Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — The first official City Council meeting since the council took a three-week break will begin tonight with a work session discussing budget requests from community organizations.
City Manager Paul Hughes said he expects the meeting will last an hour and a half.
The first proposal council will look at is from the Visiting Nurse Association. The organization wants money from the city to build a new office condominium adjacent to the Yampa Valley Medical Center.
The VNA is asking the city for $200,000 to match the county's increase in the VNA's 2000 budget allotment.
After the city manager's report, the council will review Planning Commission recommendations.
The council will review on first reading two major development permits recommended by the Planning Commission. One of the two, Bear Meadows, will likely be postponed until next week's meeting. The other, called Park Place, looks to demolish the old Routt Memorial Hospital and build 26 residential units on the site.
Herald Stout, the developer for the Park Place project, plans to build eight condominium units and four townhome units. In addition, he plans to sell 14 single-family lots, all of which will be designed by the individual owners. The lots, said Stout, would be designed under a general agreement, or "covenant," that would enforce certain design guidelines.
At the Planning Commission meeting, the panel members were concerned about Stout's ability to hold owners to the design guidelines. Stout, who himself plans to live in the development, noted that after a certain number of units are sold, a homeowners committee would be elected to enforce the guidelines.
The most contentious issues brought up at the commission meeting were a sidewalk easement across Stout's property and the size of the single-family residences.
The easement would make Stout and the homeowners liable for any injuries, a prospect that worried him. After bringing a lawyer to argue his case at the meeting, Stout eventually agreed to the easement in return for "density bonus points," which would allow him to vary the size of his residences.
The size of the residences will be determined by a ratio that allows the house and garage to take up no more than half of the lot. On the largest lot, the house and garage would not be allowed to take up half the lot.
The commission unanimously recommended approval of the development with their concessions. They also recommended a rezone from commercial transitional to multifamily to accommodate the new development.
The council will also discuss the following issues:
* Council will review correspondence between the city and county regarding wildland fires, airport seats and joint meetings.
* The city manager will update the council on the Trailer Haven-Steamboat Springs Health and Recreation Association mediation offer.
* Council will vote on rezoning for subdivisions in the Angler's Retreat and Blue Mountain Subdivision.
* Council will vote on a licensing agreement between Bob Adams Airport and Mountain Flight Service, which has been operating an air charter service and air ambulance at the airport for many years.
* Council will vote on an ordinance establishing and imposing an emergency telephone charge for the payment of costs of operating emergency telephone services in Steamboat Springs and authorizing Routt County to collect the service charge.

To reach Avi Salzman call 871-4203 or e-mail asalzman@amigo.net