By Shannon Lukens.

 

A Conceptual Review request to the City of Steamboat Springs for potential annexation of an area around Butcherknife Canyon has been completed. It would be for housing and an open space area, on the corner of N Park Road where it turns to head over to the Strawberry Park on Strawberry Park Road. Right now, it is in the county, and bordering city limits.

 

The area would potentially include 39 lots with 78 units.

 

Laura Stout is the principal owner of the property for 28 years. She says this is all very preliminary and she is not sure when the application for annexation will be submitted.

 

She says her number one goal is to do what is best for the community. She says she plans to offer about a 16-acre portion of the parcel to the City of Steamboat Springs. It’s the part that includes Butcherknife Canyon and Butcherknife Trail to the schools. Stout says that it is important to her that the trails are always available for kids to get from Old Town to the schools, just as her kids did.

 

Stout tells Steamboat Radio News, “We understand that this can be a long and often difficult process, but we are committed to standing by our overarching goals for the property, ones we believe will serve both those who wish for more housing and those who wish to preserve open space. This development is too great an opportunity to handle haphazardly, and we would hate to lose the possibility of a win-win for both the city and the people of Steamboat Springs. We feel hopeful about this collaboration moving forward, and the knowledge that all parties involved want what’s best for this community.”

 

Stout also says she has no plans to sell the property right now to start developing. She just wants to explore the possibilities, as she always wants to continue living on the property.

 

Here is more from the application for the Conceptual Review. 

Comments on the application say, “Looking to get a consensus for the potential density and uses for Butcherknife Canyon Annexation.” This is at 804 and 630 North Park Road, just northeast of Old Town.

 

The 24.14-acre property consists of four smaller parcels, is listed as being owned by Franklin Holdings, LLC, managed by Laura Stout.

 

The request was to get a consensus from City Staff on the optimal density for the project, at which point Brooks Design/Build will do a Traffic Study, Water Demand Study, and Economic Impact Analysis.

 

Brooks Design/Build says they are proposing to annex the property into the City of Steamboat Springs, requesting a zoning mix containing Residential Neighborhood 3 and Open Space & Recreation.

 

The Proposed Improvement says the future neighborhood would have sidewalks and it would have a safe route for kids to get to the schools.

 

The Strawberry Park Group which is the HOA says they are opposed to developing six lots that are proposed on the Amethyst Drive side of the canyon.

 

An Historic Preservation Review was submitted by Caitlin Berube-Smith, the Historic Preservation Planner with the City of Steamboat Springs. She wrote that if the property were to be annexed, any existing structure over 50 years old would be formally evaluated to see if it meets the criteria of being added to the Steamboat Springs Register of Historic Places.

 

The property is one of the original ranching properties closest to Steamboat Springs. The oldest structure on the property was built in 1920. A stock shed and  porch were added in 1948 and a detached garage in 1959.

 

Stout says she would definitely want to save the original house on the property, even if it means using it as an amenity in some way, or moving it in a better spot on the parcel.

 

Colorado Parks and Wildlife has assessed the potential wildlife impacts with an on-site evaluation. Kris Middledorf writes that the proposed project is in a Category 5 Crucial Habitat area for the Columbian Sharp-Tailed Grouse Winter Range, and it is next to an Elk Production Area, which would request no human activities during certain times of the year. CPW also asks that workers and contractors not bring dogs on site during construction because of the wildlife in the area. Any garbage must be kept in bear-proof containers.

CPW recommends proper education and precautions to reduce unnecessary conflicts between people, pets, and wildlife. Due to the potential for human-wildlife conflicts associated with this project, please consider the following recommendations:

•  Ban workers, contractors, and users from bringing dogs on site during the construction period. CPW has had problems with pets harassing wildlife in the past. This project is in known moose, elk, and mule deer, mountain lion, and black bear habitat, among other species.
• Utilize completely enclosed IGBC-certified dumpsters for the duration of construction. All garbage must be kept in bear-proof containers, and disposed of on a regular basis to eliminate attractants for wildlife.
• Do any and all construction on the property after July 1, and before September 1st to reduce the potential conflicts with newborn, and mating, wildlife.
• Prohibit the use of artificial light at night.
• Keep sound levels to a minimum, and attempt to reduce noise towards the creek.
• Landscaping fabrics or erosion control materials should be natural, native materials and pose a low risk of entrapment or damage by wildlife.
• Conduct surveys and treat invasive weed species both prior to construction and after construction has been completed. Utilizing locally-sourced, or certified weed-free fill will help mitigate this.
• Avoid amenities such as dumpsters, trails, benches, picnic tables, or other amenities that draw people toward the creek, which is a high use area for wildlife.
• Develop a native landscaping plan incorporating native shrubs and forbs while avoiding fruit-bearing trees or any toxic or dangerous species.
• The permanent capture and prevention of runoff of the identified sediment, sand, grit, and salts, – Vehicular pollutants (Oils, antifreeze, carbon deposits, etc.), – fertilizers, nutrients, pesticides, and herbicides.

 

Bob Keenan is the Principal Planner with the City of Steamboat Springs. He responded to Brian Hanlen with Brooks Design/Build, Inc. on April 30, 2024, from the Development Review Team. Keenan said this is just a Conceptual Review and that a formal annexation application has not yet been submitted to the City Clerk’s Office. When that happens, they will receive more feedback on the potential Butcherknife Canyon Annexation.

 

In a statement to Steamboat Radio News, Laura Stout writes:

In developing this property, we are seeking a balanced approach in our collaboration with the city in creating a natural extension of the Old Town streetscape (with continuing/improving the pedestrian experience), providing a mix of housing types for future residents, while still preserving large portions of the property as open space.

Provided this balanced approach is achieved, our intention is to donate the land with Butcherknife Creek, the trail, and the cliffs to the City of Steamboat.

We are in the process of navigating the (often competing) goals of the City of Steamboat for workforce housing and preserving open space. We are proposing a significant percentage of the 24.12 acre property to remain as undeveloped open space (currently approximately 48% of the total area).

If additional constraints are imposed, we will have to reduce that area to be able to create additional opportunities for density.

Our plan is to donate a portion of the land along Amethyst, which could be utilized to build teacher housing for the Steamboat Springs school district.

Additionally, our goal is to preserve the historic structures on the property (which may require relocation).

Having owned the property for over 28 years, I have observed how kids (including my own) walked to school and I know this can be safer by creating sidewalks through the proposed neighborhood that keeps children off County Road 36.

We understand that this can be a long and often difficult process, but we are committed to standing by our overarching goals for the property, ones we believe will serve both those who wish for more housing and those who wish to preserve open space. This development is too great an opportunity to handle haphazardly, and we would hate to lose the possibility of a win-win for both the city and the people of Steamboat Springs. We feel hopeful about this collaboration moving forward, and the knowledge that all parties involved want what’s best for this community.