Will Buzzerd

This summer Carbondale Police Department and Public Works have made electrifying new strides in sustainability by adding several new electric vehicles

As Stage 2 fire restrictions kick in in Garfield County, wildfires push the air quality index into the triple digits and emergency calls steadily

During this week's meeting, Basalt Town Council continued a hearing for an application to build a split commercial storage and residential development at 555 Basalt Avenue for a third time. The project has proven to be a tough sell over the past several months.

A new, smart irrigation system is now fully operational at Crown Mountain Park that can slash the mid-valley park's water usage by 20% to 30%, or tens of thousands of gallons of water a day — coming not a moment too soon during a historically dry year.

During this week's meeting, Basalt Town Council was presented with a final report from the City of Aspen estimating that Basalt will need an additional 299 units of housing over the next 10 years in order to keep up with regional growth. In addition, the council unanimously and eagerly approved the first reading of the final plan PUD for Black Mountain, a 76-unit development at 431 Emma Road.

Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet testified on July 15 before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining in support of the Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection (GORP) Act. This marked the first time the bipartisan bill — designed to protect over 730,000 acres of public land just over McClure Pass — has received a public hearing.

An application for the construction of a residential and commercial storage development at 555 Basalt Ave. has, after many alterations at the behest of Town Council, been approved for a second reading and public hearing on Aug. 25. After an hour of deliberation on Tuesday, the council approved the application on first reading by a narrow vote of 4-3.

During this week's regular meeting, the Basalt Town Council held second readings and public hearings for two new residential developments, voting to continue the hearing for one and approving the final plan for the other.

In early July, Harvest Roaring Fork, LLC resubmitted its application to construct a freshly rearranged Harvest Village, a 1,500-unit subdivision along Highway 82 between Carbondale and Glenwood Springs, after its application was denied in March of this year by a vote of 6-1. A hearing for the new application is yet to be announced.

During this week's meeting, Basalt Town Council held a public hearing and introductory meeting for a possible 93-room Residence Inn by Marriott on the property of the former Movieland theater. Council was asked to consider a potential three-story, extended-stay hotel in El Jebel, as well as three onsite deed-restricted dwelling units designed for employees.