RIDGWAY BRIEFS

RIDGWAY – It remains to be seen just what will happen to the land that was approved to house a 72-room, three story hotel and pool complex located at the junction of U.S. Hwy. 550 and Colorado Hwy. 62.

The Planned Unit Developed final plat for the Dreamcatcher Lodge at the Ridgway Hot Springs was approved by the Ridgway Town Council in early 2008. The planned hotel would contain over 41,000-square-feet of guest rooms and an 18,000-square-foot pool area. The review process took almost five-and-a-half years, but for an approval to be finalized, several plat conditions had to be met by the developer, including paying off an outstanding $20,000 bill from the town for related fees and planning work.

A year-and-a-half and four extensions later, developer Stan Kaatz, of Denver-based Kaatz Investments, is left scratching his head as he determines what to do with the PUD on the land he now owns. Kaatz told members of town council at their Nov. 11 meeting that he became the land’s new owner after project’s original developer, Adam Dubroff, defaulted on the loan Kaatz had provided for the project. 
Kaatz told council that rather than “dumping the land,” he would like to consider moving forward with some kind of development on the property he now co-owns with his father and son. He questioned, though, if Ridgway “could support another hotel” during these harsh economic times. Instead, he said he envisions developing housing – not “necessarily affordable housing but not really expensive” housing – aimed toward older folks and people who once lived in Telluride but can no longer afford it. He said the project could still be mixed-use with some commercial units included, and a swimming pool would remain part of the project, but it would primarily be a housing development.

“That is what we are exploring,” Kaatz said. “In order to put this together, we are going to have to take some more time. We have to figure out if we can make it work and how it would work. I am asking the town for more time.”

While most members of town council were amiable toward another PUD plat extension, most believed that if the project were to be shifted to a housing project, a whole new PUD process would have to be started.

“I do think the hotel was a major selling point on the project,” Mayor Pro Tem John Clark said. “I realize the [economic] conditions have changed. But still, even while affordable housing is something we need to address as well, given the location and premise of this PUD, having a hotel is still important to me.”

“An extension is one thing but this seems like it is going to have to be a new PUD,” added Councilmember Rick Weaver.

The existing final plat deadline is Dec. 9, at which time Kaatz will need to decide whether or not to move forward by obtaining an additional extension for the project. If he does pursue another six-month extension, he will be expected to pay the $20,000 owed to the town by that extension deadline, in June.

Competition Garners Over $800 for Skate Park

After holding another successful skateboarding competition at the Ridgway Skate Park this fall, Ridgway High School student Sam Middleton last week presented members of town council with a check for $825 to go toward the completion of the skate park.

Middleton told members of council that the event, which was held on Sept. 10 and brought skaters from around the region to compete in three different ability categories, was a success. It was the third year a skate competition was held to raise money to finish the skate park located across the street from the Chipeta Sun Lodge in Solar Ranches.

Further plans for the skate park include street skating obstacles that include stair sets, handrails and other street-style features.

Ridgway Fire District Looking For New Location

The Ridgway Fire District is growing out of its current firehouse at 421 N. Railroad, said Randy Gardner, a representative from the department.

Gardner told members of the Ridgway Town Council on Nov. 11 that the fire district’s building is “at an end” and that they are looking for a new, more convenient location to build a bigger firehouse.

“At first we were looking at enlarging our building,” Gardner said. “When we started talking back and forth on it we decided that it’s maybe not an appropriate location to grow in. We are looking at potentially moving in the next four to five years.”

According to Gardner, the current firehouse location next to the Ridgway Community Center often does not provide enough parking for the fire fighters, and with the amount of school kids and families on that road, another location may be a safer location. He also said that when a truck is responding to an alarm, turning onto Sherman Street is a “nightmare” unless they have a Ridgway Marshal there stopping traffic.

While he said they have no other location in mind, they would like to move onto a property with one or two acres available and one that has more than one or two entrances or exits to it.

“We haven’t locked anything down yet,” Gardner said. “We wanted to give you a heads up on this.”

Gardner also told council that the town has the first right of refusal on the current fire department property and that the property would have to be sold before another location could be purchased.