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Commission continues review of Tree Farm proposal

Elise Thatcher

A group of Roaring Fork Valley officials has continued its review of a large development project for the mid valley. For several months the Roaring Fork Regional Planning Commission has been examining the project, which is being proposed by landowner Ace Lane.

On Thursday night, Commissioners were scheduled to decide whether to support or oppose it. The proposal is for up to 400 residential units and more 100,000 square feet for commercial use. The developer has packaged the project to be bus and bike friendly, with lots of open space.

“This isn’t the only development in our valley that’s going to happen,” said one Basalt resident. “We can say hey, ‘let’s go a little smaller, we don’t need to max everything out.’" He was one of around 90 people who came to the meeting, packing the room at the Eagle County Community Center in El Jebel.

The vast majority of those making public comments spoke against the project, with many concerned it would further aggravate issues with traffic on Highway 82, as well as overwhelm local schools and other infrastructure. “I represent the new generation, the millennials,” said El Jebel resident Cory Ross, who was one of very few who said they supported the Tree Farm proposal. “We’re the ones that like this style of development. It’s small, it’s compact. You talk to my generation, we all have four, five roommates. Just so we can live here.”

The size of the overall project is, in many ways, the crux of the issue. The developer got initial approval in 2009, then put the project on hold during the recession. When it was reviewed again by Eagle County last year, the developer had significantly increased the number of units and commercial space, but the County decided it didn’t need to start the review over all over again.

That got a lot of criticisms at Thursday’s meeting, where attendees also urged commissioners to require the developer to build more affordable housing. That included Basalt Town Manager Mike Scanlon. Right now, the developer proposes about forty units, but with the guarantee that they be built right away. Usually it’s required over the timeline of the development, which is fifteen years. Commissioners will take up that and other issues when they continue reviewing the project on October 22nd.

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