In 2002, the citizens of Telluride voted by a 61 percent majority to conserve for open space and recreation the entire south side of the valley floor that frames the entrance to our historic mining and ski town.
That referendum was intended to end a decade-long fight over development of the valley with California businessman Neil Blue and his San Miguel Valley Corp.
Citizens authorized the town to make Blue an offer on the land and to condemn 560 acres if Blue didn’t agree to sell.
Blue rejected the offer in 2003; the town’s appraisal put the land’s value at about $26 million, while Blue’s appraisal was about double that. So, the city condemned that land, and the issue went to arbitration. Blue would still have retained 232 acres on the north side of the valley floor for development within state and county land-use codes.
For once, it looked liked the citizens’ will to preserve land for open space would prevail. In the “can do” community of Telluride, I believe we can be a beacon to other small communities fighting unwanted overdevelopment and sprawl. Our town’s much-praised and studied historic district has already provided such an example.
But the forces of sprawl, overdevelopment and unsustainability never sleep.
Late last year, three weeks before the start of a valuation trial to determine the price Telluride had to pay Blue for the land, new Mayor John Pryor instead led the City Council into a bad deal to annex the entire 792 acres, completely ignoring the will of the voters in 2002.
This compromise deal includes residential development on the almost-pristine vacant south side of the valley floor. The deal allows 22 10,000-square-foot homes to be built on 49 scenic acres. Telluride currently allows homes of up to 4,000 square feet. Also, Blue would retain title to the remainder of the property (more than 500 acres) through a conservation easement, and Telluride may have to spend $15 million on landscaping and restoration within the conservation easement area. The town must also give away valuable water rights if needed. Blue would give small concessions, including 15 employee-housing units and a school site in a commercial development parcel by the airport.
The annexation plan is before Telluride voters on Feb. 14, and Telluride must vote “no” to stop the City Council in its tracks.
Most important, Telluride must vote to set an example. We must say “no” to an ecological tragedy. We must stand and say “no” to a developer. We must stand for community-owned open space that promotes ecological values, energy sustainability, recreation and that supports wildlife in a key river corridor. We must, as citizens, have a right to preserve our health through access to unpolluted recreation on nearby open space. We must say “no” to those who would continually destroy wildlife, ecosystems, flora and river systems. We must send these overdevelopment gunslingers like the San Miguel Valley Corp. a message.
Tom Tatum worked for the federal Office of Conservation and Solar Energy and the National League of Cities and is now a Telluride filmmaker.
