Questions about Ascendigo need to be answered

I’d love to have an old-fashioned country store next to me on Missouri Heights. I’d love to have a place where Bridget could sell her lamb, Max and Felix could sell their beef, and Lulu could sell her herbs. In my fantasy store there’s a cozy stove, a cracker barrel and an endless pot of coffee.

That’s all to say keeping Missouri Heights “rural” isn’t the sound bite I’m looking for. Low density, wildlife habitat and water are at the top of my list.

Enter Ascendigo.

The numbers rattled off at the Ascendigo walkabout include but are not limited to: 24 campers, 48 teaching staff and an unspecified number of support staff. No one could answer how many toilets total and how many weekly trash trips. The water for the 2 acre pond is supposed to come from a ditch which will be dry this summer. Where the other water is coming from and what the current flow rate of a well on property (or if there is a well on property) were all questions without answers. When asked if they were in direct competition with Windwalkers or other nonprofits, the answer was that they are not planning an indoor arena. When asked about keeping dark skies, the answer was about polarizing lenses for telescopes. Reducing evaporation, creating riparian areas, density and traffic within the site itself, how much asphalt between on-site venues, what will be watered and where does that water come from, are they applying for any NRCS grants and what happens to those grants if they lose their agricultural designation? Those were all questions without answers during the tour.

I sincerely hope that these and other matters of concern will be part of the Garfield Board of County Commissioners review.

Ziska Childs

Carbondale