Despite Approval by Town Council, A Question Mark Still Hangs over The Meadows
By Sterling Quinton
Buena Vista has come to represent a kind of stage upon which the tensions of small-town politics and development pressures now tangle in the increasingly murky waters of a vast economic slump.
Standing front and center in the most recent controversy is the annexation of a Planned Urban Development (PUD) known as The Meadows. The Meadows, projected to encompass 277 acres, currently lies just outside of Buena Vista’s northwest limits. Its owner, and aspiring developer is John Cogswell, who came to the development game late after his career as a trial attorney, which spanned several decades.
Cogswell conceived the idea for The Meadows in 2004, hoping to apply elements of New Urbanism design to the project. This essentially means the development is to include high-density, multi-use structures (with 715 new residences), encourage walkability, allow for over 110 acres of open space lined with public walkways, provide fishing access along Cottonwood Creek, and have a Community Supported Farm at its center.
But almost immediately Cogswell encountered stout opposition. After several stages of costly planning the annexation of The Meadows was approved by the Town Council. Shortly thereafter, a petition process was launched by several residents to challenge the council’s decision, which resulted in the annexation going to popular vote. Both sides volleyed vigorously for the favor of residents. The opposition maintained that the development threatened Buena Vista’s water security thanks to a “cash-in-lieu-of-water” scenario proposed in the original application. Those supporting the development argued that such concerns were unfounded and that cash-in-lieu-of-water was a viable approach to satisfying the water needs of both the town and The Meadows.
Emotions were tense on both sides of the debate. Mayor Cara Russell spoke out in the Chaffee County Times days before the election. She claimed her column was an attempt to help clarify the issues for voters, but supporters of The Meadows took it as an obvious attempt to rally the opposition. The annexation was eventually defeated by a narrow margin. Days later the Council attempted to unseat the Mayor because of her article. They eventually backed off.
Shortly after The Meadows’ defeat, the town requested that Cogswell resubmit his application with changes to the water plan. He did so with a three-pronged scenario that would fall under the jurisdiction of a newly established Metropolitan District. In the new plan, The Meadows would provide water via 115+ taps currently at its disposal, the proposed Metro District, and through use of its raw water rights. In November of 2009, the Council unanimously approved the annexation, giving Cogswell the green light. But once again the opposition stepped forward, arguing that the water plan, as proposed, was still insufficient.
In an attempt to inform and possibly forestall the costly process of opposition to the town-approved project, now heading into its seventh year, the council issued a document on its behalf addressing frequently asked questions regarding The Meadows’ annexation. More than half the questions focus on concerns regarding the water. The average reader would conclude that the Town Council is satisfied in its position and has minimized its risk to the extent possible. Nevertheless, if the opposition acquires the necessary signatures and submits a legally sound petition, residents of Buena Vista will be asked to return to the polls this spring. What happens then is anybody’s guess.
Cogswell, clearly fatigued by the process, says he’s uncertain what the outcome would be.
“I have no expectations,” he said, adding immediately, “I’m told by various people, however, that they do think (the annexation) will pass this time.”
Sterling Quinton lives and works on the farms located at the Cottonwood Meadows.Cow Mutilations Have Authorities Baffled
SAN LUIS – A series of mysterious cattle mutilations that occurred near the town of San Luis have ranchers concerned and authorities baffled.
A rancher discovered four of his calves dead in early December, with no signs of an attacker such as footprints or tire tracks which would indicate poachers, nor blood or drag marks which would indicate a natural predator.
The animals had their organs removed from the rib cage and one had its tongue sliced out. The Costilla County Sheriff’s Office investigated the mutilations and could not figure out what had killed the calves.
There have been other cattle mutilations in the Southern San Luis Valley as recently as March 2009 and others found recently near Trinidad.
The rancher sold the remainder of his calves for fear of them finding the same gruesome fate.
An area UFO chaser, Chuck Zukowski of Colorado Springs, has investigated the scene and has been updating the story on his website, www.ufonut.com.
Body Found in Custer County Still Unidentified
WESTCLIFFE – A woman whose body was found in rural Custer County has yet to be identified.
Her remains were discovered in November 2009 by a passing motorist on rural stretch of road. An autopsy suggested the woman had died of foul play.
Police say the woman had dark hair, was white or Hispanic in her 30s or 40s and was from 5 feet 3 inches to 5 feet 6 inches tall and about 190 pounds, according to the Custer County sheriff’s office.
Sled Dogs Seized
HARTSEL – Authorities discovered six dead dogs, and seized another 30 who were starving from a company called Pawsatrack Racing Sled Dogs near Hartsel in Park County in mid-December. Another 70 dogs were taken by animal protection authorities.
The owners, Sam and Diane Walker, are being investigated for possible animal neglect charges.
Colorado State Veterinarian Keith Roar described the open-air kennels as “deplorable.” The surviving dogs have been sent to animal shelters statewide and will be available for adoption once their health improves.
Top-level Changes at Area Schools
Salida school superintendent John Rouse tended his resignation at a Dec. 15 school board work session, according to the Mountain Mail.
Rouse, originally from Texas, has been superintendent since 2007 and has been offered a job at a private college preparatory school in Bryan, Texas.
Meanwhile the Buena Vista school board ended its search process for a new superintendent on Dec. 14 by deciding to keep interim superintendent Robert Crowther for another year, according to The Chaffee County Times.
In Moffat, parents, teachers and students protested the firing of Moffat School principal Michelle Hashbarger by the superintendent Charles Warren. Hasbarger, who had been principal for over a decade was supposedly fired on the grounds of “insubordination,” according to The Crestone Eagle.
Protesters at a Nov. school board meeting wanted more explanation for the firing, but got none.
Valley View Hot Springs Donated to Land Trust
VILLA GROVE – 350 acres of land has been donated to the Orient Land Trust (OLT) on the west slope of the Sangre De Cristo mountains near Villa Grove.
The donors, Neil and Terry Seitz, were also the founders of the OLT that includes the clothing-optional Valley View Hot Springs, which they operated from 1979 until 2004 when management was turned over to the Land Trust.
Along with the recent acquisition of two additional parcels totaling 320 acres, the total acres being permanently protected by OLT are now 1780.
Editor and Publisher Magazine Axed
A magazine that has served as a watchdog for the journalism industry since 1884 has been axed by its parent company, Nielsen Business Media (NBM).
Editor and Publisher (E&P) covered the newspaper industry for over a century and won many awards and acclaim over the past decade for its critical reporting.
NBM had put some of their forty-some magazines on the auction block recently but did not offer E&P as part of any sales package. In 2006 NBM was acquired by a group of six equity groups including the Carlyle Group, a group that has questionable ties to the Bush and Bin Laden families.
The magazine, which had been making money since 2003 after a period of decline, has a popular and influential website which will also be shut down at the end of 2009.
The decision to shut down the magazine was made to “allow us to strengthen investment in our core businesses – those parts of our portfolio that have the greatest potential for growth – and ensure our long-term success,” according to Neilsen President Greg Farrar.
No Officer, I’m Really Him
KEYSTONE – A woman who claimed to be undergoing a sex change was arrested at Keystone resort after she was caught trying to use a man’s ski pass.
After the Summit County Sheriff’s Office contacted the man whose name was on the pass, he fessed up that he had given it to the woman.
She was arrested on charges of criminal impersonation and theft.
Classified ad found in the Mountain Mail on 11/17/09:
Found: Very young cream colored kitten on Saturday Nov. 14th, 5 a.m. It was rolling around in the road with a crushed can of Friskies cat food stuck on its head. I got the can off, was scratched to pieces, but hope your cat is ok. And yes, I was up that early driving around in a snowstorm because I deliver newspapers.
