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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2.03 Staff Report & Exhibits - Part D! r.: l II i:i ¡ Glenn Hartmann From: Sent: lo: Subject: jkolen@sopris.net Monday, April 5, 2021 3:55 PM Glenn Hartmann RE: lExternal] Ascendigo Property Holdings Change in Land Use Application; file no. Ll PA-01 -21 -8826 8¿ PLVA-01 -21 -8827 Dear Mr.Hartman: I am writing to you today with serious concerns that the Ascendigo change in land use application will negatively impact our neighborhood area of Missouri Heights and that the application fails fundamentally to meet the land use standards for change in use in several relevant and important respects as detailed below. 1. Fails to meet LUDC 7-103. Compatibility with adjacent land uses and fails to comply with the Garfield County Comprehensive Plan 2030 Future Land Use Plan which designates this area as Rural single-family "Residential Medium". The development is a high intensity commercial use and includes a dining room area that seats 75 diners and a deck that seats an additional23 diners; lodging, including housing and guest cottages that sleep near a total of 100 guests and staff. 2. Fails to meet LUDC 7-103. More than 50,000 sq ft of buildings, plus, barns and maintenance buildings are proposed. The uses, activities and improvements are nowhere close to being compatible with the single family rural residential neighbors in either size, scale, or use. 3. Fails to meet LUDC 7-104 and Gomprehensive Plan. Ascendigo's stated use of water seems to ignore that over the past three years, neighborhood water supplies have been adversely impacted by low pressure, mud/sand infiltration into wells, and zero lack of water pressure during the Lake Christina fire. lts stated plans for ponds and a greater daily population can only negatively affect the available water resources. Missouri Heights does not have the bountiful water access of the Roaring Fork River, but instead relies upon aquifer recharge from rain and nearby snow pack. Water wells tap the underlying basalt rock reservoir. Many nearby water wells have gone dry in recent years (source 312018 Sopris Sun)hff nc //www c,ôn riccr rn ¡r¡rn l2ñ4 Alî2,l)Rlt¡t hen-the-well-rr rnc-rl nr/ 4. Fails to meet LUDC 7-103 and the Future Land Use PIan. Activities are stated as year-round with proposed high intensity or heavy use for eleven out of twelve months. The "summer Camp" runs from May 1 through September 20 and includes 100 campers, counselors, maintenance and kitchen staff, administrative staff and other support staff on site daily. Camper "Turn over day" will see even higher numbers of people present, and again during its Winter Camp which runs from January 1 through March 30. Non-camp months will welcome seminars with guests housed at the lodge and dining facilities open and use for other programs. These high concentrations of people and activities is not compatible with the rural 1 4t: EXHIBIT i i i | ,1: ì . single family residential neighborhood that has a low daily population dispersed over large homesites. 5. Fails to meet LUDC-7-103 and Future Land Use Plan. The resulting enormous increases in traffic is not compatible with the current Rural Residential Medium designation and is not compatible with the single-family residential neighborhood. 6. Falls to meet LUDC 7-'lO7. "All roads shall be designed to provide for adequate and safe access". Of serious concern is that Ascendigo has requested a waiver from the usual Garfield County road standards. The road is, quite simply, a wreck. Harmony Road is a barely improved farm road with little or no road base. The planned grading of a section of the road by Ascendigo a few weeks before the site visit represents a mere band aid and was done only to disguise the completely degraded surface and road base. Their proposed "chip and seal" improvement is not adequate for the extent of planned use. 7. The proposed development site is located in Garfield County's "Very High" susceptibility index for wildfire. The two roads which are the evacuation corridors from the site, CR 1021o; Katherine Store Road and Fender to Upper Cattle Creek, have blind spots and right angle turns that impede traffic and do not permit any sort of an efficient evacuation. The Lake Christine evacuation was chaotic and witnessed bumper to bumper vehicles and trailers all in a slow parade out of this area in July 2018. Add another 100, plus people concentrated in one area to this mix and there is only disaster in its wake. Accordingly, it fails to comply with "Comprehensive Plan 2030", page 52, Policy 5 vi. L Does not meet the definition of "Educational Use" under the Land Use Code. "Buildings and uses for instruction or research activities associated with an academic institution (Emphasis added).,." Ascendigo is not, and has never claimed to be, an academic institution or associated with one. 9. This development does not comply with o'Gomprehensive Plan 2030" that strives to preserve rural land and character and encourage more intense development in towns and already developed commercial areas that have adeq uate established infrastructure. All told, Ascendigo is proposing to change the character of this portion of Missouri Heights from that of rural residential to commercial. This is a large year-round commercial venture, not suitable for the rural residential zoning of this area. The proposed Ascendigo development is in violation of LUDC 7-103. \/\/hila Aenan¡linn ic a rrrnr{hrrrhila anr,laarrnr ifo ¡ammarnial r.lar¡alanmanf io inann¡anriala lnI rrrrrv, revvrrvrt v re q vvvttttyrtttlv vttvvqyvt, ltù vvt¡ilttgtvtqt v9ygtvvlttç,llt 1È) lllqyplvpllçllg lll Missouri Heíghts' rural residential neighborhood and is non-compliant with our existing zoning and threatens to overburden the limited water resource. A more suitable location would be within the commercial confines of the Highway 82 valley floor where zoning would not need to be changed and concerns less impactful. For these reasons I implore you to Please Vote "No" on the proposed Ascendigo development. Sincerely, 2 t': Joel Kolen 3 EXHIBIT 43 tâ0 Dâ6March 6,2021 Joe Edwards 14 Fender Lane Carbondale, CO 81623 Commissioner John Martin Board of County Commissioners 109 8th Street, Suite 101 Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 Re: Change in Land Use- Ascindigo -LIPA-01-21-8826 Dear Commissioner Maftin, I have lived at the south end of Harmony for 29 years. Harmony was an access road ll2 mile south thru the Fender Ranch to property owned by Ralph Long. The easement granted by the Fenders was 60 feet in width, west of and parallel to the Garfield lEagle county line and east of the north-south center-line of Section 28. It is in Garfield County but provides access to lands in both Eagle and Garfield. Vy'e moved here for the peace and quiet, the views of Mt.Sopris, to have room to have horses, and to experience the wildlife (we frequently see deer, turkeys, foxes and occasional bears, bobcats). This area of Garfield County was envisioned in the Garfield County Master Plan as suitable for 6 to 8 acre residential development. The surrounding ranches have been subdivided into large lot homes, some of which are vacation homes. That type of development has not significantly altered this areas quality of life and I did not object to the White Cloud Ridge subdivision. Ho*",r", the Ascendigo application for alargecommercial type development would completely alter the quiet and peaceful rural character of Missouri Heights. The use is claimed as an "Educational Use" and is being processed as a one step "Limited Impact Review" although it would have enormous impact on this area. This is not an Educational Use and does not meet your codes definition, as it is not affiliated with any national educational organization. Look at that list of daily trips in the applicants traffic study. This proposal would would cause additional 240 vehicle trips per day for cars, buses, delivery vans, trucks, and ambulances. This is a large commercial operation involving many employees and clients being transported daily to off site activities like rafting, paddle boarding, and hiking This project should be built on the valley floor instead of necessitating driving up and down the steep winding (dangerous in the winter) roads leading to this area. adding more than240 vehicle trips per day to these rural roads. The applicant even wants to rent the facilities out to other persons or organizations as a party venue or convention center when it doesn't have its own activities scheduled. The dust, noise and bustie of activity of this type project will destroy the quiet ambiance of the neighborhood.. The previous properly owner and approved White Cloud Ridge HOA and developer Tom Levitt have been in violation of the conditions of Paragraph 5 of the August 18,1997 Subdivision Improvements Agreement for 20 years for failure to maintain the chip seal portion of Harmony road. The county shãuld not process an application for further development on property that is in gross violation of a prior subdi,ririo.r improvement agreement The prior applicant was required to install a chip and seal iurfàce on Harmony and his HOA was required to maintain it. He installed a thin 112 inch chip seal surface. without the proper drainage and water pooled in the low spots (which was not properly crowned or drained) and the chip seal surface broke up the first year. After complaints, Mr. Levitt installed patches on the low spots but they also disintegrated. No other maintenance was ever done by Levitt or his HOA, and the road was potholed and the chip seal surface destroyed. (See included photo). The current applicant has assumed the position of Levitt and his HOA and Ascindigo is now itself in default of paragraph 5 of the August T8, 1997 Subdivision Improvements Agreement. White Cloud Ridge HOA (Mr. Levitt) had an agreement with three adjacent subdivision HOA's along Harmony to share maintenance costs but it requires unanimous agreement. The same type agreement is proposed for this new application, and would produce the same result.(See Application Ex. C paragraph 3 b.) However, that cost sharing agreement does not relieve the current applicant from the outstanding default under the 1997 Subdivision Improvement Agreement. For 29 years (until this last year) I filled the potholes and graded Harmony with my farm tractor and snowplowed it in the winter as no-one else was maintaining or plowing it. The improper drainage from driveways and subdivision access roads and the failure to have a crowned road continually causes pooling of water and potholes. I did not grade last summer when I heard this application was being filed, so that all could see how bad the road becomes without maintenance. I am enclosing a picture taken several weeks ago. However, I recently heard the applicant desires to now regrade the road and remove the broken chip seal before the site inspection so you will not see how awful the road has become unless you inspect it right away. The most effective way to provide for maintenance is for the county to require the road be built to strict county standards and the county to then accept and maintain it. Two years ago, Steve Coon of the Harmony View subdivision agreed to use his snowblower to plow Harmony from Fender to'Wind River and I continued to plow from Wind River to the end of Harmony. None of the homeowners along Harmony (except Steve Coon) have ever contributed anything for such snowplowing or grading and pothole maintenance. The daily road use tables in the Ascindigo application are inaccurate and traffic will be greater on Harmony and Fender road as the tables have split the enormous trafftc increases caused by the proposed development between Harmony Road and a mile shorter route along a narrow single lane private dirt road (known as Sunset) through the Soderberg Subdivision to reach Paseo road and then the Upper Cattle Creek road. However, the owners of that private access for the Soderberg Subdivision have decided they will not allow use by the significant additional traffic from this proposed development. If necessary they have stated they will gate the road to prevent the diversion to Sunset. The Levitt property was historically used as irrigated pasture and hay fields until 1992. The existing pond was built by Levitt just several years ago. When I inquired of the persons constructing the pond why it was being built I was told that it would be filled with summer seasonal irrigation water from the spring park reservoir and the pond was designed to leak into the soil to supplement groundwater as the wells installed by Levitt for the White Cloud Ridge Subdivision were not producing as much water as when first drilled. This may indicate a deficient water supply. Please deny the land use change. County Road 100, is the westerly entrance to this area climbing up to Missouri Heights, the county should add a guardrail to the dangerous drop-off on the west side of the County Road 100. wards 14 Fender Lane Carbondale, CO81623 cc. Garfield County Planning Department 1, Glenn Hartmann From: Sent: To: Subject: David Aguilar <daguila12020@gmail.com > Tuesday, April 6, 20213:37 PM Sheryl Bower; Glenn Haftmann lExternall Mis-classification of Ascendigo Dear Ms Bower: After reading recent correspondence between you and concerned neighbors here in Missouri Heights regarding the difficult position of GARCO on trying to fit the Ascendigo Organization into an educational classification category, I can sympathize with your dilemma. A county government's duty is to work with developers guaranteeing that proposed developments do not alter or impact existing communities or land use laws and yet at the same time improve their communities and raise tax revenues to support other county needs. Sadly, in this instance, classifying Ascendigo as an "educøtÍondl orgonizotion" AND a non-profit corporation makes them what many angry taxpayers today might classify as "takers"...They make money but contribute nothing back to the community which seems so typical of corporations today. Let,s clarify WHy categorizing Ascendigo as an educational organization is so egregious. Upon closer exam¡nation, the answer becomes obvious. Asecendigo, on all their advertising media, web sites, etc. proudly promote their services as "an Adventure, Camping, Life-Enrichment Camp". There is no mention of accredited EDUCATION being offered and that is missing for a very good legal reason. They are not an established or participating Autism/Spectrum educational organization recognized or affiliated with any professionat state or federal autism group. They are not educators offering educational services. They offer "enrichment experiences" which in todays' world could be anything. As stated by the Council for Education Accreditation in 2008: Educotionol occreditation is o quality qssuronce process under which services and operotions of private or stote educationol orgønizations or programs ore evoluated and verified by a professionol externol body to determine whether oppticabte ond recognized standards ore met. tf stondords ore met, occredited status is granted by the oppropriate agency recognized by the Notionat Advisory Committee on tnstitutional Quality and lntegrity (NAClQl)-an advisory body of the U.S. Secretary of Education. Apparently, Ascdendigo has failed to complete this critical educational requirement since a "LIFE ENRICHMENT (purposely undefined) CAMP does not øppear to løll under this educøtionøl cøtegory. . Ascendigo does not currently list the employment any degreed professional special needs educators conducting their programs. They employ numerous "managers", yOung "volunteers" but no educatorS. . And most revealing and concerning, Ascendigo does not demonstrate that they are a member or supported by ANy recognized professional autism educational organization including the Top 9 National Special Needs Organizations: The Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism Society The National Autism SocietY Autism Research lnstitute Autism/Spectra I SocietY 1 q+ EXHIBIT 'oú¡.oo Organization for Autism Research Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy Society National Association of Special Education Teachers The Center on Technology and Disability National Professional Development Center on Autism and Spectrum Disorders US Department of Education Sadly, WHAT Ascendigo lS is what they SAY they are: A non-profit corporate enterprise offering un- measurable "adventure, camping and life enrichment services" to families in need. They are not in any legal sense, nor do they advertise in any way, a licensed, accredited, established educational organization providing approved educational programs for those on the spectrum. Classifying them as such is a BIG MISTAKE . Upon further re-consideration, this apptication should, in altgood conscience, be denied until Ascendigo can demonstrate they meet state or national requirements and receive certification that they are truly an educational organization offering critical approverd services to peopte on the spectrum. Sincerely, David A. Aguilar 2 iri i Glenn Hartmann From: Sent: To: Sheryl Bower Tuesday, April 6,2021 3:00 PM Glenn Hartmann FW: [External] Garfield County website inquirySubiect: .sherul L Bower,, AICP<) Community DeveloPment Director 108 8th Street, Suite 40L Glenwood Springs, CO 8L601 970-94s-L377 ltâOsl From: Tom Ja nkovsky <tja nkovsky@ga rfield-county.com> Sent: Tuesday, APril 6,2021L:57 PM To: Sheryl Bowe r <sbowe r@ga rfie ld-county.com > Subject: FW: [External] Garfield County website inquiry From: nore olv@fo m<noreplv@formstack.com > Sent: Tuesday, April 6,2O2L 8:17 AM To: Tom Ja n kovsky <tia n kovskv@ga rfie ld-co u ntv.com > Subject: [External] Garfield County website inquiry Subject: RE: Ascendigo Property Holdings Change in Land Use Application; file no. LIPA-01-21-8826 & PLVA- 01-21-8827 Name: Victoria Stulgis Email: victoria.stulqis@qmail. com Phone Number: (617) 943-9626 Message: Dear Sr. Planner Glenn Hartmann, Commissioners Jankovsky, Martin and Samson: I am writing to you today with serious concerns that the Ascendigo change in land use application will negativelyimpáct our näighborhood area of Missouri Heights and that the proposed camp is not in line with the rural nature of Missouri Heights. I grew up in an inner city (Ciarlestown, Boston MA), but made the decision to invest in a home on Harmony Lane before I was thirty. I made this decision because I loved the natural beauty and rural feeling - with old bumpy dirt roads, rage ¡eldr as far as the eye can see, and no commercial operations anywhere on our high I 1l EXH IBIT Garfield Coungt I,i,l,i mesa. I live on Harmony Lane, and pay taxes to both Garfield and Eagle, and my family just bought the lot on the other side of Harmony Ln, fully in Garfield County, with plans to ¡u¡tO a family homé. I am opposed to the development of Ascendigo becáuse of two main issues: waier, and fire. Within my first six months on Harmony Lane, I learned that my little slice of heaven could quickly become my worst nighimare - first when the Lake Christine fire broke out and I was evacuated at a minute's notice, The second, was when my neighbors became incredibly hostile towards each other over water usage. lt is for these reasons that I believe Ascendigo, while an incredible organization, belongs closer to the váttey floor, where both water and fire evacuation make it a much more suitable location. Firet the fire - on the 4th of July, I spent the day staring at a plume of smoke, pre-packing the car. We received a text/twitter update just as the sun went down, that the wind had died down, and there would be no more evacuations or updates on the fire that evening, That all changed incredibly quickly - when my partner who had been watching the fire, drove up the hill and alerted me we needed to pack the cars and go. Minutes later, we received a pre-evacuation notice. And about 15 minutes later, we were told to leave immediately. Fifteen minutes was not enough time for us to load up our donkeys, chickens, dog and go - I can only imagine how the Ascendigo camp would be able to evacuate 100 people. Then - water. That same summer, and during the fire, some of our HOA homeowners turned on their sprinkler systems, and evacuated for days. As you can imagine, our HOA went over our allocated water usage t.hat year. The next few months turned into an incredibly hostile situation between all HOA members - as we realized our neighbors had overused water rights, one of our wells went dry, and one home did not have any water pressure all summer long. Ask any HOA - and you will learn water rights are the biggest issue in Mlssouri Heights, and homeowners are rightfully concerned they will run out of water. Ascendigo's stated use of water seems to ignore that over the past three years, neighborhood water supplies have been adversely impacted by low pressure, mud/sand infiltration into wells, and zero lack of water pressure during the Lake Christina fire. lts stated plans for ponds and a greater daily population can only negatively affect the available water resources. Missouri Heights does not have the bountiful water access of the Roaring Fork River, but instead relies upon aquifer recharge from rain and nearby snow pack. Water wells tap the underlying basalt rock reservoir. tt/iany nearby water wells have gone dry in recent years: (source gt2o1g sopris Sun) https:i/wr,vw. soprissun. com/20 1 8/03/28lwhenthe-well-ru ns-d rvl. While Ascendigo is a worthwhile endeavor, its commercial development is inappropriate in Missouri Heights' rural residential neighborhood and is non-compliant with our existing zoning and tlrreatens to overburdeñ the limited water resource. A more suitable location would be within the commèrcial confines of the Highway 82 valley floor where zoning would not need to be changed and concerns less impactful. For these reasons I implore you to Please Vote "No" on the proposed Ascendigo development. Sincerely,Victoria StulgisOwner,22A Harmony LnManager and Partial Owner óf fgO Harmony Ln (Joseph Meadows Subdivision, Lot 3) - Sungold Heights LLC 2 l'i;iÌ i'Ìi Glenn Hartmann From: Sent: To: Subject: Attachments: Julie Hazard <jhazardhoa@gmail.com > Tuesday, April 6, 2021 12:22 PM Glenn Hartmann lExternall Ascendigo Proposed Project-Kings Row HOA Ascendigo Letter.docx Dear Glenn, I am forwarding this very important letter from the Board of Directors for Kings Row HOA' lt is imperative that our voices are heard and that the Ascendigo project does not proceed in the Missouri Heights Rural communities. Thank you and best regards, Julie Hazard Kings Row HOA, President 970-678-9647 ihazardhoa@gmail,com EXHIBIT qu 1 Dear Glenn Hartmann, This letter comes from the Board of Directors for Kings Row HOA located just north of the proposed Ascendigo Project. We would like to make it clear that we do not speak for the community as a whole but as a concerned Board of Directors for the community. The Kings Row HOA was involved in the proposed Hunt Ranch development which ended in ZOOI with the Water Court mandating water restrictions upon the development and then the development never came to fruition. The Ascendigo Project should be considered a similar situation as WATER is the most important commodity in Missouri Heights. The Kings Row HOA Covenants read "RESIDENTIAL USE: No lot shall be useã for any purpose other than residential purposes. No buildings, improvements, or structures shall be constructed on any lot smaller than (2) acres in size, other than a single family dwelling and such improvements or structures as are incidental or apfurtenani to a single family dwelling or to uses hereinafter defined. No lot shall be used at any time for business or commercial activity". What Ascendigo is proposing is a commercial business which will tax our limited water resources and which doesn't' coincide with "Rural Single Family Dwelling". We have serious concerns regarding the project and the change in land use application they are proposing. The Kings Row bommunity and the entire area of Missouri Heights will be negatively impacted for WATER, FIRE ISSUES (there has been 2 fires impacting Missouri Heights within the last 3 years and moisture content has not improved), wildlife and noise to name just a few. While Ascendigo is a worthwhile endeavor, it is proposing to change the character of this portion of Missouri Heights from rural residential to commercial. This commercial development is inappropriate in Missouri Heights rural residential neighborhood and is non-compliant with our existing zoning and threatens to overburden the limited water resource. A more suitable location would be within the commercial confines of the Highway 82 valley floor where zoning would not need to be changed and concerns less imþactfú1. Also, ambulance, fire and rescue vehicles would be far closer in proximity and more timely of arrival. Ascendigo proposes a large year-round commercial venture and the application fails fundamentally to meet the land use standards for change in use in several relevant and important respects as detailed below and is not suitable for the rural residential zoning of this area. The proposed development is in violation of LUDC 7-103. Fails to meet LUDC 7-103. Compatibility with adjacent land uses and fails to comply with the Garfield County Comprehensive Plan 2030 Future Land Use Plan which designates this area as Rural single-family "Residential Medium". The Ascendigo development is a high intensity commercial use and includes a dining room area that seats 75 diners and a deck that seats an additional2S diners; lodging, including housing and guest cottages that sleep near a total of 100 guests and staff. a ';lrì a a a Fails to meet LUDC 7-103. More than 50,000 sq ft of buildings, plus, barns and maintenance buildings are proposed. The uses, activities and improvements are nowhere close to being compatible with the single family rural residential neighbors in either size, scale, or use. Fails to meet LUDC 7-104 and Gomprehensive Plan. Ascendigo's stated use of water seeffìs to ignore that over the past three years, neighborhood water supplies have been adversely impacted by low pressure, mud/sand infiltration into wells, and zero lack of water pressure, especially during the Lake Christine fire. lts stated plans for ponds and a greater daily population can only negatively affect the available water resources. Missouri Heights does not have the bountiful water access of the Roaring Fork River, nor is it part of Carbondale's water supply but instead relies upon aquifer recharge from rain and nearby snowpack. Water wells tap the underlying basalt rock reservoir. Many nearby water wells have gone dry in recent years: (source 3t20 dryt. 18 Sopris Sun)oflssun O18103l28lwh l-runs- a Fails to meet LUDC 7-103 and the Future Land Use Plan. Activities are stated as year-round with proposed high intensity or heavy use for eleven out of twelve months. The "summer camp" runs from May 1 through september 20 and includes 100 campers, counselors, maintenance and kitchen staff, administrative staff and other support staff on site daily. Camper "Turn over day" will see even higher numbers of people present, and again during its Winter Camp which runs from January 1 through March 30. Non-camp months willwelcome seminars with guests housed at the lodge and dining facilities open and use for other programs. These high concentrations of people and activities is not compatible with thê rural single-family residential neighborhood that has a low daily population dispersed over large homesites. This indicates that this is a commercÍal business, and it is invading rural single-family residential neighborhoods. Fails to meet LUDC-7-103 and Future Land Use PIan. The resulting enormous increases in traffic is not compatible with the current Rural Residential Medium designation and is not compatible with the single-family residential neighborhood. Fails to meet LUDC 7-107. "A11 roads shall be designed to provide for adequate and safe access". seriously concerning is that Ascendigo has requested a waiver from the usual Garfield County road standards. The road is, quite simply, a wreck. Harmony Road is a barely improved farm road with little or no road base. The planned grading of a section of the road by Ascendigo a few weeks before the site visit represents a mere band aid and was done only to disguise the completely degraded surface and road base. Their proposed "chip and seal" improvement is not adequate for the extent of planned use. a a a a The proposed development site is located in Garfield County's "Very High" susceptibility index for wildfire. The two roads which are the evacuation corridors from the site, CR 1O2lo, Catherine Store Road and Fender to Upper Catle Creek, have blind spots and right angle turns that impede traffic and do not permit any sort of an efficient evacuation. The Lake Christine evacuation was chaotic and witnessed bumper to bumper vehicles and trailers all in a slow parade out of this area on only one road, Catherine's Store Road. Upper Cattle breek was closed due to the impact of the fire in July, 2018. Add another 100, plus people concentrated in one area to this mix and there is only disaster in its wake. Accordingly, it fails to comply with "Comprehensive Plan 2030", page 52, Policy 5 vi. Does not meet the definition of "Educational Use" under the Land Use Gode. "Buildings and uses for instruction or research activities associated with an academic institution (Emphasis added)..." Ascendigo is not, and has never claimed to be, an academic institution or associated with one. This development does not comply with "Gomprehensive Plan 2030" that strives to preserve rural land and character and encourage more intense development in towns and already developed commercial areas that have adequate established infrastructure. For these reasons I implore you to Please Vote r'No" on the proposed Ascendigo development. Sincerely, Kings Row HOA Board of Directors Julie Hazard - President Sauron Champan - Vice President Jo Ashton - Secretary/Treasurer I 'tii Glenn Hartmann From: Sent: To: Subject: ,shergl L Eower, AICP Community Development Director 108 8th Street, Suite 401 Glenwood Springs, CO 81-601 97O-94s-L377 (L6Os) From: M ike Samson <msa mson @ga rfie ld-county.com> Sent: Tuesday, April 6,2021L:L1- PM To: Sheryl Bower <sbower@garfield-county.com> Subject: Fwd: [External] Garfield County website inquiry FYI Sent from my iPhone Begin forwa rded message: Sheryl Bower Tuesday, April 6, 2021 2:54 PM Glenn Haftmann FW: lExternal] Garfield County website inquiry From: noreplv(@formstack.com Date: April 6,2O2L at 1:01:34 PM MDT To: M i ke Sa mson <msa m son @ga rfie ld-countv.com> Subject: IExternal] Garfield County website inquiry Reply-To: curra nlisa @vahoo.com Garfteld County Subject: Ascendigo Property Holdings Change in Land Use Application; file no. LIPA-O1-21- 8826 & PLVA-o1-21-8827 Name: Lisa Curran Email: curranlisa@vahoo. com Phone Number: (41 5) 218-77 1 1 Message: RE: Ascendigo Property Holdings Change in Land Use Application; file no. LIPA-O1- 21 -8826 & PLVA-o 1 -21 -8827 1 41 EXHIBIT láoÃôs t'1, (Letter sent in 2 parts, due to max character limitations) Part I ot 2: Dear Commissioner Jankovsky, I am writing to you today with serious concerns that the Ascendigo change in land use application will negatively impact our neighborhood area of Missouri Heights and that the application fails fundamentally to meet the land use standards for change in use in several relevant and important respects as detailed below. 1. Fails to meet LUDC 7-103. Compatibility with adjacent land uses; fails to comply with Garfield County Comprehensive Plan 2030 Future Land Use Plan which designates this area as Rural single-family "Residential Medium". The development is high intensity commercial use, including dining room area that seats 75 and deck that seats additional 25 diners; lodging, including housing and guest cottages that sleep approximately 100 guests and staff. 2. Fails to meet LUDC 7-103. More than 50,000 sq ft of buildings, barns and maintenance buildings are proposed, Uses, activities and improvements are nowhere close to being compatible with the single family rural residential neighbors in either size, scale, or use. 3. Fails to meet LUDC 7-104 and Comprehensive Plan. Ascendigo's stated use of water seems to ignore that over the past three years neighborhood water supplies have been adversely impacted by low pressure, mud/sand infiltration into wells, and lack of water pressure during the Lake Christina fire. lts stated plans for ponds and a greater daily population can only negatively affect the available water resources. Missouri Heights does not have the bountiful water access of the Roaring Fork River, but instead relies upon aquifer recharge from rain and nearby snowpack. Water wells tap the uttclerlying basalt rock reservolr. Meny nearby water wells have gone dry in recent years: (source 312018 Sopris Sun, https://www.soprissun.com/2018/03/28lwhen-the-well-runs-drv/). 4. Fails to meet LUDC 7-103 and the Future Land Use Plan. Activities are stated as year-round with proposed high intensity or heavy use for eleven out of twelve months. The "summer Camp" runs from May 1 through September 20 and includes 100 campers, counselors, maintenance and kitchen staff, administrative and other support staff on site daily. Camper "turn over day" will see even higher numbers of people present, and again during its Winter Camp which runs from January 1 through March 30. Non-camp months will welcome seminars with guests housed at the lodge, with dining facilities open and used for other programs. These high concentrations of people and activities is not compatible with the rural single family residential neighborhood that has a low daily population dispersed over large homesites. 5. Fails to meet LUDC-7-103 and Future Land Use Plan. The resulting enormous increases in traffic is not compatible with the current Rural Residential Medium designation and is not compatible with the single-family residential neighborhood. (Letter continued on page 2, under separate submission, due to maximum characters allowed) 2 iriii i'ii Glenn Hartmann From: Sent: To: Subject: .shergl L Eower, AlcP Community DeveloPment Director 108 8th Street, Suite 401 Glenwood Springs, CO 8L60L 970-94s-L377 (J6Osl From: M i ke Sa mso n <msamson @ga rfie ld-co u nty'com> Sent: Tuesday, April 6,2O2t 1:12 PM To: Sheryl Bower <sbower@garfield-county'com> Subject: Fwd: [External] Garfield County website inquiry FYI Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message: Sheryl Bower Tuesday, April 6, 2021 2:55 PM Glenn Hartmann FW: lExternal] Garfield County website inquiry From: noreplv@formstack.com Date: April 6,2O2L at 1:0L:25 PM MDT To: M ike Samson <msamson @garfield-countv.com> Subject: [Externall Garfield County website inquiry Reply-To: curra nlisa @va hoo.com Garfield Counfii Subject: Ascendigo Property Holdings Change in Land Use Application; file no. LIPA-01-21- 8826 & PLVA-o1-21-8827 Name: Lisa Curran Email: curranlisa@vahoo. com Phone Number: (415) 218-77 1 1 Message: RE:Ascendigo Property Holdings Change in Land Use Application; file no. LIPA-01- 21 -8826 & PLVA-o1 -21 -8827 1 lt, lrr i i,i : Letter continued from page 1, sent under separate submission 6. Fails to meet LUDC 7-107. "All roads shall be designed to provide for adequate and safe 8ccess". Of aerious concern is that Ascelrdigo llas lequestetl a waiver from the usual Garfield County road standards. The road is, quite simply, a wreck. Harmony Road is a barely improved farm road with little or no road base. The planned grading of a section of the road by Ascendigo a few weeks before the site visit represents a mere band aid and was done only to disguise the completely degraded surface and road base. Their proposed "chip and seal" improvement is not adequate for the extent of planned nse. 7. The proposed development site is located in Garfield County's "Very High" susceptibility index for wildfire. The two roads which are the evacuation corridors from the site, CR 102 to, Katherine Store Road and Fender to Upper Cattle Creek, have blind spots and right angle turns that impede traffic and do not permit any sort of an efficient evacuation. The Lake Christine evacuation was chaotic and witnessed bumper to bumper vehicles and trailers all in a slow parade out of this area in July 2018. Add to this mix another 100+ people concentrated in one area and there is only disaster in its wake. Accordingly, it fails to comply with "Comprehensive Plan 2030", page 52, Policy 5 vi. 8. Does not meet the definition of "Educational Use" under the Land Use Code. "Buildings and uses for instruction or research activities associated with an academic institution (emphãsis added)..." Ascendigo is not, and has never claimed to be, an academic institution or associated with one. 9. This development does not comply with "Comprehensive Plan 2030" that strives to preserve rural land and character and encourage more intense development in towns and already developed commercial areas that have adequate established infrastructure. All told, Ascendigo is proposing to change the character of this portion of Missouri Heights from that of rural residential to commercial. This is a large year-round commercial venture, not suitable for the rurâl residential zoning of this area. The proposed Ascendigo development is in violation of LUDC 7-103. While Ascendigo is a worthwhile endeavor, its commercial development is inappropriate in Missouri Heights' rural residential neighborhood, is non-compliant with our existing zoning and threatens to overburden the limited water resource. A more suitable location would be within the commercial confines of the Highway 82 valley floor where zoning would not need to be changed and concerns less impactful. For these reasons I implore you to Please Vote "No" on the proposed Ascendigo development Sincerely, Lisa M. Curran Missouri Heights/Eagle County Resident 2 GIenn Hartmann From: Sent: To: Subject: Becky Chase < bchase@soPris.net> Tuesday, April 6, 2021 11:58 AM Glenn Hartmann lExternall Ascendigo Property Holdings proposal LIPA-O1 -21 -8826 Dear Glenn, lam writing to oppose the approvalof the above proposalfor a change in Land Use on the property in question' There are several reasons I am opposing this development: concerns about water use, noise, traffic and wildfire. But the first objection is that this property and the stated use by its owners does not qualify for a change in land use to ,,educational". As I understand the land use code, the proposed camp would not meet the guideline. This is going to be a commercial-like camp serving autistic children and adults. The primary activities for the campers are recreation and entertainment. This camp is not a college or a school. lt is not at all similar to CMC Spring Valley in any way. Nor is it similar to Wind Walkers or the Missouri Heights school house. Neither of those facilities include large numbers of people onsite at one time or overnight accommodations. The property use is not in keeping with the surrounding area, which is either single family homes on large lots/acreage or small ranches with agricultural uses. Given the on-going concerns of Missouri Heights residents about our water supply (especially in this drought) and wildfires, it seems very inappropriate to allow this change in land use and the development of the proposed camp. I am worried that approval of this proposal will set a dangerous precedent that could allow for a growing commercialization of Missouri Heights. Our water supply cannot handle that. Please protect the residents of Missouri Heights by not approving this proposal' Thank you, Rebecca Chase Kings Row resident qtEXHIBIT t6úoDg 1 i' lri Glenn Hartmann From: Sent: To: Subject: Sheryl Bower Tuesday, April 6, 2021 10:19 AM Glenn Hartmann FW: [External] Garfield County website inquiry .sherul L Bower, AlcP <-/ Community DeveloPment Director 108 8th Street, Suite 40L Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 970-94s-1377 (L6Os) From : Tom J a n kovsky <tja n kovsky@ ga rfie ld-co u nty. co m > Sent: Monday, APril 5,2O2L 5:40 PM To: Sheryl Bower <sbowe r@ga rfield-cou nty.com> Subject: FW: [External] Garfield County website inquiry From: no re plv(ôformstack.com <noreplv@formsta ck.co m> Sent: Monday, April 5,2O2L 3:51PM To: Tom Ja n kovsky <tia n kovskv@ga rfield-cou ntv.com> Subject: [External] Garfield County website inquiry Subject: RE: Ascendigo Property Holdings Change in Land Use Application; file no. LIPA-O1-21-8826 & PLVA- 01-21-8827 Name. Jenny Wolfe Email: kowall@smail.com Phone Number: (713) 505-3096 Message: Dear Commissioners Jankovsky, Martin and Samson: I am wñting to you today with serious concerns that the Ascendigo change in land use application will negativelyìmpáct orr nóignborhood area of Missouri Heights and that the application fails fundamentally to meLt tneland use standaids for change in use in several relevant and important respects as detailed below. The deepest issue for our family is oui children and wildfires. The roads will not be safe for our children to explore ànd enjoy our amazing neighborhood, we walk daily on these roads as do so many of our neighbors. please keep this-area safe. fà¡ls to meet LUDC 7-103. Compatibility with adjacent land uses and fails to comply with the Garfield County Comprehensive Plan 2030 Future Land Use Plan which designates this area 1 41 EXH IBIT Garfield County liil,,ii as Rural single-family "Residential Medium". The development is a high intensity commercial use and includes a dining room area that seats 75 diners and a deck that seats an additional 25 diners; lodging, including housing and guest cottages that sleep near a total of 100 guests and staff. Fails to meet LUDC 7-103. More than 50,000 sq ft of buildings, plus, barns and maintenance buildings are proposed. The uses, activities and improvements are nowhere close to being compatible with the single family rural residential neighbors in either size, scale, or use. Fails to meet LUDC 7-104 and Comprehensive Plan. Ascendigo's stated use of water seems to ignore that over the past three years, neighborhood water supplies have been adversely impacted by low pressure, mud/sand infiltration into wells, and zero lack of water pressure during the Lake Christina fire. lts stated plans for ponds and a greater daily population can only negatively affect the available water resources. Missouri Heights does not have the bountiful water access of the Roaring'Fork River, but instead relies upon aquifer recharge from rain and nearby snow pack. Water wells tap the underlying basalt rock reservoir. It/iany nearby water wells have gone dry in recent years: (source 312019 sopris sun) https://uruvr¡v. soprissu n. comi20 1 8/03/28lwhen{he-weil-runs-drv/. Fails to meet LUDC 7-103 and the Future Land Use Plan. Activities are stated as year-round with proposed high intensity or heavy use for eleven out of twelve months. The "summer Camp" luns from May i thiough September 20 and includes 100 campers, counselors, maintenance and kitchen staff, administrãtive staff and other support staff on site daily. Camper "Turn over day" will see even higher numbers of people present, and again during its Winter Camp which runs from January 1 through March ã0. Non-camp months willwelcome seminars with guests housed at the lodge and dining facilities open and use for other programs. These high concentrations of people and activities is not compatible with the rural single family residential neighborhood that has a low daily population dispersed over large homesites. Fails to meet LUDC-7-103 and Future Land Use Plan. The resulting enormous increases in traffic is not compatible with the current Rural Residential Medium designation and is not compatible with the single-family residential neighborhood. Fails to meet LUDC 7-107 . "All roads shall be designed to provide for adequate and safe access". Of serious concern is that Ascendigo has requested a waiver from the usual Garfield County road standards. The road is, quite simply, a wreck. Harmony Road is a barely improved farm road with little oi no road base. The planned grading of a section of the road by Ascendigo a few weeks before the site visit represents a mere band aid and was dotre only to disguise the completêly dêgreded surface and road base. lheir proposed "chip and seal" improvement is not adequate for the extent of planned use. The proposed development site is located in Garfield County's "Very High" susceptibility index for wildfire. The two roads which are the evacuation corridors from the site, CR 102 to, Katherine Store Road and Fender to Upper Cattle Creek, have blind spots and right angle turns that impede traffic and do not permit any sort of an efficient evacuation. The Lake Christine evacuation was chaotic and witnessed bumper to bumper vehicles and trailers all in a slow parade out of this area in July 2018. Add another 100, plus people concentiated in one area to this mix and there is only disaster in its wake. Accordingly, it fails to comply with "Comprehensive Plan 2030', page 52, Policy 5 vi. Does not meet the definition of "Educational Use" under the Land Use Code. "Buildings and uses for instruction or research activities associated with an academic institution (Emphasis added)..." Ascendigo is not, and has never claimed to be, an academic institution or associated with one. This development does not comply with "Comprehensive Plan 2030" that strives to preserve rural land and character and encourage more intense development in towns and already developed commercial areas that have adequate establish 2 EXHIBIT IÙO toDod 4t4t2021 Dear Commissioners, Jankovsky, Martin and Samson I am writing to you today with serious concerns that the Ascendigo change in land use application will negatively impact our neighborhood area of Missouri Heights. I was born and raised in this Valley and purchased my home in Missouri heights in 2014. This has always been a residential area, and a commercial enterprise has no place up here. The water use, the increased noise, the nighttime light pollution, the fire hazard increase, and the traffic (50% more on our road?!?! ls that a joke??) These are all unacceptable effects that this property will have on this neighborhood. While I think Asendigo does good, important work- that is not the issue, and that shouldn't confuse the conversation at hand. This change in land use application fails fundamentally to meet the land use standards for change in use in several relevant and important respects as detailed below. 1. Fails to meet LUDC 7-103. Compatibility with adjacent land uses and fails to comply with the Garfield County Comprehensive Plan 2030 Future Land Use Plan which designates this area as Rural single-family "Residential Medium". The development is a high intensity commercial use and includes a dining room area that seats 75 diners and a deck that seats an additional2S diners; lodging, including housing and guest cottages that sleep near a total of 100 guests and staff. 2. Fails to meet LUDC 7-103. More than 50,000 sq ft of buildings, plus, barns and maintenance buildings are proposed. The uses, activities and improvements are nowhere close to being compatible with the single family rural residential neighbors in either size, scale, or use. 3. Fails to meet LUDC 7-104 and Comprehensive Plan. Ascendigo's stated use of water seems to ignore that over the past three years, neighborhood water supplies have been adversely impacted by low pressure, mud/sand infiltration into wells, and zero lack of water pressure during the Lake Christine fire. lts stated plans for ponds and a greater daily population can only negatively affect the available water resources. Missouri Heights does not have the bountiful water access of the Roaring Fork River, but instead relies upon aquifer recharge from rain and nearby snowpack. Water wells tap the underlying basalt rock reservoir. Many nearby water wells have gone dry in recent years: (source 312018 Sopris Sun) https://www.soprissun.com/2018/03/28lwhen- the-well-runs-drv/. 4. Fails to meet LUDC 7-103 and the Future Land Use Plan. Activities are stated as year-round with proposed high intensity or heavy use for eleven out of twelve months. The "Summer Camp" runs from May 1 through September 20 and includes 100 campers, counselors, maintenance and kitchen staff, administrative staff and other support staff on site daily. Camper "Turn over day" will see even higher numbers of people present, and again during its Winter Camp which runs from January 1 through March 30. Non-camp months will welcome seminars with guests housed at the lodge and dining facilities open and use for other programs. These high concentrations of people and activities is not compatible with the rural single family residential neighborhood that has a low daily population dispersed over large homesites. 5. Fails to meet LUDC-7-103 and Future Land Use Plan. The resulting enormous increase in traffic is not compatible with the current Rural Residential Medium designation and is not compatible with the single-family residential neighborhood. 6. Fails to meet LUDC 7-107. "411 roads shall be designed to provide for adequate and safe access". Of serious concern is that Ascendigo has requested a waiver from the usual Garfield County road standards. The road is, quite simply, a wreck. Harmony Road is a barely improved farm road with little or no road base. The planned grading of a section of the road by Ascendigo a few weeks before the site visit represents a mere band aid and was done only to disguise the completely degraded surface and road base. Their proposed "chip and seal" improvement is not adequate for the extent of planned use. 7. The proposed development site is located in Garfield Gounty's "Very High" susceptibility index for wildfire. The two roads which are the evacuation corridors from the site, CR 102 to; Katherine Store Road and Fender to Upper Cattle Creek, have blind spots and right angle turns that impede traffíc and do not permit any sort of an efficient evacuation. The Lake Christine evacuation was chaotic and witnessed bumper to bumper vehicles and trailers all in a slow parade out of this area in July 2018. Add another 100, plus people concentrated in one area to this mix and there is only disaster in its wake. Accordingly, it fails to comply with "Comprehensive Plan 2030", Pâge 52, Policy 5 vi. 8. Does not meet the definition of "Educational Use" under the Land Use Code. "Buildings and uses for instruction or research activities associated with an academic institution (Emphasis added) ,.." Ascendigo is not, and has never claimed to be, an academic institution or associated with one. 9. This development does not comply with "Comprehensive Plan 2030" that strives to preserve rural land and character and encourage more intense development in towns and already developed commercial areas that have adequate establ ished i nfrastructure. All told, Ascendigo is proposing to change the character of this portion of Missouri Heights from that of rural residential to commercial. This is a large year-round commercial venture, not suitable for the rural residential zoning of this area. The proposed Ascendigo development is in violation of LUDC 7-103' While Ascendigo is a worthwhile endeavor, its commercial development is inappropriate in Missouri Heights' rural residential neighborhood and is non- compliant with our existing zoning and threatens to overburden the limited water resource. A more suitable location would be within the commercial confines of the Highway 82 valley floor where zoning would not need to be changed and concerns less impactful. For these reasons I implore !¡ou to Please Vote "No" on the oroposed Ascendiqo development. Sincerely, ctlø4ø Chase Carter 619 Paseo Rd d Tate Cardin Carbondale Co 81623 Dear Mr. Martin, For the last 36 years I have lived on what is called Missouri Heights, a rather large area that goes more or less from CMC to the Eagle Co line. I live one mile west of this line, exactly due north of and above the proposed Ascendigo development. During the years I have looked down on the area in question, enjoying the beauty of fields, deer roaming, occasional mountain lion dashing across the field, and elk wandering out of winter hide out, getting ready to go back to Basalt Mountain. I have read about the proposal online. I am absolutely aghast at what is being put forth. The size of Ascendigo is totally not in any way comparable to anything on Missouri Heights. What is planned is overwhelming. The number of people that would be there and coming and going almost continuously, the number of and size of the buildings, the ponds and green areas...are all absolutely not how we live up here. What is being proposed belongs on the valley floor or somewhere west down valley. Let me address a couple of issues of which I am sure you are aware: . Water. This is one of the most important issues everywhere. o What is the water source for Ascendigo? o What permits to they have? lf wells, the amount of water they would have to use may be diminish our aquifers. I conserve water 12124n,I have 210k gal tanks buried for backup. o I closely watch what is used in the house. I water a small area around the house for fire mitigation. o How are they going to water fields to grow hay and/ot graze horses? o How are they going to prepare for fires? o I saw somewhere this development was being compared with activities at the Strang Ranch. Absolutely no comparison AT ALL. I would suggest you speak with Mrs. Strang (Kit) about this' For starters, whenever there is an event there, all the participants are in self-contained trailers and bring their own water. a a Traffiq. The 2 or 3 roads that feed into this property are tiny dirt roads Þeople ride, bike, walk with children and/or dogs on these roads. lf development goes thru, there goes a part of our way of life. The trips possible in and out per day are unacceptable for a rural area. Hiqh Occuoancv: Already addressed -2- FIRE: All you need to do is look at the history of fire in CO as well and as in this area. We are extremely vulnerable, both with lightening and carelessness. I was evacuated for the Lake Christine fire. For 6 weeks we inhaled smoke. o Does the plan meet with all of the GarCo lons term plan? I doubt it. What, if any, are the zoning rules for this area? Same as GarÇo plan? Ithink that calls for RURAL SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCE, Small buildings Finally, Wildlife. For years I have been following the wildlife in this area. The elk disappeared about 10 years ago, the deer are many, but don't have enough to eat because of drought. lf this development goes fonruard, there goes a HUGE grazing area for them. Does anyone care? a Basically, if Ascendigo goes through, our water is threatened, traffic increases on tiny roads, everyone is more vulnerable to fire with less water to fight it, GarCo land codes and planning have been thrown away, wildlife disappears and our way of life is destroyed. ls this Îair to us? I won't live a lot longer and I would like to die knowing this area will be the same forever as I know it now. Ask yourself these questions, come up and visit site, not with developer, but with someone who knows and loves the area. Then, please, conclude that you must vote NO for the development of Ascendigo. Thanks for listening, ¿*r( Garol Carol Duell 64 Nighthawk Wood Carbondale, CO 81623 cwduell@rof.net 970-963-2541 April3,2021 l0l- EXHIBIT ?^o IIdGlenn Hartmann From: Sent: To: Subiect: Jen ny Peterson <jen nyrsvpeterson @9 mail.com > Wednesday, April7,2021 1:49 PM Glenn Hartmann RE: lExternal] Ascendigo Property Holdings Change in Land Use Application; file no. Ll PA-01 -21 -8826 8¿ PLVA-O1 -21 -8827 Dear Mr Hartman, Thank you so much for your return call back.- You had left me a message and it is now my turn to call you back. I just wrote the following letter to the Commissioners for Garfield and Eagle Counties, and thought I would send along a copy to you too. I am writing today to ask each of you to please oppose the land use change in Missouri Heights requested by Ascendigo for the following reasons. Number one is to protect the rural and ranching character that can change so quickly, if not thoughtfully protected. Second is water - water is always on our minds and our neighbors' minds. Winter after winter, the snowpack is less, leaving us less water for our trees, grasses, and heaven forbid - one day in the future - our drinking water? Considering our already critical water stresses it is incompiehensible that a new development could be on the horizon. Results of this decrease in snowpack bring us our terrifying fire risk. Residents of Missouri Heights have been pre-evacuating and evacuating time and time again. More development will exacerbate our already existing demand on water and subsequent fire risk. Another result of a new development is increased trafÍic, which not only urbanizes the residential neighborhoods and rural/ranching homes, but also negatively affects wildlife and wildlife habitats. please carefully consider these reasons to oppose further development in Missouri Heights. I have witnessed development valley wide since 1988. I feel a tremendous loss ofcharacter, especially up valley. Please do all that you can to preserve and protect the integrity of our ranching and rural communities' resources and unique character. Most sincerely, Jenny and Butch Peterson Fails to meet LIIDC 7-103. Compatibility with adjacent land uses and fails to comply with the Garfield County Comprehensive Plan 2030 Future Land Use Plan which designates this area as Rural single-family "Residential Medium". The development is a high intensity commercial use and includes a dining room area that seats 75 diners and a deck that seats an additional 25 diners; lodging, including housing and guest cottages that sleep near a total of 100 guests and staff. Z. Fails to meet LUDC 7-103. More than 50,000 sq ft of buildings, plus, barns and maintenance buildings are proposed. The uses, activities and improvements are nowhere close to being compatible with the single family rural residential neighbors in either size, scale, or use' 3. Fails to meet LUDC 7-104 and Comprehensive Plan. Ascendigo's stated use of water seems to ignore that over the past three years, neighborhood water supplies have been adversely impacted by low pressure, mud/sand infiltration into wells, and zero lack of water pressure during the Lake Christine fire. Its stated plans for ponds and a greater daily population can only negatively affect the available water resources. I 1 Missouri Heights does not have the bountiful water access of the Roaring Fork River, but instead relies upon aquifer recharge from rain and nearby snow pack. Watcr wclls tap thc undcrlying basalt rock reservoir. Many rrearby water wells have gone dry in recent years: (source 312018 Sopris Sun) https://w'\,vw,soprissun.com/20 I B/03/2tllwhen-the-wcl l-n¡n s-d ry/. 4. ['ails to meet LUDC 7-103 and the Future Land Use Plan. Activities are stated as year-round with proposed high intensity or heavy use for eleven out of twelve months. The "summer Camp" runs from May I through Scptcmber 20 and includes 100 campers, counselors, maintenance and kitchen staff, administrative staff and other support staff on site daily. Camper "Turn over day" will see even higher numbers of people present, and again during its Winter Camp which runs from January 1 through March 30. Non-camp months will welcome seminars with guests housed at the lodge and dining facilities open and use for other programs. These high concentrations of people and activities is not compatible with the rural single family residential neighborhood that has a low daily population dispersed over large homesites. 5. Fails to meet LUDC-7-103 and Future Land Use Plan. The resulting enorrnous increases in traffic is not compatible with the current Rural Residential Medium designation and is not compatible with the single-fämily residential neighborhood. ó. I'ails to meet LUDC 7-107. "All roads shall be designed to provide for adequate and safe access". Of serious concern is that Ascendigo has requested a waiver from the usual Garfield County road standards. The road is, quite simply, a wreck. Harmony Road is a barely improved farm road with little or no road base. The planned grading of a section of the road by Ascendigo a few weeks before the site visit represents a mere band aid and was done only to disguise the completely degraded surface and road base. Their proposed "chip and seal" improvement is not adequate for the extent of planned use. 7. The proposed development site is located in Garfield County's "Very High" susceptibility index for wildfire. The two roads which are the evacuation coridors from the site, CR 702 to; Katherine Store Roacl and Fenrler to Upper Cattle Creek, have blind spots and right angle turns that impede tratlïc and do not permit any sort of an efficient evacuation. The Lake Christine evacuation was chaotic and witnessed bumper to bumper vehicles and trailers all in a slow parade out of this area in July 2018. Add another 100, plus people concentrated in one a¡ea to this mix and there is only disaster in its wake. Accordingly, it fails to comply with "Comprehensive Plan2030", page 52, Policy 5 vi. 8. Does not meet the definition of 'óEducational Use" under the Land Use Code. "Buildings and uses for instruction or research activities associated with an academic institution (Emphasis added)..." Ascendigo is not, and has never claimed to be, an academic institution or associated with one. 9. This development does not comply with "Comprehensive Plan 2030" that strives to preserve rural land and character and encourage more intensc dcvclopmcnt in towns and already developed commercial areas that have adequate established infrastructure. All told, Ascendigo is proposing to change the character of this portion of Missouri Heights from that of rural residential to commercial. This is a large year-round commercial venture, not suitable for the rural residential zonins of this area. The proposed Ascendigo development is in violation of LUDC 7-103. While Ascendigo is a worthwhile endeavor, its commercial development is inappropriate in Missouri Heights' rural residential neighborhood and is non-compliant with our existing zoning and threatens to overburden the limited water resource. A more suitable location would be within the commercial conlìnes of the Highway 82 valley floor where zoning would not need to be changed and concerns less impactful. 2 l¡;ili:ii Fails to meet LUDC 7-103 and the Future Land Use Plan. Activities are stated as year-round with proposed high intensity or heavy use for eleven out of twelve months. The "Summer Camp" runs from May 1 through September 20 and includes 100 campers, counselors, maintenance and kitchen staff, administrative staff and other support staff on site daily. Camper "Turn over day" will see even higher numbers of people present, and again during its Winter Camp which runs from January 1 through March 30. Non-camp months will welcome seminars with guests housed at the lodge and dining facilities open and use for other programs. These high concentrations of people and activities is not compatible with the rural single family residential neighborhood that has a low daily population dispersed over large homesites. Fails to meet LUDC-7-103 and Future Land Use Plan. The resulting enormous increases in traffic is not compatible with the current Rural Residential Medium designation and is not compatible with the single-family residential neighborhood. Fails to meet LUDC 7-107. "All roads shall be designed to provide for adequate and safe access". Of serious concern is that Ascendigo has requested a waiver from the usual Garfield County road standards. The road is, quite simply, a wreck. Harmony Road is a barely improved farm road with little or no road base. The planned grading of a section of the road by Ascendigo a few weeks before the site visit represents a mere band aid and was done only to disguise the completely degraded surface and road base. Their proposed "chip and seal" improvement is not adequate for the extent of planned use. The proposed development site is located in Garfield County's "Very High" susceptibility index for wildfire. The two roads which are the evacuation corridors from the site, 3 !:r ilirii Glenn Hartmann From: Sent: To: Subject: .sherul L Bower, AlcP <-/ Community Development Director 1OB 8th Street, Suite 40L Glenwood Springs, CO 8L601 97O-94s-L377 (t60sl From: M i ke Sa mso n <msa mson @ga rfield-co u nty.com> Sent: Wednesday, AprilT, 2O2t2:Q9 PM To: Sheryl Bowe r <sbowe r@ga rfield-cou nty.com > Subiect: Fwd: lExternal] Garfield County website inquiry FYI Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message: Sheryl Bower Wednesday, April 7, 2021 2:50 PM Glenn Hartmann FW: lExternal] Garfield County website inquiry From: noreplv@formstack.com Date: April 7,2O2L at 1:40:45 PM MDT To: M ike Sa mson <msa mson @ga rfield-cou ntv.com > Subject: IExternall Garfield County website inquiry Reply-To: iennvrsvpeterson @gmail.com Gnrfield County Subject: RE: Ascendigo Property Holdings Change in Land Use Application; file no. LIPA-O1-21- 8826 & PLVA-o1-21-8827 Name: Jenny Peterson Email: iennvrsvpeterson@omail. com Phone Number: (970) 274-2150 Message: RE: Ascendigo Property Holdings Change in Land Use Application; file no. LIPA-01- 21 -8826 & PLVA-o1 -21 -8827 1 10, EXHIBIT bôt li Dear Commissioner Samson i,'t I am writing today to ask you to please oppose the land use change in Missouri Heights requested by Ascendigo for the following reasons. Number one is to protect the rural and ranching character that can change so quickly, if not thoughtfu lly protected. Second is water - water is always on our minds and our neighbors' minds. Winter after winter, the snowpack is less, leaving us less water for our trees, grasses, and heaven forbid - one day in the future - our drinking water? Considering our already critical water stresses it is incomprehensible that a new development could be on the horizon. Results of decreased this decrease in snowpack bring us our terrifying fire risk. Residents of Missouri Heights have been pre-evacuating and evacuating time and time again. More development will exacerbate our already existing demand on water and subsequent fire risk. Another result of a new development is increased traffic, which not only urbanizes the residential neighborhoods and rural/ranching homes, but also negatively affects wildlife and wildlife habitats. Please carefully consider these reasons to oppose further development in Missouri Heights. I have witnessed development valley wide since 1988. I feel a tremendous loss of character, especially up valley. Please do all that you can to preserve and protect the integrity of our ranching and rural communities' resources and unique character. Most sincerely, Jenny and Butch Peterson Fails to meet LUDC 7-1Q3. Compatibility with adjacent land uses and fails to comply with the Garfield County Comprehensive Plan 2030 Future Land Use Plan which designates this area as Rural single-family "Residential Medium". The development is a high intensity commercial use and includes a dining room area that seats 75 diners and a deck that seats an additional 25 diners; lodging, including housing and guest cottages that sleep near a total of 100 guests and staff. Fails to meet LUDC 7-103. More than 50,000 sq ft of buildings, plus, barns and maintenance buildings are proposed. The uses, activities and improvements are nowhere close to being compatible with the single family rural residential neighbors in either size, scale, or use. Fails to meet LUDC 7-104 and Comprehensive Plan. Ascendigo's stated use of water seems to ignore that over the past three years, neighborhood water supplies have been adversely impacted by low pressure, mud/sand infiltration into wells, and zero lack of water pressure during the Lake Christine fire. lts stated plans for ponds and a greater daily population can only negatively affect the available water resources. Missouri Heights does not have the bountiful water access of the Roaring Fork River, but instead relies upon aquifer recharge from rain and nearby snow pack. Water wells tap the underlying basalt rock reservoir. Many nearby water wells have gone dry in recent years: (source 312018 Sopris Sun) https://www.soprissun.comi2018l03/28lwhen-the-well-runs-drv/. 2 iriii Glenn Hartmann From: Sent: To: Cc: Subject: Sheryl Bower Thursday, April 8, 2021 B:19 AM marciafla ks@ g mail.com Glenn Hartmann RE: [External] Garfield County website inquiry - Community Development Marcia, Thank you for your comments. They'll be placed in the packet that the BOCC receives prior to holding the public hearing. Regards, .sherul L Bowen AIC?<) Community DeveloPment Director 108 8th Street, Suite 40L Glenwood Springs, CO 81"601 970-94s-t377 (L60s) From: noreply@formstack.com <noreply@formstack'com> Sent: Wednesday, April 7, 2O2t 3:32 PM To: Sheryl Bower <sbower@garfield-county.com> Subject: [External] Garfield County website inquiry - Community Development Subject: Ascendigo CamP Name: Marcia Flaks Email: marciaflaks@qmail. com Phone Number: (970) 963-1124 Message. There is no question that the beauty of nature that surrounds us here in Missouri Heightð is incomparable and provides enormous inner peace and a feeling of well-being. The ideal location for a place of therapy and recreation can be best served where voices expressing fun can be loud and unrestricted during outdoor play and the buses and other supportive traffic can move freely as they come and go. That cannot be fulfilled in a rural neighborhood where the open space and tranquility is the reason people moved here. Working with and providing a happy place for those dealing with Autism is an extremely important and Blessed undertaking. Establishing an appropriate location foitnat "mission" will benefit allwho are involved. We all hold dear our 1 r0+ EXHIBIT Gørfietd County l, lii r l; tri r spec¡al spaces in the valley and there is a special space that can be found to satisfy thê needs of this Organization without infringing upon an existing and cherished pristine environment. I am a rêêldênt of Missouri Heights, Garbondale 2 EXHIBITpftâo 6od RE: Ascendigo Property Holdings Change in Land Use Application; file no.IPA-T 1-2n-8826 FI VA-Û -8ffi27I1-21 Dear Commissioners Jankovsky, Martin and Samson: I am writing to you today with serious concerns that the Ascendigo change in land use application will negatively impact our neighborhood area of Missouri Heights and that the application fails fundamentally to meet the land use standards for change in use in several relevant and important respects as detailed below. Fails to meet LUDC 7-103. Compatibility with adjacent land uses and fails to comply with the Garfield County Comprehensive Plan 2030 Future Land Use Plan which designates this area as Rural single-family "Residential Medium". The development is a high intensity commercial use and includes a dining room area that seats 75 diners and a deck that seats an additional 25 diners; lodging, including housing and guest cottages that sleep near a total of 100 guests and staff. 2. Fails to meet LUDC 7-103, More than 50,000 sq ft of buildings, plus, barns and maintenance buildings are proposed. The uses, activities and improvements are nowhere close to being compatible with the single family rural residential neighbors in either size, scale, or use. 3. Fails to meet LUDC 7-104 and Gomprehensive Plan. Ascendigo's stated use of water seems to ignore that over the past three years, neighborhood water supplies have been adversely impacted by low pressure, mud/ sand infiltration into wells, and zero lack of water pressure during the Lake Christina fire. lts stated plans for ponds and a greater daily population can only negatively affect the available water resources. 1 Missouri Heights does not have the bountiful water access of the Roaring Fork River, but instead relies upon aquifer recharge from rain and nearby snow pack. Water wells tap the underlying basalt rock reservoir. Many nearby water wells have gone dry in recent years: (source 312018 Sopris Sun) https ://www. so p ri ssu n . com/2 0 1 8/03/2 8/wh en-th e-we I l- ru ns- dry/. 4. Fails to meet LUDC 7-103 and the Future Land Use Plan. Activities are stated as year-round with proposed high intensity or heavy use for eleven out of twelve months. The "summer Camp" runs from May 1 through September 20 and includes 100 campers, counselors, maintenance and kitchen staff, administrative staff and other support staff on site daily. Camper "Turn over day" will see even higher numbers of people present, and again during its Winter Camp which runs from January 1 through March 30. Non-camp months will welcome seminars with guests housed at the lodge and dining facilities open and use for other programs. These high concentrations of people and activities is not compatible with the rural single family residential neighborhood that has a low daily population dispersed over large homesites. 5. Fails to meet LUDC-7-103 and Future Land Use Plan. The resulting enormous increases in traffic is not compatible with the current Rural Residential Medium designation and is not compatible with the single-family residential neig h borhood. 6. Fails to meet LUDC 7-107. "All roads shall be designed to provide for adequate and safe access". Of serious concern is that Ascendigo has requested a waiver from the usual Garfield County road standards. The road is, quite simply, a wreck. Harmony Road is a barely improved farm road with little or no road base. The planned grading of a section of the road by Ascendigo a few weeks before the site visit represents a mere band aid and was done only to disguise the completely degraded surface and road base. Ïheir proposed "chip and seal" improvement is not adequate for the extent of planned use. 7. The proposed development site is located in Garfield Gounty's "Very High" suscept¡b¡l¡ty index for wildfire. The two roads which are the evacuation corridors from the site, CR 102 to; Katherine Store Road and Fender to Upper Cattle Creek, have blind spots and right angle turns that impede traffic and do not permit any sort of an efficient evacuation. The Lake Christine evacuation was chaotic and witnessed bumper to bumper vehicles and trailers all in a slow parade out of this area in July 2A18. Add another 100, plus people concentrated in one area to this mix and there is only disaster in its wake. Accordingly, it fails to comply with "Comprehensive Plan 2030", page 52, Policy 5 vi. 8. Does not meet the definition of "Educational Usen' under the Land Use Code. "Buildings and uses for instruction or research activities associated with an academic institution (Emphasis added)..." Ascendigo is not, and has never claimed to be, an academic institution or associated with one. 9. This development does not comply with "Comprehensive Plan 2030" that strives to preserve rural land and character and encourage more intense development in towns and already developed commercial areas that have adequate established infrastructure. All told, Ascendigo is proposing to change the character of this portion of Missouri Heights from that of rural residential to commercial. This is a large year-round commercial venture, not suitable for the rural residential zoning of this area. The proposed Ascendigo development is in violation of LUDC 7-103. While Ascendigo is a worthwhile endeavor, its commercial development is inappropriate in Missouri Heights' rural residential neighborhood and is non-compliant with our existing zoning and threatens to overburden the limited water resource. A more suitable location would be within the commercial confines of the Highway 82 valley floor where zoning would not need to be changed and concerns less impactful. For these reasons I implore you to Please Vote "No" on the proposed Ascend igo develoPment. Sincerely, Patrick Henry 909 Fender Lane Carbondale, Co 81623 t0Lbô.o E EXH IB¡T Rebecca Chase 85 Kings Row St. Carbondale, CO 81623 Comm issioner Tom Ja nkovsky 108 8th Street, Suite 101 Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 Dear Commissioner Jankovsky, I am a resident of the Kings Row Subdivision in Missouri Height (MOH) and am less than a mile from the property now owned by Ascendigo Property Holdings, formerly White Cloud Ridge subdivision and Harmony Ridge. And while Ascendigo's purpose to have a camp for autistic adults and children appears admirable, I have several concerns about the proposal. CHANGE OF LAND USE: The proposal is asking to vacate the plat for the property in question, White Cloud Ridge subdivision and change the land use from rural residential to "educational use". Ascendigo's planned uses of the property are not consistent with how "Educational Use" is defined in the Garfield County Land Use Code. Nor is it consistent with the 2030 Garfield County Master Plan. Ascendigo is proposing the development of a non-profit but commercial-like camp for autistic children and adults. Two of its primary purposes are recreation and entertainment for attendees, The proposal also includes renting out the property to other enterprises, which is also a commercial endeavor. This camp is not a college or a school. There may be some therapy provided but that does not mean it is for "educational use" in the same way CMC Spring Valley is educational. Not by a long shot. This enterprise will be significantly different from both Wind Walkers and rental of the MOH school house, neither of which have over-night accommodations or large numbers of people at one time. The type of development Ascendigo is proposing is not in keeping with the surrounding area of rural homes on large lots or acreage or agricultural use. Their proposal would include L00 people on the site on a regular basis and is a much higher density than the currently plated subdivision would include. Also, the initial site plan does not include development of all the land, so this leaves the door open for additional commercial-like activity on the property in the future. Vacating the plat and approving the site plan would set a worrisome precedent for future developers wanting to build commercial enterprises in this rural setting. WATER: As you know, water is the greatest concern of most residents living in Missouri Heights. We are poised to have the worst drought since 2002 this summer. That means there will likely be no or very little ditch water available to many of us. lt means thåt potable water will have to be conserved more carefully in order to keep wells wet. lt meâns greater concern about wild fires. The Ascendigo proposal, as I understand it, indicates the property has both A and B shares of ditch water and that with the functioning wells already there, they have adequate legal and physical water. The legal right to water is one thing; actual physical water is another. They have rights to water, as do other residents, but if the water isn't there, then one's legal right means very little except on paper. The proposal would likely result in greater water use than the current plat use, especially in the summer and during build-out. I understand it is impossible to really know what the aquafer and water pockets on Missouri Heights look like in terms of the amount of water available. lt is wise to ere on the side of caution. lt seems wrong and unfair to current residents to allow a large development in the proposed location, knowing how dry this area is normally and especially under the current drought conditions. Vulnerability to drought is not going to improve given climate change. lt is critical to me and all my neighbors that our water supply be carefully managed. Why should we allow this type of development that requires land use change to go forth knowing that development in MOH always comes with serious water concerns? WILDFIRE: All residents on this part of Missouri Heights know how quickly fire can spread, having experienced the Lake Christine fire in 2018. While it is commendable that the developers have had thepropefi assessed by Carbondale Rural Fire District for ways to mitigate fire danger on the property, mitigation is not prevention. Wild fires can start and spread quickly. The fire sometimes does not take the "usual path" that predominant wínd directions and ground contours imply. Such was the case with the Lake Christine fire. And, consider the evacuations during a fire. When having to evacuate in 201g, the traffic was incredible and very slow with so many residents having to leave at the same time on a 2- lane country road, the only way out. The proposed camp will be hosting over 100 people during the highest risk of our wildfire season, which meäns evacuating people in the event of fire will be made even more difficult. There is only one of two directions from which to leave the area and one will most likely be blocked by the fire. TRAFFIc IMPACT: According to the proposal, Ascendigo's traffic study estimates that the busiest morning travel period will be increased by 4l trips and the busiest afternoon/eve travelperiod will be increased by 53 trips. Thafs a lot of traffic at the intersection of a county road and a private rural road where current residents pick up their mail and walk their dogs. Also the slow crawl up Cattle Creek out of El Jebel will be impacted significantly by that volume of additional traffic. The roads are regularly used by bicyclists and pedestrians. There are no shoulders. Adding more traffic only increases the dangers for non-auto users. NOISE: MOH is typically pretty quiet. The traffic noise from Hwy 82 does reach the lower residential areas but, all-in-all, it's a quiet place to live. That's why many of us tive up here, A summer camp with 24 campers and 84 staff is going to be a negative impact, especially for the closest neighbors. Sound carries far in MOH. I can hear someone 50 yards away and it sounds like they are 5 feet away. A steady run of noise will be hard to bear when one is trying to enjoy their deck. The quiet hours of 10 pm to 6 am, as proposed, will not affect the majority of time people are outside on the camp grounds. lt isn't much of a concession given that it is rare to hear big outdoor parties after 10pm up here. So, the estimated noise coming from the camp is much greater than what we experience now' That is not fair to the current tax-paying residents who chose MOH because it is away from the noise of the valley floor. I am asking you to think about the impact this proposed development would have on current MoH residents. I am asklng you to deny the change in land use and the proposal. Sincerely, 1 n t i¿ø¿¿-þ1¿",ï¿:L^LiA*' Rebecca Chase lenn Hartmann From: Sent: lo: Doug Graybeal <graybeal@sopris.net> Sunday, April 1 1,2021 5:1 1 PM Sheryl Bower; Glenn Hartmann [External] Ascendigo building sight line studySubject: To:Sheryl Bower, Director of Community Development Glenn Hartmann, Senior Planner Re: Ascendigo Building Sight Line Study Sheryl and Glenn, I recently attended a meeting held by Dan Richardson COO of Ascendigo regarding Harmony Lane. During that meeting, one of the homeowners on Wind River Road stated he was on the Ascendigo site and could see 60 surroundinf ho-.r. With that said, I think it is important that Ascendigo stake the locations of their proposed buildings and construct height poles at eachend of the major and tallest ridgelines for each building. They should also inform the surrounding neighbors that this work has been done and ask for their input, which should be directed to you. Also, it is important for the Garfield County Commissioners to see these ridge lines during their site visit. I have served as Chairman of the Eagle County Roaring Fork Regional Planning Commission, Vice Chairman of the Basalt Planning andZone Commission and practiced architect in the valley for over forty five years and this is not an unusual request. In fact this is a requirement for a majority of the major deveiopments in the valley before or during their approval process. This is important information for the neighbàrhood, particularly if structures such as the 14,000 s. f. activity barn are visible to the neighbors. It is implrtant that;ll the structures they have identified in their application be staked with height poles including the Base Camp Building, Camper Lodge, Staff Lodge, Caretaker Dwelling, Caretaker ADU, Guest Cabin, plus the maintenance equipment and storage building, hay barn, horse and goat barn, an equestrian tack/office and loafing shed. Once the buildings are staked please take and share with the commissioners and public a count of the number of neighboring structures that are visible from each building site. If these surrounding structures can be seen from each proposed building site then the residences of those structures can also see the proposed buildings. Thank you, Doug Graybeal å to1 EXHIBIT 1 ST]NSET LAI\E ROAD O\ilNERS c/o Karen Moculeski 1 140 Sunset Lane Carbondale, Colorado 81623 REGEIVET} GARFIEI-D COUNTY EOMMUNIIY DEVELOPMENT VIA CERTIFIED MAIL April2,202l Mr.Glenn Hartmann Garfi eld County Community Development 108 8th Street, Suite 401 Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 RE: Ascendigo Land Holdings Application; File nos. LIPA-OI-21-8826, PLVA-OI-21-8827 Sunset Lane Intended Closure Dear Mr. Hartmann, Please find enclosed, signed letters from all Sunset Lane road owners declaring their intent to close Sunset Lane to traffic to or from Harmony Road in the event that the above referenced applicant's change in use application, is approved. The reasons for the intended closure are included in the letters. Please direct this to staffs attention as this will invalidate the trafFrc study submitted by applicant regarding vehicles traveling from Upper Cattle Creek west on to Paseo and proceeding onto Sunset; thence to Harmony and to applicant's proposed entrance. The reverse route to Upper Cattle Creek is likewise affected. Please contact me at the email address that appears below or by telephone if there are any questions in this regard. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely,%c,Lk Kâren C. Moculeski Email: kkisl@aol.com 970-963-1286 3r4-566-54s6 tog EXHIBIT táúþ.og Enc. SUNSET LAI.IE ROAÞ OWNERS c/o KarenMoculeski March 31,2021 Garfield County Commissioners c/o Glenn Harhnam Garfield County Community Dwelopment 108 8th Street, Suite 401 Glenwood Springs, CO 8 1601 RE: Ascendigo Land Holdinp Application Sunset Lane Intended Closue Dear Mr. Harhann and Commissioners: We are the owners of Sunset I¿ng a private dirt road that is privately maintained and which is inch¡ded in the traffic studyanaþis datedMarchl,20zt,performedby McDowell Engineeringon behalfof the above referenced applicant (ApplicarQ. Afterreviewingthe report, andits analysis that Sunset Lane would see a 50%o increase in traffic with the proposed dwelopment, it is our intent to close the road to all traffic to or from Harmony Road in the event the ptoposed change in land use application is approved. We intend to seek reimbursement for oxpenses and costs related to aflect the road closure, from Applicant. Sincerely, William L. and Cheryl I. Niro SierraParhrers.4 Sunrise lane, Carbondale, Colorado Douglas L. and Peggy E. Graybeal0l SS Sunsetlane, Carbondale, Colorado /L?^?t¿ç4^ L.z-.,- Anthony Scheer 0210 Sunset Lane, Carbond¿[é, Colorado Kirk andJennifer Lang Carbondale Colorado Karen C. Moculeski, Tnrstee, Karen C. Moculeski RevocableTrust,ultla datedJuly24,2M9,ll40 Sunset Lane, Carbondale, Colorado David A, and Shirley G. Aguilar 1200 SunsetLane, Carbondale, Colorado Dear Mr. Hartmann and Commissioners: lVe are the owners of Sunset Lane, aprivate dirt road that is privately maintained and which is included in the traffic study analysis dated March l,2}zl,performed by McDowell Engineering on behalf of the above referencãd applicant (Applicant). After reviewing the report, and its analysis that Sunset Lane wonld see t 50vo increase in traffic with the proposed development, it is our intent to close the road to all traffic to or from Hannony Road in the event the proposed change in land use application is approved. We intend to seek reimbursement for expenses and costs related to affect the road closure, from Applicant. Sincerely, SLTNSET LANE ROAD OWNERS c/o Karen Moculeski March 31,2021 Garfi eld County Commissioners c/o Glenn Hartmann Garfield County Community Development 108 8'h Street, Suite 401 Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 RE: Ascendigo Land Holdings Application Sunset Lane Intended Closure William L. and Cheryl I. Niro Siera Partners.4 Sunrise Colorado E 01 88 Colorado Anthony Scheer 0220 Sunset Lane,Carbondale, Colorado Kirk Hartley and Jennifer Bruno-Hartley 1680 Sunset Lane, Carbondale, Colorado Karen C. Moculeski, Trustee,Karen C Revocable Trust, ultla dated July 24,2009,ll40 Sunset Lane, Carbondale, Colorado David A, and Shirley G. Aguilar 1200 Sunset Lane,Carbondale, Colorado SLTNSET LANE ROAD OWNERS c/o Karen Moculeski March 31,2021 Garfield CountY Comm issioners c/o Glenn Hartmann Garfield County Community Development 108 8'' Street, Suite 401 Glenwood SPrings, CO 81601 RE: Ascendigo Land Holdings Application Sunset Lane Intended Closure Dear Mr. Hartmann and Commissioners: We are the owners of Sunset Lane, a private dirt road that is privately maintained and which is included in the ttafftc study ãnalysis dated March l, 2021, performed by McDowell Engineering on behalf of the above referenced applicant (Applicant). After reviewing the report, and its analysis that Sunset Lane would see a 50% increase in traffic with the proposed developm ent, it is our intent to close the road to all traffic to or from Harmony Road in the event the proposed change in land use application is approved. We intend to seek reimbursement for expenses and costs related to affect the road closure, from Applicant. Sincerely, William L. and Cheryl I. Niro Siena Partners.4 Sunrise Lane, Carbondale, Colorado Douglas L. and Peggy E. Graybeal 0lBg Sunset Lane, Carbondale, Colorado SUNSETLANE ROADOWNERS clo Karen Moculeski March 31,2021 Garfield County Com m isstoners cy'o Glenn Hartnann Garfield County Community Development 108 &h Street, Suire 401 Glenwood Springs, CO 8lé01 RE: Ascendigo l-:nd Holdings Application Sunset [.ane lntended Closure Dear Mr. Harfnann and Commissioners: lVe a¡e the owners of Sunsel l.-ane, a private dirt road that is privaæly maintained and which is included in the tnaffic study analysis dated Ma¡ch 1,2021, performed þ McDowell Enginæring or behalf ofthe above refer€nced applicant (Applicant). After reviewing the report, and its analysis that Sunset [.ane would *e a 50%o increase in traffic with the proposed development it is our intent to close the road to all traffic to or fr,om Harmony Road in the event tlrc proposed change in land use application is approved. lile inænd to seek reimbursemenf for expenses and coßts related to affect the road closure, from Applicant. Sincerely, \ililliam L. and Cheryl I. Niro Sierra Parhers.4 Sunrise [¿ne, Carbondale, Colorado Douglas L. and Peggl E. Graybeal 0188 Sunset [¿ne, Carbondale, Colorado Anthony Scheer 0220 Sunset [.ane, Carbondale, Colorado Kirk Hartley and Jennifer BrunoHartþ l6E0 Sunset [¿ne, Carbondale, Colorado Karen C. Moculeski, Trustee, Karen C. Moculeski Revocable Trust, r¡/t/a dated July 24,2009, ll40 Sunset [:ne, Carbondale, Colorado i\ A, and Shirley lar 1200 RECEIVED ,: .i ' r ,. GARFIELD COUNTY COi¡IITUNITY DEVE LO P M E IiTJason and Christine Sills 5345 County Road L00 Carbondale, CO 87623 Cell: 970-319-2344 Email: iavsills@gmail.com Wednesday April7,2O2L To: Mr. Glenn Hartmann, Senior Planner Dear Mr. Hartmann, We appreciate your service and the excellent job that you do in our community and for our fellow residents of Garfield County. Our family lives at 5345 County Road 100 off of himledge Road. One afternoon we were informed of an impromptu neighborhood Zoom call on behalf of a California developer, Dan Johnson. Mr. Johnson, owner of a company that he named The Danco, called this meeting to sell us on his newest venture, to purchase and insert a resort style women's health center into an existing single family home in our neighborhood. After Mr. Johnson concluded the call, all of our neighbors thoughtfully came together and voted to oppose this use. We humbly ask that you do not approve this use of our neighborhood for his multifaceted customer service business because it would violate our neighborhood covenants, drastically impact our small community road and limited water resource, and allow for an out of state business to circumvent the local commelial c9,r,1idor all whije ,. Garfield County and our neighbgring towns lose out on the tax revenue that is derived Trom commeriial zoning. ,:: : ,,: During the conference call we were directed to a pamphlet in which Mr. Johnson stated that his intention is to provide his patrons with various services including a yoga studio with instructors, fitness classes with specialized trainers, art classes with instructors, music lessons, archery training with a range attendant, a private community garden with groundskeeper, professional psychotherapy sessions, and a full-time private chef servicing the patrons and employees of his business. The name of this business is to be called Momenta Recovery. This is all done under the umbrella of a non-profit therapy center, but it operalr-es similarly to an exclusive five-star resort hotel. No one would be allowed to operate any of these commercial businesses individually in our residential neighborhood, not to mention all of them at the same time and inside of the same structure. This use is in direct violation of longstanding neighborhood covenants that prohibit commercial use. While these are good and respectable services to provide to his patrons, we ask that they should be conducted in the commercial corridors of Garfield county. The residential use septic permit for their proposed site doesn't allow for the amount of waste that a commercial business would generate. ln this neighborhood we have small chíldren riding bicycles and walking down our driveways and road to catch the school bus, eur senior citizen neighbors are out for scenic walks a¡d,exgrcise at all hours of the day, ' r . '' i, , and we have hgndreds -qrf deer and elk cgtstantl!{ trave,r¡lng jhe roa$, To add a coqrmercial facilitv'that '.:r . å t01 EXHIBIT amounts to a five-star resort with all of the infrastructure, staffing, and service subcontractors that come with it, would totally overpower and consume our fragile road, water resources, and rural family neighborhood. Through the colorado secretary of state, we have learned that Momenta Recovery is doing business as a foreign corporat¡on under the jurisdiction of the state of California. The true registered name of this business is Danco Supportive Services Colorado lncorporated, a division of a larger development and construction company called Danco. Underneath all of these layers, is magnate Dan Johnson. With his extensive expertise in construction and development, Mr. Johnson could have a far greater impact on Garfield County if he were to build structures for his ventures within the existing commercial corridors. Rifle, Silt, New Castle, Glenwood Springs, and Carbondale have excellent commercial spaces currently available that could provide patrons with the type of resort and spa experience that Mr. Johnson is seeking. There are also an abundance of vacant lots for sale where he could construct a facility for Momenta Recovery Center. By locating in a commercial corridoÇ he would have a great ¡mpact on Garfield County by way of creating jobs for professional services and trades needed to bu¡ld a robust business. His patrons and their guests would also have easier access to hotels, city utilities, hospitals and emergency services if needed. The rural and family friendly neighborhood on Rimledge Road is not a v¡able choice for Momenta Recovery Danco Supportíve Services lncorporated, The Danco Group, or any other commercial business servicing patrons onsite. As many visitors come to Garfield County in their travels, they are drawn to ¡ts beautiful mountain scenery and friendly rural lifestyle. Any of our neighbors on Rimledge Road would welcome Mr. Johnson, or any person v¡s¡t¡ng from out of town, to go for a walk, come to their home for a cup of coffee, or offer to help if they were stranded on the road. We are an optimistic, freedom loving, sincere and caring community. We just cannot fathom that Rimledge Road is the optimal place for a multÈfaceted, customer service based, commercial resort that would tax our limited water resource, violate our neighborhood covenants, and dramatically increase wear and disrupt the peaceful nature of our private road, all while circumventing existing zoning and tax structures. We implore you to vote against this use and kindly redirect Mr. Johnson and Danco Supportive Services lncorporated to the commercial corridors of our nearby cities and towns. please feel free to call on us at any t¡me if we can be of service. Thank you for your kind attent¡on to this matter. Yours truly, Jason a Sills EXHIBIT Ir? 1ã.co0g GIenn Hartmann From: Sent: To: Jocelyn Terry <jksnowmass@gmail.com > Monday, April 12, 2021 12:45 PM Sheryl Bower; Glenn Hartmann Fwd: FW: lExternal]Subject: Sheryland Glenn, (please forward this email str¡ng to Chris Hale at Mountain Cross Engineering) Please see the correspondence string l¡sted below. Dan Richardson of Ascendigo confirmed with me by phone on Thursday that the actual VPD number that was calculated on the total for page L2 of the traffic study was incorrect as it was listed on the final application as eighty-five. He called it a "typo". As we had discussed by phone last week, Glenn, this number is drastically higher than the ACTUAL number of cars that pass by the Sunset and Vaquero daily. This traffic study is flawed, in a number of ways. There is no data on many of the hour rows listed in the twenty four hour periods shown... so perhaps the traffic strips were malfunctioning or something. This error would have caúsed other problems in the study, including inaccurate average numbers on the total pages. ln general, a proper 2¡-hourstudy period doesn't appear to have been captured in this traffic study for Sunset/ Vaquero intersection. Chunks of data rows were "assembled" by the data collector from hours on separate days to make up his version of a twenty-four hour period. This data simply should not have been presented as an indication of the actual traffic flow for a single day in this traffic study. lt was not an actual day. They call this a 3-day study' We didn't get anything near that at Sunset/ Vaquero. I will continue to look at the rest of the study to indicate errors. Many errors are as glaring as this one:The average of a 21vpd count on one day +21vpd on another day does NOT equal 28vpd. As you know, one part of a study like this will affect the other parts, and so I would advise that you look carefully at this Z4-hour period manufactured issue, and others. please be advised that this intersection lies on the main thoroughfare for the project, along one of just two roadways for ji:iffiti1-t,?ilii,.,o county is receiving the apprication....why isn't Eagle county accepting it also? Most of this traffic study includes roads that are mostly in Eagle County, not Garfield. As residents, we get it, we are located on the county line... but that's exactly why it would make sense to see taxpayers on both sides of the invisible line being represented. We are just one neighborhood, after all. And we never see anything close to 85 cars per day go by our house in this neighborhood. Thank you, Jocelyn 1 Forwarded message From: Greg Schroeder <greg@mcdowelleng.com> Date: Mon, Apr !2,2021at 8:37 AM Subject: Re: FW: To: Jksnowmass <iksnowmass@Fmail.com> Cc: Dan Richardson <drichardson@ascendigo.org>, Kari McDowell Schroeder <kari@mcdowelleng.com>, Robert Schultz <rschultzconsulting@gmail.com> Jocelyn, As mentioned before, please contact Garfield County Community Development with any future questions. Have a nice day. Greg Schroeder, PE Senior Transpoftation / Traffic Engineer 24L Broadway Street, Suite 202 PO Box 4259 Eagle, CO 81631 970.948.t376 qreq@mcdowelleng.com www.mcdowelleng.com From: J ksnowmass <jksnowmass@Rmailff > Sent: Monday, April 72,2O2L 8:29 AM Ì^. v ^.i Àr^n^..,^ll c^L-^^-¡^- -t.^ -? ã* ^) ^..,^lr^-- --- -ru. t\or I rYtLUUwtil JLtiluËuËt \ñdt ilwtttLUUWËiltsttY_t.ttf1t> Subject: Re: You signed-off on this project. Kari, 2 That's why I contacted you Please call me back when You can. Thanks. Jocelyn Sent from my iPhone On Apr 12,2O2L, at 8:18 AM, Kari McDowellschroeder <kari@mcdowelleng.com> wrote: Jocelyn, you may speak with Greg Schroeder or Garfield County regarding this project. Greg is the Project Manager on this project and knows the details of the counts, etc. You may also ask the quest¡ons formally of Garfield CountY. Thank you, Kari Begin forwarded message From:Jksnowmass<iksnowmass@gma¡l > Date: April L0,2O2L at 11:39:45 AM MDT To: Greg Schroeder <greg@mcdowelleng.com> Subject: Re: Greg, Again, I spoke to Kari, who signed off as the registered engineer on this project for all eighty pages. Please ask her to return my call, as promised on Monday. Thanks' Jocelyn 3 Sent from my iPhone On Apr 10,2021., at 10:214M, Greg Schroeder <grcg@ mcdowel leng.com> wrote: Jocelyn, I am the project manager for McDowell Engineering on the Ascendigo project. I have left you a few voice mails. To answer your question, please refer to page 46 of the study. The daily count is 85 vehicles per day (vpd) with 42vpd heading eastbound and 43vpd heading westbuurrd. Cuurrts were started at 4pm on Monday and ended at 4pm on Tuesday giving us a 24 hour count. See the marked up page 46 below <image.png> Thanks, Greg Schroeder, PE Senior Transportation / Traffic Engineer tr 4 24t Broadway Street, Suite 202 PO Box 4259 Eagle, CO 81631 970.948.r376 greq@mcdowellenq.com www.mcdowelleng.com On Fri, Apr 9, 2O2l at4:00 PM Jksnowmass <iksnowmass@Rmail > wrote: Hello, Please ask Kari to call me. She appears to have signed off on this application and traffic study for Ascendigo. I spoke to her Monday and she assured me that she would call me back, but I have not received a call from her all week. Thank you Jocelyn Sent from my iPhone On Apr 9,2O2L, at 2:55 PM, Greg Schroeder <greg@ mcdowelleng.com> wrote : Jocelyn, I have left you a voicemail regarding some of your questions. I tried calling again today but the voicemail was full. 5 Thanks, Greg Schroeder, PE Senior Transportation / Traffic Engineer E *-***** 241 Broadway Street, Suite 202 PO Box 4259 Eagle, CO 81631 970.948..t376 orEg@mcdowellenq.com wJryw.mcdowelleno.com On Fri, Apr 9, 2O2L at 2:02 PM Garrett Strang <ga rrett.strang.idax@Sma¡l.com > wrote: Forwarded message From: Garrett Strang <garrett.strang.¡da > Date: Fri, Apr 9, 2O2L at 2:01 PM Subject: Re: To: Jocelyn Terry <iksnowmass@gmailffi > FYI 6 HiJocelyn, I apologize but I can't really speak to the part of the report that is prepared by McDowell Engineering. We are sub-contracted out to do the vehicle data collection and counts but don't prepare any other part of the document. I'd recommend reaching out to Garfield County directly about any further specific questions you have. Thanks, Garrett On Fri, Apr 9, 2O2I at 11:14 AM Jocelyn Terry <iksnowmass@gmailffi > wrote: Garret, Thank you very much for your response. I cannot figure how the engineers for this project have determined a number of 85 vpd for the traffic count at Susnset/ Vaquero. That is what has been listed as the existing traffic count for the intersection on page twelve of the McDowell Engineering Traffic Study for the Ascendigo Ranch application. It looks to me that the iDax data shows 16 to 30 vpd as the count for each twenty-four hour period per page. The average for each of these 24 hour periods looks like approximately 23 cars per day. Maybe this number increases somehow to double with an Eastbound/ Westbound count....(?) 7 Twenty-three vehicles per day sounds about right to mc. I soa approximately as many cars at home and my garage camera captures the action of the street and sends me alerts for the vehicle traffic on Paseo, nearby Sunset and Vaquero. My home is just three lots down from Sunset/ Vaquro's intersection. Can you help me to figure out the average existing vpd that was calculated for the twenty-four hour periods that were sampled on L1,/3 and LL/4 at Sunset and Vaquero? Thank you, Jocelyn On Thu, Apr 8, 2O2L al L2:54 PM Garrett Strang<garrett.strang.i > wrote: HiJocelyn, Happy to answer your questions So the study period for these locations was for just two days: LL/3/2O2Oto 7L/4/2O2O. For the pages you mentíoned, (31-38) the data is detailing the vehicle class count observed by hour (for example, Class 2 is passenger car). The 8 headers show the overall study info (such as location, date range for the entire study, and site code). Just below the header shows what data is detailed on that specific page. Since there were two days conducted, each page is showing a different day and different count direction. So Page 31 is showing Eastbound counts on Tuesday IU3. Page 32 is showing Westbound counts on Tuesday LL/3. Page 33 is showing Eastbound counts on Wednesday Ll/4, etc. For the pages where you see a longer date range (such as on page 46 the header saVsLL/3/2020 to tug/2O2Ol, the way our deliverable outputs the data is in week ranges. So even though the study was just for two days, the week-long summaries show all days of the week, but you will see that it is only LL/3 and LL/4thal contain data. Hope this helps and let me know if you have any further questions. Thanks, Garrett On Thu, Apr 8, 2O2L at 1L:59 AM Jocelyn Terry <jksnowmass@gmailffi > wrote: Hi Garrett, Thank you for speaking with me by phone yesterday. The application that I have been revíewing can be located at the following link: 9 https://records.ga rfield- cou ntv.com/WebLink/Browse.aspx?id=3894529& d bld.=0&rePo=Ga rfieldCountv lf you can't open the link, try https://www.earfield- cou ntv.com/com m u n itv-development/pla nn i ng- proiect-information/ and choose the Ascendigo Ranch application. Technically, these locations are in Carbondale, CO, but ElJebel is nearby. On the traffic study pages under 1.1-3 there is l"raffic data from lDax. I have been focused on looking at the data for Sunset and Vaquero's intersection. It looks like there are 8 pages for Sunset/ Vaquero with a separate 24 hour period listed for each page. The data varies on each separate page, so I don't think that these are duplicate pages, but the headers all read IL/3 -71/4. Perhaps this could be a misprint on the header pages for the eight-day period from 11/3 to LL/1:O. (Sonre of the uther location headers in the study use this date range.) Can you help me figure out generally how this study was conducted, and what the date ranges were for each of these specific eight pages for Sunset / Vaquero? (Pages 31-38) Traffic Study 1.13. 10 Thank you, Jocelyn T Garrett Strang I Project Coordinator x qarrett.stranq.idax@qmai l.com www.idaxdata.com Garrett Strang I Project Coordinator x qarrett.stranq.idax@qmail.com www.idaxdata.com Garrett Strang I Project Coordinator tn(ÉñD EXHIBIT 11 qarrett.stranq. idax@qmai l.com www.idaxdata.com t2 Glenn Hartmann From: Sent: To: Subject: Attachments: mail < keepmohrural@gmail.com > Monday, April 12, 2021 4:34 PM Glenn Hartmann [External] Letter to Chief Rob Goodwin, Carbondale and Rural FD concerning safety; Ascendigo application Apr 10 R Goodwin.pdf Glenn, please find attached, a letter to Chief Rob Goodwin concerning safety issues related to the Ascendigo proposed land use change written in my capacity as President, Keep MO Heights Rural, non-profit organization. Please place this in the review file for staff and the Garfield County Board of Commissioners. Thank you for your attention to this matter Karen Moculeski Keep MO Heights Rural t.970-963-1286 EXHIBIT 0oo€ttt 1 KEEP MO HEIGHTS RURAL P.O. Box 138I Carbondale, Colorado 81623 T. e70-e63-ç86 Email: keepmohru ral@gmail.com VIA USPS and Email: rgoodwin@carbondalefi re.org April 10,2021 Rob Goodwin - Fire Chief Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District 300 Meadowood Drive, Carbondale, CO 81623 Re: Ascendigo Ranch Change in Land Use Proposal; GARCO files LIPA-01-21-8826, PLVA-OI-21-8827 Dear Chief Goodwin, The Missouri Heights community is concemed about the safety of the autist children, staff and visitors of the proposed Ascendigo ranch and residents of Missouri Heights. The Ascendigo Ranch Proposal includes 7 builds with a total of potentially up to 45,500 square feet. These totals do not include the maintenance equipment and storage building, hay bam, horse and goat barn, an equestrian tack/office and loafing shed mentioned in their application to Garfield County. These buildings are scattered over a 126 acre site and range in potential size from 2,500 square feet to 14,000 square feet. The proposed project is located in Missouri Heights off of Fender Lane on Harmony Lane at the very west end of Garfield County. Harmony Lane has not been maintained by Garfield County and is a deteriorating chip and seal surface full of potholes. Garfield County does not plow this road in the winter and the neighbors have been forced to plow it to keep it open. This road is the sole access to Fender Lane, or any other access road, from the proposed development taking into account, the intended closure of Sunset Lane at the intersection of Sunset Lane and Harmony near the south end, should this project be approved by the owners of Sunset Lane. Sunset Lane is a nanow dirt road that leads to Paseo Road and ultimately, Upper Cattle Creek Road. The rural residents of Missouri Heights lived through the 2018 Lãke Christine fire thanks to the heroic efforts of all the local fire departments. That event was a real eye opener for everyone particularly with the closure of Upper Cattle Creek Road dwing the I AM evacuation of the eastem part of Missouri Heights and the following several days. Traffic was forced to exit the area down the winding CaLherine Store road and backçd up 10 or more vehicles deep at the stop light on Highway 82. If 100+ children, staffand visitors are on the Ascendigo site daily, they will not only add to the traffic during an evacuation, but potentially to the confusion. Special needs children are particularly sensitive to noise and other enhanced sensory issues. Missouri Heights residences arc also vcry scnsitivc to potcntial fires on the valley floor running up the steep hillside on to the Missouri Heights Plateau above. The fire that broke out in an area near the Catherine store intersection with Highway 82 several yeaxs ago had this potential and thanks again to the local fire department efforts this potential disaster was averted. The location of the Ascendigo Ranch is on the edge of where this steep lúllside meets the plateau above. While the residents of Missouri Heights commend the efforts of Ascendigo to provide an outdoor summer and winter camp for those on the autism spectnrm, this is not the correct location for such a facility. This facility should be located on the valley floór with easy access to Highway 82 avoiding trips qr antl üuwn Upper Cattle Creek Road ¿rnd Catherine Store Road, both of which are winding, dangerous roads. We look forward to the Fire District taking these facts into 'consideration when reviewing the application for Garfreld County. Sincerely, --7.1 / /- Á- /L*t^ 'Karen Moculeski President Keep MO Heights Rural u1/ EXHIBIT -t\w .c'\úeçe-L axhçQzç c'tr\'kt ^-^ inÇ¡ ruaAa Yç øIJJ C.eßJ Lrnu-rng+brat ?6r f1)-( t T^¿ A" a) (cuçusoU G"' ü ( tJJà-e- OJvtx âre îv\mi+ì 5 +Ò VWI çLJTTJRE OIVOUR I Ê A wildfire study of conditions over 6,000 years shows climate change has created a dangerous new era for foresfs and humans by Scott Condon for the Aspon Tlmes Weekiy x* eæÈ, c!@ts,6E: Embss ffoñ thè Orlzty Creek Fire ittum¡natethê hoüntaíns âbove Oûe¡wood Sprlng5 on the we¡¡ng of ÌhuFday, AuE. 13. COLORADO'S 2O2O wildóre æason provid€d ¿ glimpse at s'hat cl¡nate chânge has wlought, ud it is an uûsettllhg view. The Cañson Peak åtrd East Troublesone âres provided a devarþting one-two pun€h to no¡the¡n Colo¡ado and beøme tlre two mosbdeEtnc¿ive wÍldfues in the state's hi6tory late last smn¡e¡ and f¿ll On the lfest Slope, the Pine Gulch Fire no¡th of Grand Ju¡ìction w¡ctempo¡aroy the stste's ræord- I39,0P0 aoes it Augüt ud SepteDber Close. to homq the Grizzly Creek Fire wåsût on the scale of tåose blæs but presented dtrao¡dinary f¡¡eâts to i[ñasttuctqre ln GleÂwood Cùyon. lnterstate 70 wı shut dom for two weeks. The¡e were dimpt¡o¡s to râiLoad s*ice üd threats the city of Glenwood Springs Ætet supply, The eænomY of thé region took â tút at a time already made challenglng bY the -COVID-19 pandmic. Now the¡e are big queitions for €lenwæd Cuyon in the 6re! aftermath (see related story on Page 8). Colorado's forgts were oace reguded as more fueproof than rho* in the northem Rockies and Califomli due o high elwations ând gensally wet @nditions. But the 2002 &ought Ðd devã¡tating âre conditions Proved Color.do wsrft inv¡fnøable and clues to wildfue âctivity over thq fo¡estrâdryed condltions to comc, past6,0@yeåF in the a¡ea tha¡ The drouEht wss one ofthe most Dow en@mp8sses Rocky Moultain severè inêolorado'e tristory. tt Nâtional Park, so he is uiquely heþed the spread of the Hayman caPable of putting rurent tiæs Creek Fi¡s which cqered neuly iBto pe¡spective' 138,000 ñres and destloyed 133 -' '!úl€t I've beñ ôaying is 202t ¡esidêncs. ltru the staie's targest kind ofPunctuåtè5 this trend weþe wtld6r€ until 2020. beetr æeing over th€ lastseveml Closer to home, the Roaring Fork decadesl Hþen said' Vatley sufered u eye-opening Those ttends include awdms threit with tlB l-dke chistin€ Fite and dr.ie¡ climate, increæing ñre in 2018, activify md grcw¡¡g p¡evalence of Philip Higuera, ân assæiate huimns la fue-prone landsøpes profesìr aid wildñre ¡eææher "Here's the kicler for me ord at the Univosity of Montüa, seid whatþ been ñost flrPr¡sing âbout 2020 is a sign that we nust âdapL 2020 - ín 6otr seEe ít6eem like "Years like Ð20 will be nole 2020 in conbimtion with the rest commoni he said. "That's âl¡noEt of the 215t century is kicking these ærtain. hígh-elwatioa subalpine forests "Vqy bloadly, it i5 cleù with into tøritory they håven't been itr itr climate chÐgeovff the lâôt severål recent millenniai hs said decades andin particutåtr iR tt¡e 2t6t One wy th¡t ¡ligu€n md hir øtuy, all forcts throughout tfie colleagueq ttudy wiid6re hirtory Wst gànênlly.md in Colorado ue is by ællecting md- wining beæriing mæ lmmable bøæ sedinqt inhigh-altituqe Fk:s oiclimtã md becaw sumers Preæwed pine needlæ help them ue becomihg waming æd drief, d€blmi¡e the dominmt sPecies of Hþuee æídl trs durlng vúiou das''Ashlayes ií a Much+virnral prcse¡itation hetp deterûl¡ne Þeriods ofwildlire fur tlrellildcneos l)forkshop- Thoe was aws¡m Paiod Â6po CeriTs fo! Eevilom4t¡ ftom about 800 to 1,000 AD that Studi6' Naturå.list Nights æries and æ@mmodated high wildfue in  ¡eparatelntervitrw¡tiì Th€ activity, th@ghnot as high as it Aspø-Timès, Hlguera disosæd haÊ bcea æcÐdy' Ave¡åging out uhat he has teared as dl¡ector tñe variabÍlify in the Paet, subalpine óf the PaleoEcologylab od Fi¡e- forsts we¡e qperiqcing wildfue Ecology..Lâb at the UDivqsíty of about oâce {ery æ0 yæ' Montæa, He Iw st¡¡died netural ¿c@rding to lliguen- That'E changing. !{/ete ¡ow in qncharted te¡titoly. "Really to ny surprisc, what weTe foúd ls the 21st cetrtury is kicking this a¡ga outside of the.histo¡ical nnge ofvariabilityl he said. "This is the fue rotatiqn perioa now - 1.12 yeus, Basicslly it aeas we'É buni¡g ât ãbout twice tlle late tltat tiese fo[qsts have e¡<perienc€d iû tlre pasL lf we zoom into dìe last dtrade, it's *ed ñlre extr@e. "Rocky Mouhfdin subalpine forests now apÞeu to be burning ñore tltan any time in the past ñillemiai' he continued. "That ie sometÀing thalkind ofhad been predictsd. but it! happening eülier than we thought. fhe impâcts of dimate chãnge Ere upon us sooner thu \.i'e thoughtl' Wildfres ee âlso tending to be more destructive. \ryithin s fire boundary, tÌrere is tyPic"[y û mosgic of activ¡ty. The€ are 6o8e æeae of inteme fiæ severlty, whe¡e veg€tation is nearly ¿ll burned up, md areas of noderate md low særþ h general Higum sald, t¡ere are now nore files i{ith morc intense buoing. He noted widì a degree of m&ement that the Ëå6t Troublesome Fire jimped the Continentsl Þþide ât L2,000 feet in RoclqMountain NâtlonãÌ Pùk låst yea. the history of fue suPPssion lû the U,9. since dìe eùly 1900s hasn't helped dre situation Stâhding, chatred snagEârc the remnânts .of the Låke Christine Flre oh Bâsatt Mountain, ln August 2019, a iearatterthe Lâke Christ¡nê Fire, fi¡eweed prcl¡ferateg atong ð tÉ¡t bordefed by char¡ed treê trunks on Basâlt Mountaìn scon coNDoNfrE ÆPEN nMEs -I6 Aspen Times week'v . March 11 - Marchlz 2021 eo*t g,--y Sùoke hmgÉ tow ¡n lhe cutts îear lhe Hanglnq Lake Þ¡t arcâ dùè to ths or¡¡zty Cßek Flie ø su¡¡ãy,' A¡9.'ló. Afirc bos show5 ln AugüÈt 2018 hd sta¡dlng 5r¿gr pBsqt å .!¡æel ¿long lhe MlUcæ& TÊ¡t oD BæH Mountaln aftêr tùe LâkÊ chrir*lm Fire. the bum ry ot the OrFztycÊek Flre ls *en on , -thE þit¡!¡de abm hêretâte?0and - the Colopdo Riv€¡ nerr liÊ Gtlzty CrecÍ.x¡tln. glÊilôod CanyoD. The U.S, Fofst Serv¡ce fouowed a policyiot deq¡als ofrnufing evory wildfirc That stopped â pþæ6s tb¡t boeñtod forexs by enwaging regoeratl@ ãnd age divssity of treer. Ftre uppmslm oeated a heavybuildup of tueb. Add drier @ndidoN- andmorehmmpr*æ, . 8¡d tt is a æcipe fü distèr Higue¡s sid for$t @system8 have prwen iøukabþ nxtlier* iD the past, Nahsal ËgÊnmtim followed fues ud leil to healthY foreea domiínted by'EngekEjÐ qrru4e úd Eubalpiæ 6¡ t ffi, Now; it's uncùtaln forcsts . wi! boû@ ba¿& in I wuit!û, drtr *qld. Forest¡ ¡rd6'!tt b€ tùtnns. T!æ gpeais nlght chsnge. Aspæ tr€eg mi8ht b€ mop domi¡pnt, ãltiuÍ¡itg $iu¿ is æugh ÞrecÞttatioD to;ltòw *Em to flourtih. ln ææ waTg Hguen ¡aié tl¡e mld k get. csome of tl¡is i4eåræ i[ ûam@biltty, we're goini to be ltvk¡å wlth it io¡ yry o¡ doodsió æmeíhe qi(L Buihealmæ¡thæ . cþcum$anei â6 4 important a¡ll to ætioD He osld the ' cdreritcmdltimm¡fte . him moæ'mr¡led fur the humm ôm¡luntty Uiu dre ru-hmme@Yttebi 'Ihe eeogystemt âdapt. ' 'eiçH tnto atrÞatPùte ¡inil lwq " d¿r¿tiot br€ss thÂt arc qu¡te t da¡.n¡þleiHl8r¡ensal¿. A¡l tol¿ âb{tüt 7.4 Þillid . âß'bui!æd th¡dièñout &€ Iøe¡t ¡n2020. A¡ e6ümted 1O,@ stlqctures w dmged q de6troyérl. Ìllguaå s¿td 'reg¡âß.hen have conduded ' thúabüt hsuof ûìat aðreage wn¡ld liâve buned natrr¡lly ûoiii cææ suctr ac l$lrtoi'ng- 6triker. Ab@t h4lf was due to humû ætfvtty, ûom iglEitiø ¡à¿ dtaale dtÐgr' Hmrnltl'nedalsb úâl€', ctimte òÐgF æ¡tously md âct oñ e gloùal s.le, lE s¡d- on tüe loc¿l lerel, lnople livi¡tg . in ândådi¡@¡úto fo¡atts Þecd to ts&ê wildÂre prote€doa . dânn¡rg æriou!¡,'. Iñst mew tøorfpråltn€ rat¡ef the opposhrg fud red.uctlôtr Prorects. 'tiæognlæ tbåt a do-no$&¡g on'tton le nôt ¡ed¡y ¡ g!et, Yiabl€ . opdrin for mrùr¡ilôn*rdl Higum htd. 'Ihst cah make me pæple unconfortable' udroredtybwúitrtsand, . loYe trcs ü¿ dont wt to .w trc* mòved Êom Âirets ¡n fud ædüado¡ ef¡rt€; ' 'ft tlnd ofcom* dM to, if wwmtóñw t¡tf¡æ fmblelandæaPet,rereed . to âcÉpt thåt they're going to be tÞnÉfomqdi tfig¡¡€n onúnued" "Tho/re going to b€ træfo¡med with or wltlwt us pufrcþitlDg.' wrdol@øspúttffiJM ' witilft¡e ¡n Siin,ivosd U.s. Fıre3t 5eru1.â and .Colorâdo DapârtmaÍt df TninÈpsrtE!'ón ¡re gauging lbo pôtèntlat to¡proÞloms suci ås the dlÕsgre of lntá¡st¡tê 70 aDd popular mcr€åtloãÊl âanênít¡eg ¡uch as tbê oleôweod eanyon bicyc¡c path ônd HanE¡nE lákê Trail. The tirèburned up steep stcpes, châillng lhe YsgÊtatim thåt ãnchorcd rocts ånd dirt in ptacê, The canyon wâs âtrsadY notor¡ous tqr rockfatl. Nonlho rick is magnified. âc€ord¡ng to Stêve Huntêt a forñer Englneerwith the Whilè River Natlonal. Fo¡est and å nèmbêr of its Eurned Ate¡ Fnergacy R€Eponsè teãm. The BAER team'6 agiesment showed tbat thê þê¡imetêr of lhê t¡re ssftered a high tevèl. of burn werlty. 43% wâs moderåte, 33% sias tow and 1?% was unbufôêd. ïhe Fo¡est Servlce ståftèd w¡th emefgeãcy repairs to trâlls and roads tasl fatt and wl¡l côntitrue as wêatåer attows this spring. Partner ãgencies . are ¡n3ta[ing rain gâugeg to hel.p wlth for€æsts tor flood¡ng and debr¡s flôws. DeÈp¡tc the pre€autlons, ån ãlêiìdèd downposr coutd rcsult ¡ñ tmublê fâr lnterstat€ 70, the rallroâd t¡ne, thê otenwôod Spr¡ngs wâter suppty and numê¡ous rocreationa¡ amenities. The orizzly Creek F¡re toppêd oüt at 32,631 acres. ïhe potentiat for probl€ms is magnitiêd by the Colorado mega-fires of 2020. The East Troubtèsome Fiæ cdered 193,812 acre5, ôrig¡ñã1¡ng north- northeast of Kremmling- To the êasl of that fire, âcrosg the CeintinÊotåt O¡vldê, the Câmeron Peak F¡rè topped out st 208,913 açres,2ı mtlês 1 5 miles southwêst ot Red FeÐthe¡ Lskes. ã O AsÞen Times Weekly ' Mgrch 1] - l"larchl7'2g scoF-coNDoN/THEAspenrí¡¡es¡tocn¡rst¡s¡r¡ t STATË Colo.'s only a dent in drought C}IRIS DITMNWAIL DAILY Al Eurusu uf Dsrvc¡ rrpls.turts M¿cl¡ 1¡l hr !:¿vcr Clc€L beve hait low wtã mniai mil !¿ve æme dimght cmilitíone tlet had set ia Maü 2o9O, woßerin! ilegrw of drcught bænlsfreque¡t,dndsiaætleilrouglt.d¡ringtöefallof¿ord;thetaltilrougbt begmlooeepbæLin,êıpeci¡llyinthe. . thqelæ beeq m ewere fur æ long, fugh moñitor ùalJEE to cløtàd stúÞ of my . æùth ¿¡d west ollhe ståte, SrÍhmer mid it'e unlilely mditiou will imprwe. rko, ught ønditioro w July 6, 20i9. þ - morogom failed ta mterialiæ, md å æydme sæu. Mdih r? 2o2o, ábitnt Po% of thb st¿te wildûreladen utum with little pmipi- corDno*swERË ¡rn¡noilùven¡ tr å",1ånrlå"#ï*i*å"#"'ffiffi å'"i" iït#uiåliffi""räT""** .AGO, BUT STIL! WEnEil'f GREAT of "uæptioaaf oi'oxlremei Tlris weelCs report læks sígniffcmtþ Signlñøtly.norc moú feü læt wintã But ü eæÌier-thæ{ofm€ù ruofrttratt¡.onø-wni..jhdry91-*":i*. t¡¡€w6'picãlpa'ttêruo.uttl¡swindwBy DROUGHTTA12 tüGy Hr0¡nrd 'Ih.Color.doSu¡ .Oeu¡iæ wlut oultlpld fcätof.m¡ on tlre grouil migþ su¡igæt .to $Àtry Cùl- . oradlu, the sl4tæ'r loDs-tm ilrought remsinE lMist€nt. á¡d wåtêr füræ6tâs æ mnieil t}at cm if tlo ¡taÞ recoive¡ . dæÐt ¿Þrlng moistúre, Color¿tto 6tt ths grèatâ .Ameri@ Souttrmst.will næd 1ot¡ moieto Ðe¡ge Êôm lhis ikoughe The reud-breaking st¡rh6 thåt bt¡¡ied Ptónt Rmge æd Eastem Plairtr gaw a nru glimuc of hopC iu o ¡hiorthm. ¡or. mal wiaten 3ut r€doli'íag ¿ tl¡Ougltt¡kæ . urore tlau ore lrþ mowfall. coMiARËD To LAsri¡¡rL rr¡¡nr HÂVE BEEN SOMË IIIPROVEMßI{TS Denver r€eêircd i$e:fourtålorgest snowf¿ll on reørd fidm Mæh 12 to 14 anil l¡e &oqt Rùge is still largeþblgn- ketèal lr¡ slor,t lyl¡ëldng drlftr, The htgh$ ulicipated stom aignifi mtly improved conditioro eæt ofthe Continent¡¡ Dividc, accordingto tle latest altoi¡ght monitor rep$t,' 'Bnd lìlglr aÐeteorologistwith rÀe Cli- n¡te Prdictlon CÐte¡ md author of thl¡ wk's æport, caìled læt weJend's mry : m Iile¿l stqm' for the æe lbe mow had : ahigtwater m¡tent,vihiç]rmeansllæ luls ulliquiù walcr fu rddùsl [! lt udt& Soils haw etarted ø thaw æ well, èspacia¡. lyon thonøtåeætøn plaiff, 60 that nelt- . ed ¡y¡ler ü a&le to stsk ia æd recùarge the woeftlly ôry'grouad. rbsitoraüing soílå is s nffisa{iprsequisits beforc:water m mn of i¡¡to strms æd rivên. Yet thé tlrieit putr of ihe i¡t¿re, vhidr ue mostly m Íhè Wesærn Slopg ræiveil set precipitdion fioa tå€ stom ¿nd æ ctill suflering under tlrà mmt catego- ry of"uceptiona!" árought Storps *róre þ ¡ n, lt fc'nt()rry... ßom Junè 2, r93o in Cape Eliz- abeth, Meine, Je¡ry md bis ùwiû brotlter, John, gnduated from Cape Ellzabeth lllgb $cbool antl 'wmt into tàe US Aff¡y ât77yeüs oltl lbey served twlcè âs thêir frôt sæiæ war Dot long mougþ to kcop 'them from being ilducæd once more. After scving i! the ,{my, they both went to tle Univemity of Nw Hmpshi¡e uihãe Jem¡ got â dqgr€e in Hotel MmageÌnent ¿nd Jolr¡r il Eduølion. JDh[ wÌLoû Lo Aspm ancl Jerry tried to puchÂse prcp€rty in Mâ¡ne tÐ develop a ski æå, for wticl¡ he could get no iir- to Dæver a,ftÞ¡ ælling the houe ttrery had built ia Aspen. Jerry wã ab¡iXhì æst in nmvpec'ple's ìives. His eparkling græn eyes, tiis huge Most Gerald Hewey June -202030,2, wn¡ n¡ined Hotelnm of tre yer, I! 1991 he úæ itrducÈed into thè Colcndo HotelÂEeciation Hall of Fårïe. ^Àt the éld ofthe sld seâsôü ofr956 ski instü¡etors Cerald Hew- êy, B€d Sodêlsbor& Eul Riekm ¡mil.Ìd Vætal madc'natiø¡l nm and ¿ 4 pagÊ fe¿tuæ i¡ Life Maga- zine by pad.tling from Dmveq Col- ondo, ære Cuada, dmto Old lbwn, M4ine. The jouney eovæd ú,ooo miles and took 6 montàs. ¡n 1961 Jsrry nèt Rü¿ B€rjßteln çÌiq hsd mweil from.Califomi¿ to spæil the vfnter ellüng in $spal ïhe.y we¡e pæied i¡ 1962 in Bel Air, Califomia Roz o¡rned a sære- tæial wiæ in the Whælæ build- ing. Three cùfilren followed,'Meg Sèe¿l (HeweY), Ie llwry md Adm Hewey, all bom in tùe As- pm Valley.Hospital. O¡æ the kitls rere m schæl Roz statal tæhrng ¡küng at Buttermilk md theu on t€fest, so he ahove to Aspetr to joi¡ John in the mid.5o's. He bæ¿me a fü instructoi as sell.ai a desk ole¡ft ¿t ttre lloæl Joone. Hêbe came one oftåe f.rst ski i¡st¡uctoys et BúifmíIk Mount¡¡in whm it to ÁsIEn Moüntålh ¡plinþ she diQ for 37yeæ. Allthree chíIdm baræ now'æntributéd a total of 7 grmd- cjrildæn. Meg md Lee live in Mon- welt bøme iana æq n HeJerry with his 1n Community olf s%ons-Ìn mmyofhis þwoealaobitlo by tåe æting bug ætl were on stagewith hin. He æd Roz mored STATË DROUGHT: Érpl.irmçA!t beuø dru ät the begiuiag.of,the yer, íet ¡næt of the imploúmonts b8w Dot ønúräi the driest æçæ oq the Wastem rl{F sr{Ow:lrATEB cAulY¡LENI t¡ LOWEñ lilÀil lloñilAl sFÀÎÉwlDÈ Ità ¡¡ovt-walr¡ eqoivdßB! - thst i6;. hqw mucù liquiil w¿'te i. held í[ Ðw -fu Colomdb a¡ ¡ whole tr þging b€ùidd d¡emedian Sr i+ri¡ tine ofyeu. Tho met- pèses in ildtr!Þom !éport iho the¡it$ qovçt' æag¡¡amêrÉc nerto otr€m æ '., loÞt, it Bvêúlf 3p¡i¡túror$¡ t¡ftIly,Wotl¡.úår ¿atdsmretr, Lô8twêekeril's 6Bbwtom lcd to sitlif- icant impw€ÐÐts.ilthe'A¡ka¡sæ and' sdüth ?laåè dve¡ bæin¡, r¡thiehsttrt in the noutal¡¡ wed of Dmt m¡l ñow cast acæs the plaiis. .ß¡¡l Wst¡¿ufe!, ¿ hyilrol,ogi*rfththeNational Redswce CoDsæatioå &wi¡te, s8¡iltåatb€foÈ tle ¡ønn, moæ thuhiilf dthê SNOTEL ¡ites w€rc miEling theil worgt oi sdæqd - worst ræ¡ds ofpnisiPitåtisrL Solne of tåore have iupræd irlniâmtly si¡iæ tbe ¡to¡n like,b be d¡ÐifüÌ¡Dúy loçe tl* c'4>ect- þil, r&fcli â$dots witìil¡fê, pfaat bealtb agricufüir9 milmoro Tl{E,FORECAST i9t{',Î €OOD w;sÏoFTlrÊutsslSslPÞl ., . Colondo i¡ not &e oily Puched st¿re; muc.h of the wæten U.S., æd epæiallY the southwGt, lB st!.ql€ùcing öolg[tø varytns ilegrcg, aøtaling to thê Na- tional Omic and Átrmqtheric Ätlmia- ist¡ôtim. CIiDiatæ scientias call tl¡i¡ a }lo¡¡¿io4l Roct¡n F6rtColl¡nsqiê d¿y¡ftet. vÀrnD msrÉY/sPEo LTo ñE <ol-omDo multl-foot snowstorm Mardr f 5. bes¿ilrcußb¿'whidr hæ lastgl ¡irce- said ?ugb, the meæqþloglst" But NOA,{ $9ö. rbe út dæ a drougùt of t.hls clæ, predicta ttrat IaNi¡a, thb ls¡gp-æa.le siûeatiga omeed m likely ia the rroos. wedher:þhenogrmoir that oft€ù brirys If summsqróuæm ø'ne tårougb' çam ¿nd dryreÈt¡er, wilfo¡tlnueor onilitioro æuld inpwd b Côlor¡do, n*tralize i¡ the nqt few motrt¡t. TRUNK SHOW Thursday, March 18 ' Saturday, March 20 Since 20149millionæofægebroshhave bmpcmuadylctto wildfuGlike the.Alt6iü F-[ein 2018.es¡N wUVBLMThe West's worst fires aren't burning in forestsRange fires øre ¿Tetting bigger every year, threatening sagebrush habitat and rural communitiesTtço+sIãQ etween tùe tom of E [ko, Nevada, udlJ -åe ldaho bo¡de¡ stretchæ some of themosÉ æmote lmd in the Jlnwer 4tl, ællinghills æd æiil basiru æ fæ æ the eye øsee. Iast July, this section of the Owjrhæ 'Dæ€rt va€ m_rc.he{ by a fi.- qrcg, fast¡mgry; .iag blaze with 40-fæt f1æes, the ltrgetwüclÊ¡e in Etate history In the eail, theMartin Fiæ bmed 435,Cr00 acres, iaclul-ing some of tl'e Wæt's linest sagebrushhab:tat. Now, tlle raw range wind whipsup rhe bæe earth into æomous blaekdouds that roil ou the ho¡izon.Once rüe, fi¡es tÌ¡al luge, hot andd6buctive üe now æuoon i¡¡ tÀe GrætBasin, a 200;000-squæ€!Éile region rfmomtaiæ and valleys that i¡cludes allÈqf Nevada æd much of Utaà, æ well æparbs of Califomia, Idaåo æil Oregon. Butdespite the rising fire risl<, a gen*al lackd aitstion is putting tJhe rmgelæd ingrcwing dager.The fire problem 'risks permme¡tlos" of t}¡e e@systÐ, lrcrdiag to JoliePollet, a fi¡e ecologist ad the Buæu ¡fLæd Muagement's divisiion chief fø fi¡epiæiag æd fuels muagement. this isa ge:uine cisis, she said, md it demandegreater ugency aüd att€ntion thæ it iscuFrtly getting..The general public, espeially ubæùæ, dæs't seÐ to b¡ùe æ appræia-tiou for the impacts on these lædsepæ,since tåe æs æe m sparely populated;,she said-the new ferccit¡z oi rægelæd fireshæ m old qlprit: ùea-4Tæs, m æualoriginally Íiom Eurasia tlut wæ broughtto '.-his øuntry in the lata L8o0s in cattleNic< Bowlin is an editor¡al intern atHigh Country New.Y @npú\NlinBY NICK EOWLINfeeil, packing mat*ial md ships' ballast.It has sinæ proEferated through ova-grazing Ðd development. The græsbms eæily æd often, æd it thrivæ onñ¡e. In inteæe blues, when aative shrubspe{sh, cheaJgræs 6iqply dmps ite.seedsæd then e:çuds into the bumed æeae,The æas of gæatest fire risk in ihe GreatBæin have a high ærrelation with theaeas of highest cheatgrass iamio:,ud the inæasingly dry æd *id dimaæbrcught by climate chæge is encouagirgits spread. The G¡eat Basi¡r oow bæ thenation's highest wildñ¡e risk.Historically, sagebrush habitat bmedabout onæ every centurJ¡ or l6s. but noùit happeË æud every five to l-0 yeæ.Over the past two dæades, more thæ I5million aaes of sagebrush have 'leen pø-mentlylost to fire, acudingto the BLM,9 million ofthm sinæ 2014. Ove¡all, sinæ2000, moe aæs of shrubìæd or græs-læd have bmed than fo¡æt.If sagebrch desline conti¡ue5, tL.eappmximately 350 speciæ that ilepend'on it 8e in se¡ious trouble. the Marti¡Fire burced some of the best sage growehabitat in the æmtr¡r md destroyed morethæ 35 gloue mting gromds, ø leks.îhe fires also ham wateËheds, €w erc-sioa ad destroy wildlife conidore used þprcnghom ætelope, mule deer and elk.the impact on rural Americæs isequally severe. Counties æd ranchersmust deal with infiætructæ loss, iaclud-ing troughs, fencing, md dæage to rcadsæd power lines. Mæy rædres strugglewith the additional @sts, said Ron Cffii, aræchø æd omissioner in agriculturedependent Humboldt Comty, wh*e tbeMætin Fire buned. Ræchem may loæhayãelds ia a blæ, for *mpìg æd sixmonths of hay for 500 @ttle @ets about$216,000, aæo¡ding to Cæi. CatUe oftendie in the llames, ud mchers have toput dom æimais eippled by the smoke.Jæ Grigge, a Nevada mchs whose lædbìrued in 2107, called it the worst pæ ofthejob.Beøuee sagebrush msystems æen€glected, theJ get less funding, makiagthe fi¡e tàreat even woËe. tndeed,:he BLMreceives em less moaey than the already-mde¡ñrntled Forest Sewiæ. For 2019,the FoEt Striæ go¿ about $4i)0 milüonin mnual fuading fc firel mæaþmæt,a¡d about $x.3 billion for fireñgbcing prepaçdaesaTlre BLIVI ææived $85 millionand $180 cillion spætively, evæ thoughit mânages about 5O million mæ acr6of public lencl. T,lre BLM al6o ¡æived$11 million for ñæ rwery, a miuosæpicmout giYa the scale of tàe prcblm.When tbe BLM re out offireñghtingmoney, il's fuied to raid othe progrus,as the blaæ quickly bm through agencybudgetÊ."The agencies ro out of moaey ædall the otls progræ get gutted,' saidUniversity cd Montæa wildlife biologyprciær Dave Naugb. "I:r the long tæn,it really lru:ts ðonsen'ation."Iást yø, Congrss passed a mæætha¡ allwe :he BLM to acæss rrgeDcyfi¡e fiuds rithout dmining oths initia-tivæ. But thetrrovision doesn't kich i¡ utilnst yer, æd evã when it dæs, the BLMwill remaio reúousþ uderfruded for firefuhtiag, prerotion æd rætontiæ.Meæwhilg wildfres ue alreadybming amss the Wæt, and tl¡e cheat-grcs is begiming to thy up, trmiag fromits spring prple to t-he yellwish hue thatsignaìs its rodinæs to bunPollet prd.it suæinctþ:Îm wd for2019." Dj;<s)8 Highcouty¡.lew luE 24 z)19 from the Tess breder. l'he b¡eeder a¡ti-ñcially insemiaated her with spem heinporteC åcm Italy - the enly countrythat mæts USDA apprcval for importedwater buffalo semen. lVith Missouri preg-næt, Mirmda hail hained her to adoptthe new calvq as her om.On the othe¡ side of the pastw,æother æimal stuck his nose in the peestreæ of a fellow bufalo. "They like tobatl¡e in each othet's pee," l3-¡æa-old Pøsaid, b¡' way of explmation.Mi¡mda - who treats the buffalomore like beloved pets than livestock -had a different take on it. 'Ihey all havedistiDct personalities," he said.With tbe lack of æ established waterbuffalo industry.in the U.S., fincling reli-able æimals hæ remained a challeage.So is epital: Miræda needed money tokæp growing his herd. He iaied to applyfor a ze¡o interæt loæ from 2 Forks Club,a local nonprofit that supporLs local fm-e¡s md food entrepreneus, but wæntaccepted. "In Venezuela, we say (you needlo be) ercanburadq' Miranila tolil me. "Icæe he¡e as a fo¡eigaer, so I'm not part oftÌ¡e club," he explaiaed, meæiag the localræching comuity whose ¡æts in thevalley go back generatiom. He ended upg€tting a regulat loæ from the ba¡k.Aæss to land is æother challenge-Ac¡oss the \teet - ud especially in theRouing Fork Valley - rising prcpertyvalues neæ the cost of a mortgEge fæ6upass6 what a famer or ræcher cæprcduæ from agÌicultùe. At one poinlMiræda læked into buying a house on 40aøe6 - jwt enough to w ae a winter bæecæp for the buffalo - but the cheapestplace he @uld ñnd vas $700,000. Farthe¡up the valley, doser to Cæbondale, it wasat least $1.5 millioD.l¡ i,he pæt few deødes, mmy of theolds ræcÌ¡ere md fme¡s have sold tàeirprcpqty to developere or to læd trusts as@!6ewation eæemmtg ïhe eæemætsprotect the farorlæd from bæoming sub-divisions, but don't ensæ that it stal6 inproduction. Mi¡mda would like to sæ aprogræ in which more æuty-omed lædis mde available t¡ fmers at low cæt so¿hey @ prcvide some ofthe food they growto fooil bæks æd low-inæme ømmuities.In the meÐtime, Miræda has beeninnovatinghis way aoud the challengeshe faæs. By renting læd and building hismobile clairy, he cæ kæp his costs low,buying time t¡ gw his herd æd make@mections with futue buyere. Cheßæd fooilies ænsider bufalo mozzæellaa prmiun prcduct, worth much morethan regular mozzarella. One rstaüa-teu from neæby Aspen invited Mi¡mdato taste the nozzaella he mâde fron buf-falo nilk importecl all the way from ltaly.The chæse regulæly sells for $30 a poudi¡ the U.S. æil Miræda realized that hisonly competit¡F wse the ltaliæ; hecould ofs the same prcduct locally milmore cheaplyStill, even \&heeler, the @n who gotwater buffalo of Colorado's *otic species list, ruains skeptiøl of the æima1'sruchiag potential. "If,s a niche market,"he told me. "Maybe æme loel cheesestores would be itrterested, but it's mostlya novelty.'Miruda hæ lmed to ignore the skep-ticism. Afte¡ all, he doæ not give up eæilla¡'ll n a reænt blustery day in May, I went1, with Mimnda æd his putner, Cuæoto visit the hqd at their summe¡ pastureeast of Cæbondale in Old Snomassin a green valley at the base of the EILMoutaim. It wæ a seæon of chmgesT\vo weeks before, Cuseo had given birtl-to a baby boy - their fi$t child together- while in February, a female nmeiOrinm gave birth to Miræd.a's first calf,Caiøa - both named aftær places ir-Venezuela. Meæwhile, in Mi¡æda's homecountry, a violent attempted coup agaiNrthe regime of Niælás Maduro was uder-way. Miræda's pæents and gAyea-olcgrædmothe still live there, ilespi.te hispleas for them to leave.Mirædano lonçr æntÐplates retm-iag pemæently to Venezuela. Most of hisfellow ræc.hæ have mwed their herds t¡neþhboring CoÌombia æ¡may wbile hæin the moutaic of Colomdo, Miræda isfinally rebuilding what he læt whm he leÊhis native oub¡r. With mother of his heif-em pregnmt æd nine calves expect€d forn*i yeæ, Miræda is ænñdæt that i¡ a fewyeas, he'll have enægh milL-prcducingbuf-faìo to begiu maliag chee æmercially,Right now though, Miranda is jus:looLing foruæd to a simple joy: sumenaps with his buffaIo."Oh, mipreciosø," he cæs, gently nud.g'-ing one ofthe buffalo to lie dom witù himin the scratihy grass. Miræda rubs heibelly, savoring the mimal's sLightly sou-smell ud ræalling how, wtil he æivedin Colorado, he didn't realize that wha:he thought was tÀe smell ofhis homelandhad been the qell of the water buffalo allalong. DJosé Mirùdq ioh€dby his mother, stepson,dd his pdtner, Erincuæo, holds his ândCuseo's newborn son,Wekta. Thê mterbuffalo ue *tremelyaffectiomte towardhim md his family.UNA ANNA ÆGfl/HI6H æUNTRYN€Wsm.lo.o.g HighcoutryNff 7 Recent storms barely improve West Slope's snowpackBelow-normal amountof precipitation is beingpredicted into AprilJohn StroudPost lndependent*Every little bit hêlps" is thephrase these days, as anY amount ofsnow or'rain the clouds can squeezeout through the remainder of thismonth and into earlY APril willhetp with the perslstent d.rought ,situation.UnfortunatelY, recent snowstormsdid íerylittle tô improve the mountainsnow¡rack And the near-term predic- - -tion ior measurable preciþitation isnï-promising.That's accordìng to several sources ofdata and predictive models tracked bythe USDANatu¡al Resources Conser-vation Sewice Colorado Snow SurveyProgram.NRCS Hydrologist Ka.rl Wetlaufernoted in his monthly snowpack reportissued March 5 that, "While Februa.rysnow accumulations did improve thesnowpack in many parts of the state,snowpack still isrnains below normallevelsin atl major basins except the RioGraniter {nqrd^ }ôÀt.At tlat time, the Colorado RiverBasin was at 84Yo of median snowpacþand just 717q of last year's snowpack.Statewide, the median snowPack atthat time was 85o/", a¡td only 77% oflast year.Ttien came the big one - sort of,Amajor snowslorm theweekencl ofMarch 13 that mostly bla¡rketed thefôothills a¡rd eastern Colorado v¡ithup to 2 feet ofsnow in plac'es did havesome impact on the high countrysnowpack When it comes to \ilest-e¡n Slope water, that's where it mostlym¿tters.sNorflPACK 410ROARING FORK CONSERVANCYElliott Audette leads a tour of a SNOTEL snowpackmeasurement site on McClure Pass in Fébruary 2020. -' rÊ¡,+ l-îå,.SNOWPACKFrom pageAlJust before that storm hig on MarchIO, the Colorado River Basin was at 88%of mediari snowpack.Likewise, one of the Colorado's majordrainages, the Roaring Fork River, withits headwaters on Independence Passeast of Aspen, was at Sã% of median.Aft,erwards, the area basin snow-pack had improved to gt% and go%,respectiveþAs of Thesday, with more localizedsnowfall in recent days, tàe RoaringFork dùinage hadimpr,irved to g4% ofmedian.The National \{'eather Service forecastfor the remainder of this week is for a6O% to 80% chance ofsnow east of,As-pen through Thursday, and then 9O% onFriday but with snow accumulations ofonly a few inches.And, acóordingto theNW'S ClimatePrediction Center, the eight- to r+-dayoutlook from late March through earþApril is for temperatures to be abovenormal throughout Colorado, \ñ¡ith be-low-normal precipitation."Taking that into account and thecurrent percent of normal snowpack,we could estimate that the currentnumbers could go dowir t-5%, if theforecast pans out," Brian Dornonkos,Colorado Snow Survey supervisor, saidTuesday.How much of that dwindling snow¡rackwill ultimateþ translate to water in river'sand reservoirs come spring has to do withthe drought that was already well in placebefore snow began to accumulate thisyear, he said.The summer and fall of 2o2o wasone pfthe driest periods on record inColorado."This led to dry soil moisture condi-,tions, and the expectation is that snow-melt runoffwill produce lower volumestlian would commonly be observed with asimila¡ snowpacr<,* Wetlaufer observed inhis March 5 reporLBefore winter eVen started, snowforecasters were saying Colorado wouldneed multþle yeais of tío%xo 2ooo/o ofnormal snowpackto improve the droughtsituation.Added Domonkos, "The biggest rolesoil moisture currentþ has is in theSignificant deficits that exist acrossColorado."There is currently a significant soilmoisture drought that will consume agreater-than.average amount of snow-melt runoff, and leave less to streamflowrunoffi he said. "To add to the com-plexity, low soil moisture means lowerbase {lows in rivers and streams, whichmeans more precipitation is neededto bring stream flows backto normatrlêt'els."mx.!E{\.|.1tâbbi¿fj str oud @ po s ti,ndep tndent. c o m Ascendigo'helicoptering' into rural Missouri Heights As a resident of Missouri Heights, and a homeowner directþ impacted h,y the proposed Aseendigo project, I am writ_ ing to voice my coneern. Regardless of the potential strain on the limited n¿tural resources in this area, I believe the heart of the issue is the application for limited im_ P$re'iew¿s@ As per Garfield counfs own guidelines,an@l! fh$!Þ1sr "Buitdings and ttscs Ìor rnstntctinn or i'eseareh activi_ ties associated with an academic insti- tution that has curriculum for technical or vocational training that maybe, but is not limited to, kildergarten, elementary, secondary or higher edrrcation, including residenti¿l facilities for faculþ, staft, and students," Ascendigo Ranch 4oes "otggqthi,standard. They are nñGffi-v¡ith an -academjc institution, nor have they ever been. They rlo not har¡c a cur.¡'iculum fol. tech4ical or vocational trajning. In their . application they state, "summer camps would be ofiered between May r and Sep- tember 3O. ... Tte facilities maybe madè available for ... training groups ofeducators and/or employers.' The idea that Ascendigo "may,'of- fer some educational courses, with no formal curriculum or academic institu- tion assqciation, sometime in the future, should not allow them to be approved. as - an educational facility. They are a recre- ationalsummer camp funded and sup- ported by a corporate entity, and, as ief- ereneed to in thei¡ application, they have visions for year-round operations. ,lThere will be therapeutic services offered vear- i tg$. At some point, winter "u*pffi{ Bramming that is currently hciuseå nea,\ the ski areas in rental homes could be housed at the site." Ascendigo Ranch is a commerciat op- eration. Thcir nonprofit status has no bearing. This is no clifierent than the Boy Scouts ofÂmerica bulng 2O0 aeres off Panorarna, starting a fee-for-service sum- mer carnp aud calling it a "school." I am sure Garfield Cuurty would nêver let that happen. They also reference Strong Ranch as one of their main examples of local land rvith ¡ron-residentia.l use. Comparin¡ç a working ranch that offers a few commer- cial.operations and events to use their land is not the same as a dedicated sum- mer campfyear-¡ound commercial oper- ation. Ascendigo provides no agriculiural ofierings to the community. .h¡st because ygu put the wurtl "ranch" lnvffilãães not make vou one- -!.---{--I would encourfrge all who are interested and affected by this proposal to visit keep- mohnrral.com and to aloo rcod the Ascen- digo's application forlimited impact review as an educational facility at sci-protl- public-pdfs.s3-us-west-b.amazonarvs.com/ mxdYEdCdZUzh gvZrvtD zz¡MtzaL.p df . Ascendigo is tryÍngto slipbythe Cå.rnela County Planning and Zoning department as a benign agricultural ranch and educa- tional facility. They are'helicoptering" into þ $d{e of afural, residential neighbor- þoo{. The consequences of.this sleþit of hand will cause future land use dispües a¡rd conflict¡ thatwill reverberate well into the future of our quiet communities. "*fiIi:ili:i Despite blizard;state3 critical mountain snowpack shrinks Despite the recent.history-making blizzard on Colorado's Front Rangq statewide snowpack slts al 92Vo of:' äverage as of March19, dowñ from. 105% of average at tñe end of Fêbrua.ry accordlng to the Natural Resources Conservatlon Service. Just twó r¡ver basing the Arkansas and the Rio Grande, are regístering above average at 101% andl06% respectively. Among the driest are the Gunn¡son Basin; at 86% of average, artd the San . Juan/Dolores, at 83%, both in the south- western:part of the state. "The showpack numbers are still below normal though they dont look that båd,o said Peter Gôblã, a speclalistwith the Colorado Climaté Center at Colorado ,State Unlversity. "But'based on how dry solls were to start this accumrilafion season, we're still pretty nervous about what water availablltiy is goingi to look like." -FreshWaterNewsa7o¿l We can act now to fight wildf¡resin the WestTa or the 2O2l fire season,H hxilÏi:;îtryJ- d.ays of intenså winter, isfa¡ drier than itwræ leadingup tolast yea"r's record-lrreaking fi res.As ahotshot crewmembeq therfflity of what's to come fills mer¡'ith two distinct thoughts: moneyand dread. With nryfinancial sta-biliiy tied to overtime pay, I knowthat mypockets will be firll when Iam laid offnext winter. But the un-relenting fires thatl stand betweennow and then tnele me nenous.I also know that I am not alone.Across the Wes! people inhomesand communities are filled withanxiety as theylock at drytim-ber and brown hillsidps thatareusuallywhite this time ofyear.Forthem, when t}e airûlls withsmoke, there won't be any fire pay-checks,just a prolcnged sense ofuncrrtainþ.Droughtlevels o-ften serve as agood indicator ofihe fires to come,and things are far',¡¡orse nowthan theywere in the build-up to2O2O. Rich Tinker' an author ofthe U.S. Drought nrfonitor at theCliqrate PredictionL Center, tcldme, oþ 2o2O, the highest we gotto anywhere, was a D2 - Ser.ereDroughL Nowwe are looking at D3to B[ * Exbeme¿mdE¡çeptionalDrought acrpss mucå ofthðWestand almostall oftle SouthwestlWhen Niek Nauslar, a filemeteorologist at the NationalInteragency Fire Center, talksabout the fire season to come, he'sparticula"rlyblunt: "The deck isstacked against us. I fuþ expect abusier season thannormal across theSouthwesL"For Tinker andHarrison RaineWritenonthe RangeWildfires and their manage-ment are known by gorne re-searchers as a "wicked problemiwhere no optimal solution exists.For decàdes, forest managerswere convinced that su¡rpressingall fires ¡¡.-as theanswer. Eut we'l'eknownfor awhilenowhow mis-JOHI{ cOtSOil OFFRegular Monday columnist willreturn next week.These bills are,excitiig for sev-eral reasons such as: allocation ofmillions for forest health projectsand granti for communities ándindividual homeowners to carryout their ol*n hazard reductionprojects. Also thereis an attemptto seek out incentir¡es fc'r ma¡ketsto ad"dress fuel mitigation through'biomass eners/.The millions the state spendsnoÌñ¡ on restoring forests ãndhardening homes pale in com-parison to the costs of firefightingand rebuilding homes. Every dol-lar spent on prevention saves $I7in suppression egsts, according toa report commissioned by fonnerUtah Gov. Gary R. Herbert.There also is a bill to allowformer irunates with fire€ghtingexperience to seek future em:ployment with the state, whichwill heþ eruure a cohsistentworldorce.I hope the federal governmentis taking notes.Hørrison Røine is a coniributqr toWriters on thc, Range, a, twnprofitdedic ated to -,spltnitig lírj_eþconrs er s øtia n a.b out. tþp We st. Hestartedfigþ¡íng øí.L4fires in 2o16and liaes in Col.oraåo.Nauslar, the areasof concern primariþ encom-pass the Four Corners states ofUtah, Colorado, NewMexico andArizona^ \lhen you put togetherlight snorypac\ dry fuels and hightemperatì¡res, every wildland ûre.fighter knows what that means.In my time as a wildla¡rd ûre.fighær, the question I.get askedagain and again is whether I a¡¡rever seared.. The answer to thisquestion is þsi but not in thelife-or-death sense in which it's'asked.There a¡e far more constantthreats tha^n the flames them-selves. Smoke, for one. Carbonemissions, for another.I tliink I'm worried mostbythe knowledge that damage fromthese wildfires affects the healthof millions of people, andthat thelarge rvildfires oftoday are ensur-ing even-bigger ones in the future.Ever¡rcqp should be concernedabout this realit5l noijust those ofus ob'the frre line.placed those beliefswere, even as m¿ùny agencies clingto that failed stratery ofa centuryago.Jerry Williams, formei fireand aviation director forthe U.S.Forest Serr¡ice, p'uts it best about .our stubborn wrongheadednes:"Every year we set a new rècord,we invest rriore in (ú.re) suppres-sion, invest less in mitigetion ándwotrder whywe're not getting ondop of it.? [f someone who directedthe largest wildlaad ûreûghtingforie in the world makes thisstatement, it's probably:ime totry something else.Wtiat we need are policies andprograrns that address wildfiresin ways beyond just putting firesout. This spring, Colorado shov¡edthat it's willing to learn from lastseason's pairr when Gov. JaredPolis and state legislator:s fromboth sides ofthe aisle releaseda series of bills aimed atwild-fire mitigation, not only,rvildfiresuppression.t^pr^ Âpel tt+ EXHIBIT March 23,2021 Garfield County Board of County Commissioners 108 8th Street, Suite 101 Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 Re: Ascendigo Ranch Limited Impact Review and Subdivision Vacation Dear Commissioners, As the former chair of the Eagle County Roaring Fork Valley Regional Planning Commission, former vice-chair of the Basalt Planning andZontng Commission, concerned citizen and residence on Sunset Lane I am writing this letter to respectfully request you do not approve the above mentioned development. I object to the fact that a cofilmercial project of this magnitude is being considered and was allowed to apply for a one step approval process as a Low Impact Educational Facility. This commercial project should never have been accepted as a Low Impact Educational Facility or as a project compatible with its location. It is not a Low Impact project. This is ayear around commercial project with year around offices and "campus" uses. If deemed as an acceptable application at the least this commercial project should go through the normal three steps process with a Planning andZoning Commission review and denial. Having helped draft the Mid Valley Comprehensive Area Plan for Eagle County and the Basalt Master Plan I find this project not in compliance with the intent of either of those plans. The Roaring Fork Valley govenìments have a strong history of working together and requesting input from adjacent governments when new development is proposed and particularly when it is a development, like this apBlication, that literally abuts the adjoining county line, which is Eagle County. I strongly encourâge you to seek such input from the adjoining Eagle County and I am providing you with relative information from both the Basalt Master Plan and the Eagle County Mid Valley Comprehensive Area Plan. The2020 Basalt Master Plan on page 63 under'West Basalt Future Land Use states: "The Town encourages residents of the Town and unincorporated Eagle County within the Three-Mile Planning area, to consider this as a plan to direct growth for this area and is committed to working with Eagle County to establish an IGA that forwards the goals and objectives and future land use strategy contained in this master plan." The map on page 71 of that master plan shows the three mile planning area which includes alarge area of Missouri Heights and the Ascendigo parcel. While this master plan does not directly address the area, because it is outside of the town limits, it does identifu it as an area of rural character and strongly recommends the reviewing agency work with Eagle County. The adjacent zoning in Eagle County is Agricultural Residential (AL) and Planned Unit Development (PUD). By definition: "the purpose of the AL zoning is to maintain the rural character of the area outside of the County's towns, community centers and resorts while allowing some appropriate residential development." This proposed development is not a residential development. It is a conìmercial development not a camp. The Eagle County Mid Valley Area Community Plan, which covers the area of Eagle County within the Roaring Fork Valley, addresses Missouri Heights and on page 3 describes Missouri Heights as" ...it is predominantly rural in character, and water resources are limited" The Planning Goals and Policies states the following objectives on pages 6 and 7: "2. Plan for limited growth within identifred growth hubs, including the Town of Basalt's Urban Growth Boundary along Highway 82, while preserving the rural Character of Emma, Frying Pan and Missouri Height areas;..." "10. Preserye agricultural land use and rural character, and encourage local crop and food production." Policy 11.1.8 Established land use compatibility, Recommended Strategies item l.of plan on page 22 clearly states: "Discourage new uses that would negatively impact the quiet enjoyment of residential neighborhoods." The Plan goes on further to state under the section tilted: Missouri Heights Character Area, on page 10 and 11 that: This plan supports: "The preservation of the area's unique residential and rural character." The Eagle County Mid Valley Community Area Plan dedicates a fulI chapter on Missouri Heights titled: Chapter 4 - Missouri Heights Character Area. I have attached a copy of that chapter which I encourage you to review. The first sentence in the Vision Statement is "Missouri Heights provides a high quality living environment that is geographically separated from the more dense/intensive Highway 82 corridor. Residents and visitors enjoy quiet solitude..." The chapter also states ooMany of the homes in Missouri Heights are in or near areas of high wildfire danger." Wildfires are a major concern and threat to this project. More important the Policy 1.1.4 Review land use compatibility for new development, upon and among properties; as well as to achieve an appropriate transition of uses within the context of the established area under Recommended Strategies states: "a. Strive to preclude new uses that would interfere with the quiet enjoyment of residential neighbors in the ùtea." "b. Strive to preclude non- agricultural commercial activities and recreational activities that would be incompatible with residential and agricultural uses in the area.'n "c. Discourage zone changes or special use permits which negatively impact the rural character of Upper Cattle Creek Road.'n'od. Encourage effons of local homeowners associations to minimize land use compatibility issues within the subdivision boundaries." 'oi. Encoarøge GarJïeld County to ødopt zoníng standørds thøt would protect the quølíty of resídentíøl neighborhoods, publíc ìnfrøstructure ønd natural resources locøted in Eagle Coanty." The Eagle County Mid Valley Community Area Plan - Missouri Heights Future Land Use Map identifies the area abutting this proposed development as Outlying Rural Subdivision and Rural Agricultural land uses. The current closest development in Eagle County is the Adjacent PUD development Fox Run which was approved for residential development of single family homes on24lots of I to 10 acres. The Eagle County Zonemap and related Section 3-210 Residential and AgriculturalZone Districts of the Eagle County Zoning Code identiS'this PUD and the abutting zone districts of AL and R. While the AL zoning does allow an Educational Facility by special review it does not allow Resort Recreational Facility; Day or Resident Camp within that zoning District. The definition of Educational Facility does included Propriety Facilities which "moans all privately owned and managed educational facilities, which may include but not limited to, art, church, business colleges, trade schools, church camps, residential camps and day camps." Such uses are only available by Special Review and according to the Eagle County Mid Valley Community Area Plan such uses are not appropriate. Table 3-300 Residential and Agricultural Zone District Use Schedule and Section 3-210 Residential and AgriculinalZone gives the definition of each zone. Throughout their application Ascendigo describes their development as a camp, but upon reviewing their application they are ayear around commercial operation, not a camp. V/hile an educational facility is allowed by special review in the adjacent zoning district such facilities are not compatible with the surrounding rural character of Missouri Heights and this proposal is for a commercial operation not an educational facility. While there are a few small limited daytime only, no sleep over, etc. operations such as Wind Walkers in Missorni Heights they operate within existing agricultural facilities and only during restricted daytime hours. The Garfield County Zone District Map shows the Ascendigo site as Rural Zoning, which is defined in your Land Use Code as "A. Rural (R). The Rural Zone District is comprised of the County's rural residential areas, agricultural resource lands, agricultural production areas, and natural resource areas. Uses, densities, and standards established for this zone district are intended to protect the existing character of the area from uncontrolled and unmitigated residential, commercial, and industrial use. The zone district provides for the use of natural resourses, recreational development, rural residential, and other uses." The application states "The property search focused on the mid-valley area with convenient access to services and recreation opportunities as well as lodging for family members raking respite during the camp." To be convenient to such services and recreational activities this development should be located on the valley floor not on the plateau above in a rural area. The application also states activities will include" hiking, whitewater rafting, water sports, and climbing" all rvhich will require multiple trips up and down the curving and dangerous access road to Missouri Heights and through residential neighborhoods. If this application should go forward it should be reviewed by CDOT for its impact on our state roads and in particular where roads off of Missouri Heights intersection State Highway 82. Is the highway intersection in El Jebel at its maximum capacity? I live on Sunset Lane a private road adjacent to this development, which the residences on the road and other subdivision users pay to maintain. It is extremely important to all residence on this road and in the subdivision that this road not be used for any form of access before, during and after any construction and occupancy. Any increase use of this private road will increase the wear on the road, cost to maintain the road and cause a decrease in property values. While notices and signage may deter some drivers, most will seek the shortest route back to Highway 82 which is on Sunset Lane. Existing Private Road Signage has not and will not deter many drivers. While private cars are one issue another is delivery trucks which are prone to take the shorts route. If this project was approved to avoid additional impact on our private road this developer should make their best effort to direct traffic out on Harmony Lane and not on Sunset Lane. This effort should include installing a gate at the intersection of Harmony and Sunset Lane so the traffic their project generates cannot use Sunset Lane. Harmony Lane is within Garfield County and since I moved into my home 17 years ago nothing has been done to maintain this road except for a few neighbors purchasing a few truckloads of gravel for a neighbor to spread on the road with his own tractor to fill in some of the multitude of pot holes. The lack of maintenance and plowing of this road plus its poor condition is alreadycausing an increase of local traffic that would normally.rr" Ii*ony, cuttin! through on ourprivate road. With the startling increase in traffic projécted by this project *ãor Sunset Lane canonly image what damage will be done to our roadand what tle potãntial increase in traffic willbe. This is a burden we should not have to bear. The applicant has stated "the previous subdivider envisioned 13 homes at Whitecloud andpossible ADU and up to eight homes on.t!re Leviu property." It is my understanding the Levittproperty is not zoned for 8 homes and with the combining of the thr". purrrtr it. tıt¿ possiblehome would be the White Cloud 13 and 1 for each of the-other parcels^for a total of 15 homes.This is the true number they should be using for comparison. According to the United Sates Department of Transportation the average household in our areatakes 5 to 6 vehicle trips per day. See map on their website: 15 homes x 6 trips adayis 90 vehicletrips per day. The applicant's initial haffic study t"pottr 446 trþs per day 5 times more trips thatthe property would create under the current approuals. While "o t ipr haå been added for the'þossible" ADU's I think you will find a vast majority and the few ADU's build in Missouri Heights are occupied by relatives of the household and add few vehicle trips to the count. I do understand the applicant has recently reduced the number of trips per day in their traffic study to 252 which is still 2.8 times the projected residential trþs per dáy. the reason for their large reduction needs review. The application also states they will be providing: Base Camp Building of (up to 6,800 square feet), Camper Lodge - sleeping quarters and showers for up 24 campers of Gp to 8,500 rquate feet), Staff Lodge- sleeping quarters for up to 48 staff members (up to 8,500 square feet), Activity Barn- a training and therapy center (up to 14,000 square feet) Caretaker Dwelling- a home for an on-site stafffamily (up to 3,500 square feet) Caretaker ADU- secondary on-site staff unit (up to 2,500 square feet) Guest Cabin- rental cabin for Ascendigo families (up to 1,700 square feet)" This is a potential of (up to 45,500 square feet) and does not include the maintenance equipment and storage building, hay barn, horse and goat barn, an equestrian tack/office and loafing shed they mentioned. They have provided architectural drawings for these additional structures and therefore know their size, which should be included in the total building square footage. The current known square footage of o'up to" 45,500 is equal to l5 homes of more than 3,000 square foot each. For reference I have been told the Walmart in Glenwood Springs is approximately 50,000 square feet. Also, the total count of people living on site could be from 54 on up, which is potentially equal to or perhaps more than what the occupancy of the 15 homes would be. I also must note that after reviewing the applicant's architectural drawings, that while the architect is charming, the scale of the buildings dwarfs the neighboring residential homes. The Base Camp Building is twice the size of my home and the Camper and Staff Lodges are almost three times my home size and the Activity Barn is almost six times my homes size. I also notice the building heights are noted to the mid-point of the roof, which I believe is per Garfield County Building Code requirements, but does not tell the neighbors the true heights of the buildings, which would be helpful. Residential Building height limit is 25 feet and Non- residential fuifOing height limit is 40 feet within Rural Zontng.40 feet to the midpoint of a roof is a tallb-uiidiryr Building heights are also noted to averagã existing grade, which can be deceiving andthe buildings should to be integrated into the site without farge aisturUed areas or retaining walls.One of the buildings presented has a I Ya story tall steep retaining wall behind it, which isexpensive to build, an eye sore and creates a building that does not fit within the nature contoursof the land. The applicant is proposing three lakes on their property in an area classified as a high desertplateau. This is absolutely ridiculous in such a location where water is scarce and a valuable resource. A resource that is drying up in numerous locations forcing residences to dig new wells and/or have water trucked. The three large ponds proposed will losã alargequantityãf water dueto evaporation in our hot and wind climate. While the exact calculation is complex, u orr" percent loss of water to evapontionper day can be substantial. For example a 10,000 þalon pond could lose .01 x 10,000 :100 gallons a day, which is equal to the average per personis residential use of water. On a similar note, an application for a large residential development on Fender Lane across from Wind Walker was withdrawn several years ago due to neighbor's objections about the availability of water and the effects the project would have on the Missouri Heights water table. As a long time member of our community and as an architect I have sat on every side of the development and approval table. I commend Ascendigo for what they are doing for the special needs community. That said I have to say this is not the correct location for their development. It needs to be on the valley floor closer to Highway 82 and emergency medical facilities. The two immediate access points to Highway 82 are both up and down steep windy roads that can be hazardous. I understand they have had at least two other properties, one or both located on the valley floor, under contract but withdrew after neighbor's concems. They are now presenting you with what is probably their third choice, one in a worse location, for your approval. I am sure they are frustrated by their continued search, but that should not justify the current and future impact this project will have on the rural character of our neighborhood. And while other non-residential projects exist in Missouri Heights, as pointed out in their application, those projects are true low and limited impact, and being used to justifi this one is not appropriate. . What projects in the future will be justified by this one and so on? Time to stop this possible chain reaction NOV/! It must be noted that the three existing projects mentioned in the application all are very LOW IMPACT using existing buildings and are not new construction as required for this development. On and on it will go until the rural character of our surroundings on this beautiful plateau is destroyed. It is time to stop the commercial development in Missouri Heights and locate it where it belongs. Doug 0188 Stmset Carbondale, CO 81623 Attachment CHAPTER 4 . MISSOURI HEIGHTS CHARACTER AREA lVllssouri Heights Character A rea trescriFtion The Missouri Heights Character Area harbors a mix of residential, agricultural and open range land uses located above (northJ El febel. Small to medium sized residential lots are located in subdivisions to the:west and south within this area, with larger 35 acre layouts located to the west and north. The terrain is rolling,and the area is quite scenið, with many properties enjoying views of Basalt Mountain, Spring,Park Reservoir, Mount'sopris and poftions of the Elk Range. ,..1 The east€rn half of the character, area encornpasses Basalt Mountain and the headwaters of Cattle Creek and Coulter Creek, which flow west from the ridge that parallels the Frying Pan River. With the exception of a few private inholdings, this part of the character area is owned and.managed by the US Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Managemenl Roads and trails that access the area are primitive. A trailhead at the end of Cattle Creek Road provides public access'to,rpopular,'trail systems on Basalt Mountain. Vegetation in Missouri Heighs reflects topograph¡ climate and the influence of land use. The steep slopes that rise out of El febel are covered with dense stands of pinion iuniper which transitions to a mix of irrigated pastures, natural meadows and large areas of scrub oak as one travels north onto the flatter plateau. Many of the homes in Missouri heights are in,or near areas of high wildfire danger. The higher elevations of Basalt Mountain.to the east suppoft meadows and coniferous and aspen forests typical to the central Rocþ Mountains. There are numerous small streams within the character area, some that flow year round and some that are intermittent. With the possible exception of Cattle Creek and East Coulter Creeh none are Page 33 Missouri Heighæ provides a high quality rural living environment that is geographically' separated from the more dense/intensive Highway 82 corridor. Residents and visitors enjoy quiet solitude, beautiful vistas, access to open space and outdoor recreation. Upper Cattle Creek Road is a primary collecton and is increasingly busy at times, but traffic volumes on neiighborhood spur roads are generally low.'Domestic water resources limit further subd¡vãíon and/or iesidential development'Bicyclßæ frequent local roads, while-developed trailheads provide parking for pedestrian and equestrian access to both BLM and Forest Service lands. Many properties support agriculturøl and/or equestrian land ,uses, and wildliþ in the area ís abundant. Spring Creek Reservoir enhances views, supplies irrigation water to agricultural propertíes and provides valuable habitat for waterþwl. Vision Statement large enough to support trout. The arca drains generally west anrl south. Spring park reservoir is a 250+ acre facility located three miles north of El Jebel on Blue Creek Designeã to store water for irrigation, its level fluctuates significantly from spring to fall. Ditches carry water frorn Spring park Reservoir to agricultural properties throughout the area. Homes and agricultural properties in the Missouri Heights Character Area are accessecl by Upper Cattle Creek Road, a paved "rural major collecto/' that climbs north out of El febel to the MisJouri Heights plateau where it accesses spur roads like Vista Hi Drive, Paseo, Blue Creek Trail and Fender Lane' At Spring Park Reservoir the road transitions to a gravel surface, continuing north and eventually west down the cattle creek drainage into Garfield county (west). Upper Cattle Creek Road is maintained by Eagle County, and the travel surface is in good condition. The road is steep in lome areas and nãs rñany turns that require careful driving, especially in adverse weather conditions. Local residents have expressed concern for safety, ãspeiiatty -itttincreased usage by bicyclists and pedestrians. While ã separated multi-use traii may one äay be consttucted intu the area, no enhancements to Upper Cattle Creek Road are expected during the 2018 review of this planning document Approved subdivisions in the Missouri Heights area include Meadow Mountain Ranch, Aspen Mesa Estates, Fox Run, Red Table Act'es, Aspen Mountain Vtew, Soprls Mesa, Harmony View, Kings Row, Oak Ridge and Los Pinos. There are approximately 400 lots ranging in size from less than 1ãcre to 10 acres, with a predominance of l and 2acre parcels. These subdivisions have been in existence for many years. Approximately 23 single family home lots have been improved since 2013, and fifty-seven [57) platted lots remain undeveloped at the 2018 review of this Þlan. Domestic water for a number of subdivisions is drawn from community wells, treated, and delivered to homcs by privately owned l'systems" operated and maintained by licensed operators under contract with various homeowner associations. Concern for the well-being of the aquifer ttrat underlies Missouri Heights has resulted in the development of sevenal Source Water protection Plans. These plans have been paid for by local HOA's, and provide best management'practices designed to prevent ground water contamination. Wastewater is treated on each lot in Missouri Heights by onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS). Geologic conditions in most areas are,not well suited to septic system functions, and special technologies may be necessary for any new or replacement on-site wastewater treatment system.': Further north,,subdivisions like Spring Park Meadows, Homestead Acres, Spring Park Ranches, Heuschkel Ranches and Ten Peaks Ranches offer lots of 35 acres or larger. Homes in these subdivisions are served by individual wells and OWTS. Many of these properties also support agricultural uses. School children in the area are bussed to schools in Basalt and fire & ambulance services are provided by the Basalt and Rural Fire Protection District, by a station in El febel. Law enforcement is the fccnnncihilitr¡ nf tha Frclo fnrrntrr (hani$F 'l'h^ ^-^^ ia n¡r n*a¡aç+I¡, ^^*.^J L-, ^ ---r^l:^ur¡er rr¡r ^ ¡¡ç q¡ çq ro ¡lur Prçùç¡rLIy Þç¡ vçtt uy d PutIlLtransportation system. Page 34 g. Encourage the use of tlie.County's Conservation Subdivision process as an alternative to 35 acre subdivision where appropriate to preserve productive agricultural lands. ,: h. Encourage open spâce acquisitions that preserve agricultural land uses. Poliry 7.7.3 Encourage and accommodate recreational uses appropriate to thearea, Recommended Strategies a. ,Encourage the maintenance and/or expansion of a local multiuse trail system that provides connectivity between residential areas, trailheads and other destinations. b. Encourage the use of public roads by mountain and road bicyclists,,and support improvements that would enhance safety for theseusers. c. Encourage dispersed recreation on public lands, including but not limited to biking hiking hunting, fishing, camping and sightseeing consistent with currently adopted land management plans and policies. id. Maintain or work to enhance the quality of existing trailheads that access publiclands. e. Where appropriate and determined necessary promote newtrailhead,facilities. f. Strive to secure public access to private and public lands on the eastern shoreof Spring Park Reservoir for hiking and birdwatching. g. Strive to secure an access pointto BLM and Forest Service lands within walking distance of the El |ebel Community Center. h. Encourage open space purchases that expand opportunities for dispersed recreation, as determined appropriate. Poliq 7.7,4 . Review land use compatibility for new developmenl upon and among properties; as well as to achieve øn appropriøte transition of uses withln the context ofthe established area, Recommended Strategies a. Strive to preclude new uses that would interfere with the quiet enjoymentof residential neighborhoods in the area. b. Strive to preclude non-agricultural commercial activities and recreational activities that would be incompatible with residential and agricultural uses in thearea. c. Discourage zone changes or special use permits which negatively impact the rural character of Upper Cattle Creek Road. d. Encourage efforts of local homeowner associations to minimize land use compatibility issues within their subdivision boundaries. e. Encourage best management practices on agricultural lands to minimize compatibility concerns. f, Foster an understanding and acceptance by local residents and visitors ofactivities, noises and odors associated with agricultural land uses. g. Strive to separate or buffer recreational uses from private properties where necessary. h. Strive to provide adequate setbacks and/or buffers between residential and agricultural land uses and sensitive natural areas. i. Encourage Garfield County to adopt zoning standards that would protect the quality of residential neighborhoods, public infrastructure and natural resources located in Eagle County. Page 36 Ggals. Polipies and Recor,nmended Stratqgies The following list of Goals, Policies and Recommended Strategies for the Missouri Heights Character Area have been organized around four planning topics; Land Use. Design. Character & Appearance. and Natural Resogrces & Environmental Quality, : It is important to note that the degree to which a land use proposal conforms/is compatiblc to/with the goals and intents of a master plan document is based on its ability to,mèef the intent,of the Policíes listed under each GoaI of the Plan as well as a measure of land use classification from the FLUM to zoned district (via use comparison). The Recommended Strategies listed under each policy represent only a sampling of actions that could be taken,in order to meet the intent of a policy. It is highly probable that other strategies not listed could be employed to achieve a desired outcome. It is also important to note that except in those instances where responsibility is stated or implied, the list of recommended strategies is generic in tcrms of accountability. While many of the actions appear to fall to local government officials for implementation, there are other agencies, entities, parties and cvcn individuals who may he rlirectly or inclirectly involved. The Plan in this regard is intended to be useful to all who are engaged in planning design, governance and living in the Missouri Heights Character area. 1. Land Use (Please refer to the Missouri Heights Character Area Future Land Use Map IFLUM) and FLUM Designation Classifications in Chapter 7 1ör the for additional guidance) Goal 1.1 The nature of land use in the area provides quality living and ranching consistentwith local values and local needs. Poliq 7,7.7 Stríve to maintøin the qualÍty, density and distributíon.o.f residentÍal landuses. Recommended Strategies a. Seek to limit residential uses to those allowed by current zoning. "': b. Encourage new residential developments that utilize the County's Conservation Subdivision process, while proving the availability of a sustainable domestic water supply. c. Encourage efforts of local homeowner associations to enforce neighborhood covenants related to land use. Poliq 7.7,2 Sffive to maintain the quality ønd distribation of agrlcultural landuses. Recommended Strategies a. Strive to preserve existing agricultural zoning. b. Encourage efforts to maintain viable markets for agricultural products in thc Mid Valleyarea.c. Encourage neighborhood gardens and local food production where appropriateand consistent with Eagle County land use regulations. d. Maintain irrigation rights and associated-irrigation water delivery systems in thearea. e. Promote a horse friendly environment, and provide appropriate equestrianamenities.f. Where determined appropriate, promote the lease of public lands to local land owners for grazing, Page 35 Policy 7.7.5 ,, Reviewnew ønd proposed developmentto the purposes and intents of the FLUIUI for the Missourt Heights,CharacterArea. d. Consult the Future Land Use Map, and consider the summaries provided by the Future Land Use Map Classification Descriptions in the review of any new land use proposal. 2. Goal 2.1 Residents and visitors are provided adequate publicservice¡. Policy 2.7.7 Review new and proposed projecæ to determine adequate lnfrastructure andlevels of service appropríate to the raral residential and agrtcultural chørac'ter ofthe ørea. Recommended Strategies a. Seek to utilize comprehensive and collaborative planning processes to planfor infrastructure or service upgrades. b. Encourage measures that enhance law enforcement, fire and life safety services to all developed properties. Discourage development on properties that cannot be adequately served by law enforcement, fire and life safetyservices. c. Refer to existing Source Water Protection Plans and implement applicable best ; management strategies to protect current sources of domestic water to all properties. Strive to preclude development on properties which cannot prove an adequate and sustainable source of domestic water. d. Strive to protect the integrity and reliability of irrigation water delivery systems. Promote ttaditional fhistoricJ flood irrigation practices to enhance recharge of . ground water aquifers. e. Work with involved agencies and homeowner associations to improve the availability of water for fire suppression. f. Strive to provide adequate enerry and telecommunication services. Support efforts to create a comprehensive telecommunications plan for the Mid-ValleyArea. g. Employ best technologies and practices, where available opportunities exist, during the review of onsite wastewater treatment systems [OWTS). Poliry 2.7.2 Promote appropriøte and fficíentvehicular and pedestrianconnectivity. Recommended Strategies a. Encourage adequate and safe vehicular access to all developed properties and public trailheads, r b. Promote new pedestrian, bike and equestrian trail connections, where :, ii determined appropriate. c. Promote adequate maintenance of all pedestrian, bike and equestrian trails. Policy 2.7,3 Encourage public health andsafety, Recommended Strategies a. Discourage development in areas of high and extreme wildfirehazard. b. Work to reduce wildfire hazards on existing developed properties and on adjacent public lands. Page 37 c, Discourage developuretrt i¡r areas uf geologic instability, includlng areas subJect to swclling subsidence, landslides, avalançhe or clebris flows.d. Identiff adequate access for fire and lifþ-saf'ety services to all developedareas.e. Promote efforts to improve vehicular, pedestrian, equestrian and bicycle safety on Upper Cattle Creek Road, and on neighborhood spur roads.Adequately identiff and sign hike, pedestrian ancl equestrian road crossings. f. Promote leash laws and implement other pet control strategies to keep animals and pedestrians safe. 3. Design. Character & Anpearance Goal 3.1 Site and infrastructure deslgns incorporate the best available strategies for safety, functionality and efficiency- Policy 3,7.7 Encourage site designs that meet or exceed appllcable standards and expectations for øccess, porking, circulation, and energyefficienqt Recommended Strategies a. Promote creative site designs that respond appropriately to thc topograph¡ gcology, exposure, drainage, natural resources and hazards ofthe area.b. Encourage compact developmentthat minimizes infrastructure needs and visual impacts, and that maximizes opportlnities for connectivity and resource sharing.c. Review and periodically update Eagle County Land Use Regulations and local codes to assure adequate and appropriate guidance related to design andlayout GoaI S'2 The character and âppearance of Missouri Heights is preserved in a manner consistent with the values and expectations of local residents, Policy 3.2.7 Protect and/or enhance elements that contrÍbute to the existÍng appearance and character ol the area, (See also relevant strategies listed under Polícy 4. 2. 1., V isual Qualíty) Recommended Strategies a. Discourage new land uses that would negatively impact the rural character of the area, or that'would negatively impactthe quiet enjoyment of residential neighborhoods or agricultural uses. b. Encourage the continuation of ranching, equestrian and agricultural land uses. Strive to preserve rustic buildings, fences, irrigation structures and other features associated with ranching. c. Promote architecture and landscaping improvements that are complimentaryto the area. Support the efforts of homeowner associations to establish, manage and enforce appropriate architect';ra! and landscaping standards.¡;ithin their subdi'"'isionboundaries.d. Encourage the screening of outdoor storage, utility and work areas that detract from the character and appearance ofthe area. e. Maintain a Level of Service (LOS) C on Upper Cattle Creek Road per Eagle County and Transportation Research Board (TRB) Highway Capacity Manualstandards.f. Promote the development and enforcement of dark sþ lighting codes,utilizing International Dark-Sþ Association (IDAJ or similar lightingguidelines.g. Promote a uniform design and appearance of directional signs andmonuments. Page 38 Policy 3.2.2 Support social and culfriral activlties and events that contrlbute to or enhance the residential and agricalfitral character of thearea. Recommended Strategies a: Encourage appropriatelyscaled and locallysponsored events that celebrate rural lifestyles and that foster neighborhood camaraderie and participation. b. IdentiSr and work to protect and/or showcase historic sites, equipment and/or structures. 4. Goel 4.1 The responsibility,for overseeing the protection of natural resourcesis appropriately shared between affected stakeholders, management agencies and user groups. Policy 4.7.7 Foster collaboration and stakeholder input in the development, and implementation of resource management plans. Recommended Strategies a. Encourage involvement and participation of all stakeholders in natural resource assessments and studies, and in the development or update of natural resource managementplans. b. Strive to utilize current studies, resource mlpping and approved management plans in the evaluation of land use and infrastructure improvementproposals. c. Accommodate a variety of opportunities for public participation and input in the natural resource planning proòess. Poliq 4.7,2 Promote understanding and encourøge stewardshÍp of local nøtural resources, Recommended Strategies a. Create andf or enhance educational/informational signage programs attrail heads, in public rights of way and at other recreational destinations. b. Encourage homeowners associations and residents to participate in educational and. stewardship efforts in the Missouri Heights area. c. Encourage ãctivities and programs sponsored by local interest groups or agencies that promote. awareness and stewardship of natural resources Goal 4.2 The quality of the natural environment and the function ofsensitive lands and natural ecosystems is preserved and protected. Poliq 4,2,7 Strive to presewethevisual quality of naturalareas. Recommended Str4tegies a. Identiff and map scenic vistas and viewcorridors. b. Support and encourage the restoration and protection of beaver as a natural tool to preserve and enhance water quality and quantity. c. Discourage development or disturbances in natural areas that contribute to the quality of scenic vistas and view corridors. Preserve and protect the quality ofreservoirs, lakes, ponds, irrigation ditches, wetlands, riparian areas, and natural drainages. d. Strive to preserve and protect rare, unique and/or significant natural plantcommunities. Page 39 c. Eucourage opetr specë acquisitions that preserve natural âteâs.f. Work with involvecl agencies to ensure natural resource manägement plans ancl intiastructure service plans in the Missouri Heights area address the protection of visual resources. g. Work collaboratively with ditch companies, property owners, Colorado,Parks and Wildlife and other stakeholders like the Audubon Society to create and implement a special management plan to preserye the ecosystem attributes of Spring ParkReservoir.h. Review new or redeveloping projects with County ridgeline regulations and discourage structures and/or ground disturbances on steep slopes. i. Encourage efforts to manage local weed and insectinfestations.j. Work to minimize the impacts of fugitive light on natural areas and the nightsþ.k Encourage efforts to develop a comprehensive telecommunications plan for the Mid Valley Area that addresses the visual impacts of transmission lines and wireless communication faciliti es. l. Review proposed designs to encourage camouflage or screen wind power systems, solârarrays and other utilities to minimize visual impacts. Pollcy 4.2.2 Strive to malntøin and enhønce aÍr quallty. Recommended Stràtegies : a. Appropriately encourage open air burning. b. Discourage conventional, open hearth wood burning fireplace installations, encouraging instead clean-burning gas stoves, wood pellet fireplaces or gas fireplaces. Promote programs to retrofit existing appliances. c. Strive to minimize disturbances and agricultural practices that expose soils to the wind for extended periods of time. d. Encourage the prompt revegetation of disturbed areas, consistent with applicable Land Use Regulations. Discourage agricultural practices that expose bare soil for extended periods of time. e. Promote the usc of approvcd palliatives to reduce dust on unpavedroads., Poligt'4'Z,S Strive to preserve ond/or enhance water quantities andwater qualiþ. Recommended Strategies a. Work collaboratively to assure County master plans, land use regulations and resource management plans adequately address water sustainability and quality concerns, and anticipate/work to minimize impacts from climate ' , change on water resources. b. Support and encourage the restoration and protection of beaver as a natural tool to preserve and enhance water quality and quantity. c. Coordinate with the work of agencies and/or organizations that monitor water quality in streams and groundwater aquifers. d. Refer development proposals Lo local water authorities and management entities for comment Incorporate referral recommendations into development plans where appropriate. e. Establish relevant action items of the Roaring Fork Watershed Plan to protect and prcserve water resources. Page 40 f. Strive to protect the quality and quantity of ground aquifers. Refer to existing Source Water Protection Plans and implement applicable best management strategies. Support efforts to increase awareness of domestic source water protection issues, and encourage the development of additional Source Water Protection Plans with assistance from the Colorado,Department of Public Health and Environment. g. Periodically review local building codes to include where appropriate, application of best technologies for water efficient fixtures and conservation. Encourage the retrofitting of existing homes and businesses with water efficient fixtures and conservation methods as opportunities allow. h. Promote traditional (historic) flood irrigation practices on agricultural properties to enhance recharge ofground water aquifers. i. Develop standards that limit the extent of irrigated sod and the use of non-native, water- hungry plantings in residential landscaping. Promote the use of xeriscaping, rawwater imigatiory grey water and other water conservationtechniques.j. Encourage the proper management of on-site wastewater treatment systemsfovWs). k. Encourage the appropriate maintenance of all roadside ditches andculverts. I Minimize ground disturbances and require the prompt reclamatíon of'disturbedareas. m. Encourage water conservation during project reviews to support best practices and methods within design plans. Policy 4.2.4 StrÍve to protect ønd preserve the quality of wildlÍþ habitat and the vÍtality of wildliþ po pulatìo n s. Recommended Strategies a. Coordinate with the efforts and plans of wildlife management agencies to maintain and/ or manage the integrity and quality of wildlife habitats and ecosystems. b. Discourage development and minimize human activities in areas deemed critical by the Division of Wildlife to the wellbeing of wildlifepopulations. c. With guidance from Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials, work to protect critical wildlife habitats and migration routes. d. Encourage leash laws, encourage the use of dog runs and support efforts to educate ' residents and visitors regarding impacts to indigenous animals and.birds from domestic pets. e. Encourage the removal of unnecessary agricultural fencing. Where agricultural fencing is necessary apply Colorado Parks and Wildlife standards for wildlife friendlyfencing. f. Encourage open space acquisitions that preserve wildlife habitats and/or enhance ecosystem integrity. Poliry 4.2,5 Review new development and redevelopment.for determining the appropriaæ maÍntenance of nafiral hazard areøs in an undis&trbedcondition. Recommended strategies: a. Discourage development or disturbances in areas subject to natural geologic hazards, including but not limited to areas of subsidence, unstable or erosive soils, alluvial fans, landslide, debris flow or avalanche run out zones, and floodplains in a natural condition. b. Discourage activities/development in areas of high and extreme wildfire hazard. Encourage ongoing efforts to mitigate wildfire hazards on existing developed properties, including the creation and implementation of community wildfire protectionplans. c. Encourage open space acquisitions that preserve/protect natural hazard areas. d. Discourage disturbances or activities on one property that creates or exacerbates hazards on other properties. Page 41 PalÍcy 4.2.6 Slrive tø protect lands supportlng lmportant or unþue vegetative communitÍes. Recommended Strategles a. Discourage development or disturbances in areas supportingrare, endangered, unique or ecologically significant vegetation.b. Encourage property owners to workwith road maintenance personnel to minimizc impacts to gardens, orchards or other sensitive vegetation on their property from dust control palliatives. c. Encourage approved management activities related to insect and disease control in forested areas. Anticipate and work to minimize impacts from climate change on the forestecosystem.d. Encourage an appropriate setback from streams, rivers, floodplains, wetlands and riparian vegetation, consistent with applicable Land Use Regulations.e' Encourage'open space acquisitions that preserve properties that contain rare, endangered, unique or ecologically significant vegetative communities. PolÍcy 4.2.7 Encourage the contínued cotttt'ibutionof public lands to the quality of, nattrral resources. Recommended Strategies a. Identif,i and work to protect nafural resources that are located on public lands. Assure public land management plans that address community needs andexpectations.b. Promote appropriate pcdcstrian, bike and equestrian access to BLM lands.c. Consider and manage the cumulative impacts of recreation, grazing, resource extraction and other activities on the quality of natural resources and the integrity of natural ecosystems.d. Strive to preserve the configuration and quality of public lands, unless the public benefits realized through a land trade or land exchange significantly outweigh any, negativeimpacts. Goal 4.3 Promote development which incorporates appropriate enerry and resource emciencies. Policy4.3.7 Encourage and/or require the use ofalternative energy sourceq energy efficient desþns and energy efficient fixtures. Recommended Strategies a. Encourage all new construction and re-models to incorporate green building practices, materials and methodologies. b. Evaluate and periodically update building codes associated with energy efficient construction. c. Encourage site and building designs that maximize passive solar energr gains in the winter and solar shading in thesummer. d. Where appropriate, encourage the use of renewable energy sources including solar, wind, geothermal, small scale hydroelectric and biomass.e. Encourage and showcase applications of energy efficient design and alternative energy production. f. Strive to utilize the County's Sustainable Community Index or similar checklists in the evaluation of developmcnt proposals. Page42 PolÍcy 4.3.2 Promote energy efficientliþstyles. Recommended Strategies a. Encourage carpooling a local transit collector and other strategies that help reduce reliance on the personal automobile. b. Coordinate with efforts and activities associated with local food production. c. Promote recycling and reuse of solid wastematerials. d. Encourage activities and programs that help to educate the public regarding energ[¡ efficient lifestyles. Page 43 Glenn Hartmann From: Sent: To: Subject: Attachments: Julie Kaufman <jkaufman@ascendigo.org> Wednesday, April 14,2021 2:56 PM Glenn Hartmann [External] FW: Letter of recommendation From RFSD Letter for Ascendigo .pdf Hello Mr. Hartmann, Attached please find an official letter from the Roaring Fork School District (specifically the Special Education Department) stating their support for the Ascendigo Ranch project. Please feel free to reach out directly to Patrick McGinty, SPED Director for the District for additional information about how Ascendigo supports their programming, and better equips the school district to meet the needs of our disability community. JULIE KAUFMAN DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT ASCENDIGO AUTISM SERVICES, rNC. 818 Industry Place I Carbondale, CO 81623 ¡: 970-618-3880 w: ascendigo.org å1"f vÅTl F¡ç TH f 5PÉ{:TRU t"4 ËûR l|\lnlVtÞUÂLS tVlTH AUf ¡5tç1 From: Patrick McGinty <pmcginty@rfschools.com> Sent: Wednesday, April 14, 2O21,2:33 PM To: Julie Kaufman <jkaufma n@ascendigo.org> Subject: Letter of recommendation From RFSD CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. I hope that this helps. I am open to helping in any way that I can Keep me in the loop Patrick McGinty Special Education Director EXHIBITtl{lâUô.0g Roaring Fork School District 970-384-5992 2 EXHIBIT rtb3o.ôÉ ROARING FORK SCHOOLS April t2,2027 To whom it may concern Ascendigo is an outstanding partner to the Special Education Department of the Roaring Fork Schools. Ascendigo's services for behavior supports are a model of excellence. Their expertise is invaluable when we program for Roaring Fork School students with autism and other atypical cognitive challenges. As an educational partner, we open our doors for Ascendigo's services so that they can have a positive impact in both the home and school environments for our families. By having the Ascendigo team as a part of our school community, our staff are able to learn how to best support our students throughout the school day. Having this professional resource in our backyard ensures that we have some of the most current professional development in our rural area. Additionally, Ascendigo ensures that our students work on key skills identified by the Colorado Department of Education as critical for student success as they grow and transition to adulthood. Families are grateful for this partnership as we work together to model strong school-community collaboration. Specifically, on behalf of the Special Education Department of the Roaring Fork Schools, I express my enthusiastic support of Ascendigo's move to their permanent home. We feel that their educational services pair well with the district's mission to "ensure that every student develops the enduring knowledge, skills, and character to thrive in a changing world." We look forward to continuing and enhancing our partnership with Ascendigo as they grow to meet the needs of our community. Please reach out to me for additional information about our partnership and the strengths Ascendigo brings to our area. Sincerely, Patrick McGinty, Special Education Director omceintv@ rfschools. co m 970-384-5992 400 Sopris Avenue, Carbondale, CO 81623 | {Phone} 970.384.6000 | {Fax) 970.384.6005 | www.rfschools.com Glenn Hartmann From: Sent: To: Sheryl Bower Tuesday, April 13, 2021 4:32 PM Glenn Hartmann FW: [External] Garfield County website inquirySubiect: ,sherul L Bower, Alc? <-/ Community DeveloPment Director 108 8th Street, Suite 401 Glenwood Springs, CO 8160L 970-94s-L377 (L6Osl From : To m J a n kovs ky <tja n kovs ky@ ga rfie ld-co u nty.com > Sent: Monday, April 12,2O2L 6:52 PM To: Sheryl Bower <sbower@garfield-county.com> Subject: Fwd: [External] Garfield County website inquiry Sent from my iPad Begin forwarded message: From: noreplv@formstack.com Date: April 12,2O2L at 4:58:07 PM MDT To: tia n kovskv@ ga rfield-cou ntv.com Subject: [External] Garfield County website inquiry Reply-To: calcvn3@smail.com Garfteld County Subject: Vote No on Ascendigo Development in Missouri Heights (Part One) Name: Cynthia Calvin Email: calcvn3@gmail. com Phone Number: (303) 489-5662 Message: * Tom Jankovsky District 1 Commissioner, https://www.oarfièld-countv.com/board-commissioners/contact-iankovskv/ * John Martin, Garfield County District 2 Commissioner, https://www. qarfield-countv. com/board-commissionersicontact-marti n/ 1 il1 EXHIBIT bôIg * Mike Samson, Garfield County District 3 Commissioner, https://www. qarfield-countv. com/board-comm issioners/contact-samson/ RE: Ascendigo Property Holdings Change in Land Use Application; file no. LIPA-01-21-8826 & PLVA-o1-21-8827 April 5,2021 RE: Ascendigo Development Project Dear Stirling Ranch Neighbors and Missouri Heights Residents and Garfield County Commissioners: My husband and I moved from Denver eight years ago and built a house in Stirling Ranch. We came to this area for the solace, natural beauty and quiet, escaping an urban lifeslyle. We have never looked back and have come to count on the dark skies for star gazing, the quiet mornings and the rural nature of our purposely chosen life. I relay this personal information as it is salieñt to the concerns at hand regarding the potential development of a Ranch/Camp adjacent to our property. We look down on the entire property of the proposed development of the Ranch/Camp of Ascendigo. The Ranch/Camp that Ascendigo is proposing is going to have a very big impact on the rural nature and pristine beauty of this area. Although the Organization has described this as a "summer camp" staff and other individuals will be living in this area year-round. This misleading fact appears to be one of a number of issues that has been troubiesome to the residents of Missouri Heights from the Ascendigo proposal, Overall, they appear to be trying to make a large business enterprise with much building, many different aspects of operatioil anO huge impacts on a rural residential area look like a summer camp, just an educational facility, and just like the other rural ranches in the area. Clearly it is a much larger business operation which does not belong in a quiet residential area. The architects, landscape designers, traffic engineers, water and fired experts etc., who have authored the Ascendigo proposal to Garfield County Commissioners have spent considerable time, money and political capital to demonstrate their intentions for gaining a permit for their Ranch /Camp in Missouri Heights residential area. lt is detailed in the arcñitectural renderings, traffic studies and land use. lf the realities of their proposal exist exactly as they "intend" tht impact on the rural residential community of Missouri Heights will have a very negative impact with respect to the rural culture of the area: traffic impact, noise, lights pollution, ãnd many more people coming and going in this area. Although Ascendigo is calling their proposal a Ranch/Camp it bears no resemblance to the agricultural horse ranches that have existed in this area for multiple generations. To provide education, therapy and better futures for those on the Autism Spectrum is a highly admirable vision and mission. As a Clinical Psychologist, my life's work has been to help noáe who do not have the same opportunities for success as others. I commend Ascendigo's vision and mission. The vision and mission of Ascendigo is not of primary concern to the residents of Missouri Heights. Ascendigo is a non-profit organization that relies on donors and multiple sources of funding to provide the education and complex resources to support the needs of their client population, and administrative and clinical staff. As a professional Consultant and Board member for non- profit organizations, the mission and strategic decisions cannot outrun or outweigh the financial resources and balance sheet of the business. Ascendigo must be run as a business enterprise to sustain itself, irrespective of the vision, and the hardworking efforts of highly trained staif. When financial resources are thin, decisions must be made to meet the balance sheet. This situation could require increased fund-raising efforts, release of qualified staff, allowing projects 2 on the Ranch to stand idle until financial conditions improve. ln the same vein, when financial resources are strong, additional developments to improve the organization can be undertaken, for example, adding staff and/or increasing clinical population adding infrastructure/buildings to accommodate staffìng needs. Ascendigo has not openly acknowledged this reality in the current proposal. At best there are "intentions" given. But we are not given adequate information of how their intentions will change given ongoing realities of running this business. This lack of transparency in the proposal does not engender trust and collaboration among the existing residents with the Ascendigo Organization. While the vision and intentions stated by Ascendigo is not objectionable, Missouri Heights cannot support the business model required for the Organization to sustain itself,...... (Continued in Part Two 3 GIenn Hartmann From: Sent: To: Subject: Sheryl Bower Tuesday, April 13,2021 4:32 PM Glenn Hartmann FW: [External] Garfield County website inquiry .sherul L Bower, AICP<) Community Development Director 108 8th Street, Suite 401 Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 97O-94s-1377 11605l From: Tom Ja n kovsky <tja n kovsky@ga rfield-co u nty.com> Sent: Monday, April 12,2021.6:52 PM To: Sheryl Bower <sbower@garfield-county.com> Subject: Fwd: [External] Garfield County website inquiry Sent from my iPad Begin forwarded message From: noreplv@formstack.com Date: April L2,202L at 5:02:49 PM MDT To: tia n kovskv@ga rfie ld-cou ntv.com Subject: IExternal] Garfield County website inquiry Reply-To: calcvn3@smail.com Subject: Vote No on Ascendigo Development in Missouri Heights (Part Two) Name: Cynthia Calvin Email: calcvn3(Oomail. com Phone Number: (303) 489-5662 Message: Continued from Part One ......Missouri Heights cannot support the business model required for the Organization to sustain itself, while it intrudes on the long-standing rural character of this part of the Roaring Fork Valley. There are too many unknowns for how a non-profit organization of this scope will weather the vicissitudes of the economy and the complexity of running such an Organization. While Ascendigo finds its way forward, the residents of Missouri Heights will be subjected to 1 å ffi (ca[.) EXHIBIT Garfteld County inevitable decline of the natural beauty of their homelands. lt is clear that the Ascendigo Board cannot fully guarantee the true environmental and cultural impact of their Ranch/Camp when they can, only at best, 'project' what may or may not be ahead of them. ln keeping with good financial decision-making, it is very difficult to understand why Ascendigo would take on such a large financial burden of buying 120 acres in Missouri Heights before understanding the forceful pushback by the Missouri Heights Residents against their proposed business venture. I urge the Garfield County Commissioners to candidly consider the many unknown and misleading factors embedded in this proposalwhich cannot be fully addressed or understood at this juncture. On the face of the current Ascendigo proposal, Missouri Heights residents will suffer the intrusion of this development project on the culture and natural beauty of their very residences. What continues to unfold will have irreparable consequences on the lifestyle and love of rural living in Missouri Heights. Our homeland will be irretrievably and forever altered if this development is permitted to go forward. Thank you for your time and consideration Respectfully, Dr. Cynthia Calvin 486 Schooner Lane Stirling Ranch 2 GIenn Hartmann From: Sent: To: Subject: Sheryl Bower Monday, April 12, 2021 2:26 PM Glenn Hartmann FW: [External] Garfield County website inquiry .sherUl L Eower. AlcP<) Community Development Director 108 8th Street, Suite 401 Glenwood Springs, CO 81601- 970-94s-L377 (L6O5l From : Tom Ja nkovsky <tja nkovsky@ga rfie ld-cou nty.com> Sent: Monday, April L2,2O2L 1:47 PM To: Sheryl Bower <sbower@garfield-county.com> Subject: FW: IExternal] Garfield County website inquiry From: no replv@formstack.com <noreplv@formstack.com > Sent: Monday, April L2,2O2I1:07 PM To: Tom Ja nkovsky <tia n kovskv@ga rfie ld-co u ntv.com> Subject: IExternal] Garfield County website inquiry Garfield County Subject: Ascendigo Property Holdings Change in Land Use Application; file no. LIPA-01-21-8826 & PLVA-01- 21-8827 Name. Nikki MacLeod Email: nsmeins@qmail.com Phone Number: Message: Dear Commissioner Jankovsky, I live on Escalante Road which is in the neighborhood next to the proposed development for Ascendigo. ln 2018 we were evacuated from our home in a fury. I have never been so frightened running in and out of our house collecting our belongings as the fire roared on the hillside less than a mile away. We had to leave in the middle of the night and we had to leave fast. ln the last year we have had our water turned off multiple times due to subdivision issues as well as low water pressure. Residents of MH already run into major issues such as fire risk and water issues, I can't imagine this being a responsible place to bring at risk children and adults. 1 Evacuating my family was a challenge, I can't imagine evacuating a large number of people in the case of a middle of the night wildfire emergency. Add the water issues on top, and that alone is enough from my personal experience in this neighborhood to realize this is not a good place for such a large commercial development. Below are more reasons that the Keep Missouri Heights Ruralteam have put together. Please consider all of this in your decision. I have a personal connection to Ascendigo and they do incredible things, but MH is not the right place for that. I am writing to you today with serious concerns that the Ascendigo change in land use application will negatively impact our neighborhood area of Missouri Heights and that the application fails fundamentally to meet the land use standards for change in use in several relevant and important respects as detailed below. Fails to meet LUDC 7-103. Compatibility with adjacent land uses and fails to comply with the Garfield County Comprehensive Plan 2030 Future Land Use Plan which designates this area as Rural single-family "Residential Medium". The development is a high intensity commercial use and includes a dining room area that seats 75 diners and a deck that seats an additional 25 diners; lodging, including housing and guest cottages that sleep near a total of 100 guests and staff. Fails to meet LUDC 7-103. More than 50,000 sq ft of buildings, plus, barns and maintenance buildings are proposed. The uses, activities and improvements are nowhere close to being compatible with the single family rural residential neighbors in either size, scale, or use. Fails to meet LUDC 7-104 and Comprehensive Plan. Ascendigo's stated use of water seems to ignore that over the past three years, neighborhood water supplies have been adversely lmpacted by low pressure, mud/sand infiltration into wells, and zero lack of water pressure during the Lake Christina fire. lts stated plans for ponds and a greater daily population can only negatively affect the available water resources. Missouri Heights does not have the bountiful water access of the Roaring Fork River, but instead relies upon aquifer recharge from rain and nearby snow pack. Water wells tap the underlying basalt rock reservoir. Many nearby water wells have gone dry in recent years: (source 312018 Sopris Sun) https://www. soprissun. com/20 1 8/03i28/when{he-well-runs-drv/. Fails to meet LUDC 7-103 and the Future Land Use Plan. Activities are stated as year-round with proposed high intensity or heavy use for eleven out of twelve months. The "Summer Camp" runs from May 1 through September 20 and includes 100 campers, counselors, maintenance and kitchen staff, administrative staff and other support staff on site daily. Camper "Turn over day" will see even higher numbers of people present, and again during its Winter Camp which runs from January 1 through March 30. Non-camp months will welcome seminars with guests housed at the lodge and dining facilities open and use for other programs. These high concentrations of people and activities is not compatible with the rural single family residential neighborhood that has a low daily population dispersed over large homesites. Fails to meet LUDC-7-103 and Future Land Use Plan. The resulting enormous increases in traffic is not compatible with the current Rural Residential Medium designation and is not compatible with the single-family residential neighborhood. Fails to meet LUDC 7-1O7. "All roads shall be designed to provide for adequate and safe access". Of serious concern is that Ascendigo has requested a waiver from the usual Garfield County road standards. The road is, quite simply, a wreck. Harmony Road is a barely improved farm road with little or no road base. The planned grading of a section of the road by Ascendigo a few weeks before the site visit represents a mere band aid and was done only to disguise the completely degraded surface and road base. Their proposed "chip and seal" improvement is not adequate for the extent of planned use. The proposed development site is located in Garfield County's "Very High" susceptibility index for wildfire. The two roads which are the evacuation corridors from the site, CR 102 to, Katherine Store Road and Fender to Up 2 GIenn Hartmann From: Sent: To: Subject: Sheryl Bower Monday, April12,2021 4:25 PM Glenn Hartmann FW: [External] Garfield County website inquiry FYI .sherUl L Bower, AlcP<,/ Community Development Director 108 8th Street, Suite 401 Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 970-94s-1377 (L6Osl From: M ike Sa mso n <msamson @ga rfield-cou nty.com> Sent: Monday, April L2,2O2t 4:15 PM To: Sheryl Bower <sbower@garfield-county.com> Subject: Fwd: [External] Garfield County website inquiry Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message From: noreplv@formstack.com Date: April L2,ZOZLat4:t2:3I PM MDT To: Mike Samson <msamson@garfield-countv.com> Subject: [External] Garfield County website inquiry Reply-To: MACM @prodiev.net Garfield Counþt Subject: Vote No on Ascendigo Development Proposal (Part One) Name: Mac McShane Email: MACM@PRO DIGY.NET Phone Number: (303) 915-5894 Message: TO: * Tom Jankovsky District 1 Commissioner, https://www.qarfield-countv.com/board-commissioners/contact-jankovsky/ 1 EXHIBIT V4 * John Martin, Garfield County District 2 Commissioner, https://www. oarfield-countv. com/board-com m issioners/contact-marti n/ * Mike Samson, Garfield County District 3 Commissioner, https://www. qarfield-countv. com/board-com m issioners/contact-samson/ RE: Ascendigo Property Holdings Change in Land Use Application; file no. LIPA-01-21-8826 & PLVA-o1-21-8827 Dear Commissioners, Jankovsky, Martin and Samson I am writing to you as a resident of Stirling Ranch in Missouri Heights regarding the requested land use change application from Ascendigo. lt has been concerning to me that this project was being proposed under the overall descriptions of being an 8-week summer camp, a ranch, and an educational endeavor. Recently when I was able to read in more detail the actual proposal, it appears to be much more of a year-round business proposal that houses many more people both during the summer and potentially year=round, would not fit the guidelines of an educational project and has much larger impacts than the existing rural ranches in Missouri heights. I am a clinical Psychologist not a land planner or attorney, but nonetheless I have serious concerns that the application fails to meet the land use standards for change in use in several relevant and important respects as detailed below. Fails to meet LUDC 7-103. Compatibility with adjacent land uses and fails to comply with the Garfield County Comprehensive Plan 2030 Future Land Use Plan which designates this area as Rural single-family "Residential Medium". The development is a high intensity commercial use and includes a dining room area that seats 75 diners and a deck that seats an additional 25 diners; lodging, including housing and guest cottages that sleep near a total of 100 guests and staff. Fails to meet LUDC 7-103. More than 50,000 sq ft of buildings, plus, barns and maintenance buildings are proposed. The uses, activities and improvements are nowhere close to being compatible with the single family rural residential neighbors in either size, scale, or use. Fails to meet LUDC 7-104 and Comprehensive Plan. Missouri Heights does not have the bountiful water access of the Roaring Fork River, but instead relies upon aquifer recharge from rain and water runoff which has been sparser during the ongoing drought conditions we are regularly facing in this arid region. lt is also concerning to have a proposed development with developed ponds for water storage and recreation. Fails to meet LUDC 7-103 and the Future Land Use Plan. Activities are stated as year-round with proposed high intensity or heavy use for most of the year including large fund raisers, concentrated groups of staff, parents, therapists, and "campers". The "Summer Camp" runs from May 1 through sometime in September and includes 100 campers, counselors, maintenance and kitchen staff, administrative staff and other support staff on site daily. The proposed car and truck traffic to support this endeavor is untenable in this rural area with difficult roads and high numbers of pedestrians and bicycle riders through most of the year. Non-camp months are being proposed to have guests housed at the lodge and dining facilities open and use for other programs. These high concentrations of people and activities is not compatible with the rural single family residential neighborhood that has a low daily population dispersed over large homesite The last two summers have been marked by large wildfires directly impacting this area. My wife and I had been evacuated during the Lake Christine fire and witnessed the ovenrhelming fears combined with the extensive traffic jams as cars, trucks and horse trailers vied for road space on these steep and curvy roads. Adding a large concentrated additional population of outside 2 people, some with significant disabilities to this mix is likely to create a much more dangerous situation. This development also does not comply with "Gomprehensive Plan 2030" that strives to preserve rural land and character and encourage more intense development in towns and already developed commercial areas that have adequate established infrastructure. As a psychólogist who has worked extensively with families with children with disabilities in various setiings fóm camps to hospitals, I am a proponent of safe outdoor spaces where therapeutic progrãms can take place. I am also a proponent of having such therapy facilities in places with iheJnfrastructure to deal with the regular emergencies that occur are more readily available' This can include regular ambulance, rescue, and police vehicles called to the scene, many unrelated people gathering and coming and going off the property, All told, Ascendigo ..... Continued in Part Two 3 GIenn Hartmann From: Sent: To: Subject: .sherul L Bower, AlcP <-/ Community Development Director l-08 8th Street, Suite 401 Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 970-945-1377 (L6Osl From: M i ke Sa mson <msa mso n @ga rfie ld-cou nty.com> Sent: Monday, April t2,2OZL 1-0:514M To: Sheryl Bower <sbower@garfield-county.com> Subject: Fwd: lExternal] Garfield County website inquiry FYI Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message Sheryl Bower Monday, April12,2021 10:53 AM Glenn Hartmann FW: [External] Garfield County website inquiry From: noreplv@formstack.com Date: April t2,2O2L at 8:56:43 AM MDT To: Mike Samson <msamson @garfield-countv.com> Subject: lExternal] Garfield County website inquiry Reply-To: iohn rowlevemail@va hoo.com Garfield Cøunqt Subject: Ascendigo Development Name: John Rowley Email : iohnrowleyemail@vahoo.com Phone Number: (970) 379-0936 Message: I am writing to you today with serious concerns that the Ascendigo change in land use application will negatively impact our neighborhood area of Missouri Heights and that the application fails fundamentally to meet the land use standards for change in use in several relevant and important respects as detailed below. EXHIBIT tLoItoô0a Fails to meet LUDC 7-103. Compatibility with adjacent land uses and fails to comply with the Garfield County Comprehensive Plan 2030 Future Land Use Plan which designates this area as Rural single-family "Residential Medium". The development is a high intensity commercial use and includes a dining room area that seats 75 diners and a deck that seats an additional 25 diners; lodging, including housing and guest cottages that sleep near a total of 100 guests and staff. Fails to meet LUDC 7-1A3. More than 50,000 sq ft of buildings, plus, barns and maintenance buildings are proposed. The uses, activities and improvements are nowhere close to being compatible with the single family rural residential neighbors in either size, scale, or use. Fails to meet LUDC 7-104 and Comprehensive Plan. Aecendigo's etated use of water seems to ignore that over the past three years, neighborhood water supplies have been adversely impacted by low pressure, mud/sand infiltration into wells, and zero lack of water pressure during the Lake Christina fire. lts stated plans for ponds and a greater daily population can only negatively affect the available water resources. Missouri Heights does not have the bountiful water access of the Roaring Fork River, but instead relies upon aquifer recharge from rain and nearby snow pack. Water wells tap the underlying basalt rock reservoir. Many nearby water wells have gone dry in recent years: (source 312018 Sopris Sun) https:/iwwvtr.soprissun.com/2018i03/28lwhen-the-well-runs-drv/. Fails to meet LUDC 7-103 and the Future Land Use Plan. Activities are stated as year-round with proposed high intensity or heavy use for eleven out of twelve months. The "summer Camp" runs from May 1 through September 20 and includes 100 campers, counselors, maintenance and kitchen staff, administrative staff and other support staff on site daily. Camper "Turn over day" will see even higher numbers of people present, and again during its Winter Camp which runs from January I through March 30. Non-camp months will welcome seminars with guests housed at the lodge and dining facilities open and use for other programs. These high concentrations of people and activities is not compatible with the rural single family residential neighborhood that has a low daily population dispersed over large homesites. Fails to meet LUDC-7-103 and Future Land Use Plan. The resulting enormous increases in L-^aai^ i^ -^ú -^.^-^¿:Ll-...:¡L ¡L- ^..----¡ ñ.---r ñ--:r--a:-r l¡^-t:---^- -t-_:---__a:udiltu tù ltur uulf tPäuure wrur r"ns uurlef r[ rauf at ñ,estQetìUat tvteQtum aestgnalton anQ ls nol compatible with the single-family residential neighborhood. My family lives on Paseo and this road will end up being used as a primary access as ALL online maps give directions on this route. Our rural road cannot handle any more traffic than it currently has. Fails to meet LUDC 7-107. "All roads shall be designed to provide for adequate and safe access". Of serious concern is that Ascendigo has requested a waiver from the usual Garfield County road standards. The road is, quite simply, a wreck. Harmony Road is a barely improved farm road with little or no road base. The planned grading of a section of the road by Ascendigo 2 a few weeks before the site visit represents a mere band aid and was done only to disguise the completely degraded surface and road base. Their proposed "chip and seal" improvement is not adequate for the extent of planned use. The proposed development site is located in Garfield County's "Very High" susceptibility index for wildfire. The two roads which are the evacuation corridors from the site, CR 102to, Katherine Store Road and Fender to Upper Cattle Creek, have blind spots and right angle turns that impede traffic and do not permit any sort of an efficient evacuation. The Lake Christine evacuation was chaotic and witnessed bumper to bumper vehicles and trailers all in a slow parade out of this area in July 2018. Add another 100, plus people concentrated in one area to ihis mix and there is only disaster in its wake. Accordingly, it fails to comply with "Comprehensive Plan 2030", page 52, Policy 5 vi. Does not meet the definition of "Educational Use" under the Land Use Code. "Buildings and uses for instruction or research activities associated with an academic institution (Emphasis added)..." Ascendigo is not, and has never claimed to be, an academic institution or associated with one. This development does not comply with "Comprehensive Plan 2030" that strives to preserve rural land and character and encourage more intense development in towns and already developed commercial areas that h 3 Glenn Hartmann From: Sent: To: Subiect: Sheryl Bower Monday, April 12, 2021 10:53 AM Glenn Hartmann FW: lExternal] Garfield County website inquiry Sherul L Eower, AlcP<) Community Development Director L08 8th Street, Suite 40L Glenwood Springs, CO 81-60L 97Ù-94s-r377 (L6Os) From : Tom Ja nkovsky <tja n kovsky@ga rfield-co u nty.com> Sent: Monday, April t2,2OZt L0:36 AM To: Sheryl Bower <sbower@garfield-county.com> Subject: FW: [External] Garfield County website inquiry From : nore plv@fo rmstack.com <nore plv@formstack.co m > Sent: Monday, April L2,2O2L 9:45 AM To: Tom Ja nkovsky <tia n kovskv@ ga rfie ld-co u ntv'com> Subject: IExternal] Garfield County website inquiry Subject: Ascendigo Camp ProPosal Name: Susan Cuseo Email : scoutqzo@qmail.com Phone Number: (970) 963-1164 Message: 226 Kings Row Carbondale CO 81623 April5,2021 Dear Commissioner Tom JankovskY, The proposed Ascendigo Camp construction is of great concern to me as a longtime resident of this immediate area. Reading various opinion pieces that support this proposed commercial development I 1 EXHIBIT t7l Garþld Coun4t understand the camp's value but my opposition is not about opinion or autism itself but facts pertaining to our fragile locale. Since examining our Garfield County Land Use Codes, I find this Ascendigo proposal to violate General Approval Standards 7-103 requiring the proposal be compatible with adjacent land uses which this proposal clearly violates. Adjacent are single family homes and ranches in a rural setting. There are no commercial operations even close to the scope of the Ascendigo proposal. The very next Standard,T-104, describes what is required to demonstrate adequate water supply for the cleveloprnent. My contention is that there ls not an adequate wäter supply for the buildings and residents let alone their dream of a2 acre pond. That plan in itself proves the lack of knowledge by the planners. The current residents here would prefer to have that water to drink and, with ongoing well failures, we visualize that as a very realthreat. And then there is fire suppression!As stated in 7-109, Adequate Fire Protection is required. I have lived in this immediate neighborhood since 1980 and have been threatened by 4 fires, evacuated twice. And two of those fires we have experienced in just the last 3 years, 2018 and 2020. Wth ongoing drought and nationally increasing wildfires, "Adequate Fire Proteotion" may be an impossibility and that should preclude any intense development with very limited access. And I refer to7-2Q6lB which requires the development not to increase potential hazard. Ascendigo's plan clearly does not meet this requirement. Also I feel very strongly it is not the right of a new business to develop in a previously commercial-free area and supersede the rights of established area residents. This proposal is a direct threat to the well-being of your constituents. Very Sincerely, Susan Cuseo 2 GIenn Hartmann From: Sent: To: Subiect: Sheryl Bower Monday, April 12,2021 10:41 AM Glenn Hartmann FW: lExternal] Garfield County website inquiry See below -sherul L Bower, AlcP<) Com mu nity Development Director 108 8th Street, Suite 40L Glenwood Springs, CO 81-601 970-94s-L377 (t60s) From: Tom Ja nkovsky <tja n kovsky@ga rfie ld-county.com> Sent: Monday, April !2,2O2L 10:40 AM To: Sheryl Bower <sbower@garfield-county'com> Subject: FW: [External] Garfield County website inquiry From: noreplv@fo stack.com <noreplv@formstack.com> Sent: Monday, April 12,ZOZL 8:39 AM To: Tom Ja n kovsky <tia n kovskv@ga rfie ld-cou ntv.com> Subject: IExternal] Garfield County website inquiry Subject: Ascendigo Name: Michael Armstrong Email : Michael.Armstrong436@comcast. net Phone Number: (970) 963-3808 Message: Dear Commissioner Jankovsky As a Missouri Heights resident within the vicinity of the proposed Ascendigo development I have serious concerns that the þroposed change in land use will negatively impact our neighborhood area of Missouri Heights. ln particular, I have the following concerns' - Traffic planning is vague and incomplete. ln some documents there are references to using Sunset Lane and 1 å tLz Garfield Caunty Paseo Road but they are ignored in other documents. Sunset Lane is an unpaved private road and unlike Harmony Road, there doesn't seem to be any agreement for its use and there is no discussion of maintenance required by increased traffic, particularly during the construction phase. Paseo Road is an unpaved residential street, not designed for extensive traffic, especially considering the dangerous intersection with Upper Catile Creek Road. - In the case of evacuation is there going to be an alternative to the single access onto Harmony Road? None are shown on the maps. - Has water planning taken into account the likelihood of decreasing availability resulting from global warming? ln any case, given the scarcity of water in Missouri Heights it is irresponsible to plan a lake on ihis property. - The document assumes that services are available in the area, but doesn't address the impact, especially on fire protection. This is particularly important given the vulnerable nature of the campers and exacerbated ny tne fact that the facility will not contribute to funding these services. Finally, I question how the vague promises and projections in the proposal will be enforced once the facilities are built and how it will set a dangerous precedent for future development. I request you reject the Ascendigo Proposal Respectfully, Michael Armstrong 2 Glenn Hartmann From: Sent: To: Subject: Sheryl Bower Monday, April 12, 2021 B:18 AM Glenn Hartmann FW: lExternal] Garfield County website inquiry - Community Development .sherul L Bower, AlcP<) Community Development Director 108 8th Street, Suite 401 Glenwood Springs, CO 8160L 97j-94s-r377 (r6}s) From: no reply@formstack.com <noreply@formstack.com > Sent: Saturday, April tO,2O2t 9:38 AM To: Sheryl Bower <sbower@garfield-county.com> Subject: IExternal] Garfield County website inquiry - Community Development Garfield Coanty Subject: Ascendigo Proposal LIPA-01 -21 -8826 Name: Lynne Uhl Email: lynne. uh12@omail.com Phone Number: (970) 948-2888 Message: The proposed Ascendigo development (LIPA-01-21-8826) is in violation of the Garfield County Land Use Code 7-104. This proposal is in violation of the following items in the "Comprehensive Plan": Page 49, Section 7 Water, Section 7.3, SectionT.5, Page 50, Policy 1-ii, Page 52, Policy 5, Policy 5 vi. All of these references require adequate water for development approval. Creating a park-like development in this arid region (NRCS classification of "High Desert") is irresponsible. Please vote "NO" on the Ascendigo proposal. The Ascendigo Engineering Report has incorrectly estimated the amount of water available from their two wells (Levitt Wells #2 a *g). Ascéndigo has estimated double the amount of available water from the test of one well. Ìheir wells are only S0 feet apart - similar to putting two straws in one cup. The amount of water available will not double, but insiead the aquifer will be drained twice as fast. Wells in this area have been running dry since 2013. The Garfield County Land Use Code 7-104 states "all applications for Land Use Change Permits shall have an adequate, reliable, physical, long- term, and legalwater supply". Eastern Missouri Heights does not have the bountiful access of thé Roaring Fork River, but instead relies upon aquifer recharge from rain and nearby snow pack. Water wells tap the undèrging basalt rock reservoir. Wells in this high desert area have been running dry in recent years. lt is irresponsible in this era of climate change and drought to approve this water intensive 1 tLv EXHIBIT t'0ı.oú project. While this is a worthwhile cause, this commercial development is inappropriate in a residential neighborhood, defies existing land use codes and will overburden the limited supply of water. Please vote "No" on this proposal. The Ascendigo development would be more appropriately sited in a nonresidential area with a plentiful water source (near the valley floor).ii!¡ 2 Glenn Hartmann From: Sent: To: Subject: Sheryl Bower Monday, April12,2021 B:17 AM Glenn Hartmann FW: [External] Garfield County website inquiry sherul L Bower, AlcP(J Community Development Director lOB 8th Street, Suite 401 Glenwood Springs, CO 8L60L 97O-94s-1377 (L60sl From: Tom Ja nkovsky <tja nkovsky@ga rfie ld-co unty.com> Sent: Friday, April9,2O2L4:55 PM To: Sheryl Bower <sbower@garfield-county.com> Subject: Fwd: [External] Garfield County website inquiry Sent from my iPad Begin forwarded message: From: norePlv@formstack.com Date: April 9,\OZL atL2:56:57 PM MDT To: tia n kovskv@ga rfield-cou ntv.com Subiect: [External] Garfield County website inquiry Reply-To : beezschell22 loemail.com Subject: Ascendigo APP|ication Name: LEA Schell Email: beezschell22@qmail.com Phone Number: (707) 477-0994 Message: This is a quick note explaining why we are opposed to the Ascendigo Land Holdings applicaiion currently before the Garfield County BOCC. Please note that our opposition is not abbut the populations served by Ascendigo but the proposed location of their future facility. ln fact, we are strong supporters of the Ascendigo work in our community! Our issue with the development is focused on our concern for the health and safety of their potential workers and guests for one primary reason: The high fire danger that exists in this area (highlighted by this * l'?-+g EXHIBIT Garfield Coanty week's Red Flag warnings) and the impending stress on our current firefighting resources. We bought our house in Missouri Heights as the Lake Christine fire blazed just yards from our house. We feared for our and our neighbors' safety that entire summer. The proposed Ascendigo location is not easily accessible by fire or emergency personnel let alone the difficulty it would be to evacuate an additional 100 individuals if/when a Lake Christine event happens again. Such a proposed facility must be located in a space that is easy to access and egress, heavily resourced to handle emergencies, and zoned for tire mitigation. The location in Missouri Heights does not have these features and, therefore, the location is unsafe for workers and guests. Why would we place anyone in this situation when it can be avoided by finding a location that is better equipped to handle the inevitability of aÍire? Thank you for your time! 2 To: Cc: Sent: Subject: Glenn Hartmann From:Sheryl Bower Friday, April 9, 2021 12:06 PM Jennifer Bruno Glenn Hartmann RE: [External] Ascendigo Please Read ASAP Hl Jennifer, Thank you for your comments. we will be thoroughly reviewing the traffic study and an analysis of such will be included in our staff rePort' Regards, ,sherul L Bower, AlcPU Community DeveloPment Director 108 8th Street, Suite 40L Glenwood Springs, CO 81"601 e70-94s-1377 (L6Osl From: Jennifer Bruno <jenbh @gmail.com> Sent: Friday, APril 9,2O2LLL:47 AM To: Sheryl Bower <sbower@garfield-county.com> Cc: G len n Ha rtma n n <gha rtma n n @ga rfield-cou nty'com> Subject: Re: IExternal] Ascendigo Please Read ASAP Dear Ms Bower and Mr Hartmann, Please read th¡s important information about Ascendigo: ** The Ascendiqo Ranch "Traffic Bomb" will force the closurê of Sunsêt Ln. **. 1. According to Ascendigo', ,rbritt"d tt"ffic study, Traffic in the Missouri Heights neighborhoods are set to significantly increase. page 1 2,-fable4 shows a220+o/o increase in daily traffic on Harmony Ln. Fender, Sierra Vista, Upper Cat¡e Creek were somehow not included in the study. But can expect to see significant increases. 2' ln line with Ascednigo's continuous misleading of government officials and the public, buried deep inside the traffic study, page 65, Table 1; you will find a"zero" count for any delivery vehicles to the site. Therefore, it appears they are not included in the traffic count. There will be delivery vehicle trips of food service to feed the 100+ people daily, caterers, vendors, rentals, UPS, Fed Express, DHL, Hay delivery vehicles, etc' None which have been included in the traffìc study. 3. The traffic study however, does include Sunset Ln. Sunset Ln is a private road that is owned and maintained by the current residents. For years, they have allowed a "shortcut" from paseo to Harmony to exist. Ascendigo's traffic study shows, at minimum , ã50o/o increase in traffic to this private road. ln response to this egregious, corporate encroachment, the owners of Sunset Ln. intend to close this road to through access. This willfurther increase the traffic impact on the quiet, rural and dirt roads of Missouri Heights. The',shortcut" may now become Paseo to Sierra Vista to Fender. J'****of important note: The closure of sunset Ln. will also leave Ascendigo Ranch with a single egress point, Harmony Ln, in case of a necessary evacuation from a natural disaster or wildfire. Leaving a Camp full of special needs children and staff with only one evacuation route is borderline criminally negligent. Write to your commissioners, Eagle and Garco, and let Carbondale Fire and Roaring Fork Fire Authority know this is an extremely dangerous public safety violation. All ' of this adds to a growing list of why this is not an appropriate location for this scope of commercial operation. 1 tâUooI å tLb EXHIBIT RËCËåV€Ð 'l\,tr:;: ib* Ìi.?:l¡ 0pcìl ls , zozt €ARTIELD üüË.JruîY hf . 4l'x*fhAn nirond*u^i,ry Duuctîuii,,i orLà Ulfet"s 1)ruø ìs & +a'ltpb w a-.'t d'!u- ry J{^r-{r-lrr*.t (t([\ruççorunt\ fl-,ru h''tl P",pct %,".VeÅ a/t $re- IlnrAøJt, , þ t^)\tn*å5 Y-ÔÚ-/.t- Va-çÇ tIrrlAL d.r\-t' I clnorla-Tø c!^otLO-Jrü- UJì It \o tû!- h;^¿t^ô nnìç tC/VtQ{9 7 5;^ tLp- lbV-z?vb p lqålr-t 4-+ p,.- tn-'r't ¿ FREE . Friday, Aprit 9,2O2.|TIESstNcE 1881.COMActive wildfire seasonctedfor statearn€," Thornpqon said.'\/alerie MacDonald, direetor of PitkinCounty Emergcncy Management, saidthe county was t,he onþ.one in northwçstColorado that didnt experi-ence a sigrriûcant wildûre lastsuillmer.*There is no reason to be-lieve our luckwillcontinue tohold, and eveiyone needs toprepa¡e for wildfire/ she said.oçanded and they are more thar¡ 7s dq¡slonger.\{'e'rehavingfire.parsnot ûresonsand climate changea-:e al-"ering Colorado's for-ests, sientists have sa¡d-SccttCondonTñ;A'ñ-ä;^ olorario homeowners who liveI I whe¡e forests abut civilizati,onI - -likemostoftìeRoaringFork\-/ !-alley - are being urged Ëy ,t".uanil local public safety ofrcials to bucHe upfor anotler pofentially active fire season.\rybrrn tmperåtures; low hnmiility andhigþ winds have already ramped up the firedanger.".After last week, we're in ûre seasonnowi said Roaring Fork Fîre Rescue ChiefScottThompson..Áspen Fire Department already respond-ed to a small wildland fire along MclainFlats Roadwhen abird hit apowerlineWednesday. The firewas snuffed afteritbu:ned one-half acre.Longer-term weather forecasts don tgiræ muchhope for relief. Althougþ rainand snow a¡e in the Roaring ForkValle/sforecast next week, the National Interagen-cySre Center's Predictive Serdces divisionfôræsees warmer a¡rd drier conditions thanaverage for most of Cdorads'smountainsthrough June.'Everything is shaping up tobe the sameas last yea¡ ar¡d that scares the hell out ofRUìIOFF TUORRIESFor rnore on the equallytrurbling runoff outlook inColorado, turn to PAGE 49.Authoriti;es ølreadgr starting to prepøre dueta pørsistent hot aitd drg clnùítionsColo¡ado Gbv. Ja¡ed Polis beld a ne\¡i'sconferenee lbursdaywith top state publicsafety of&cials to discuss the fire outlook. Itwas a soberi¡g m€ssage."Historicaþ wildûre seasc'ns in Colora-do'{ere afour-month period oftimeí saidMike Morgan, director of the ColoradoDivision of Fire Prevention and Control."Since the 19?os, our fire seasons haveFor¡r of'the five largest ûæsin Col,orado's historyhave oc,.e¡rreil in the past threeyears,IuIorCån sâü1, anð ls of thestateic 20 largest ûres haveoccurred since 2O12,Last ¡'ear wa-< tlre'worst for wildû¡es inColorado's history rvith about 6OO,OOOacres burræd. The Carneron.Peak Firedestroyed or darnaged 224, residences ar¡dset a recard foracres burned aI298913.The Bast TlouL.lesome Fire covered 193,812WILDFIREAS