basalt.

Sandy Kucharczyk

Basalt