Strawberry Park Group
P. O. Box 772464
Steamboat Springs, Colorado 80477
October 20, 2017
The annual meeting was held at the Euzoa Church in the barn sanctuary.
Soda Creek Ditch Company.
The Ditch Company held its annual meeting just before the Annual SPG Meeting 4:30-5:30
Annual Potluck Get-together from 5:30
Strawberry Park Group Call to Order: President Mike Cook opened the meeting at approximately 6:30 p.m. He welcomed all members and guests.
Self Introductions were made by all attendees.
Minutes of 2016 Annual Meeting- It was moved, seconded and unanimously approved to accept last year’s minutes.
Secondary Units- Ben Beall reported on the status and distributed handouts on the topic. (attached) The county has changed several of the regulations since our last meeting. These changes are all described in the attached document. Despite the fact that the main change is allowing a secondary unit with 5 acres, down from 35 acres, there are several regulations that will still regulate opportunities: width of driveway, unit must be attached to primary unit, increase in water use may require purchase of “ augmentation water”, upgrades to septic system. Please see attachment.
Forest Service Trail Improvements on Buffalo Pass - Ben Beall then led discussion. The following information came from Kent Foster of the Forest Service:
In short, approximately half of the trails were completed or retrofitted to be put on the USFS system this summer, and the other half next summer (hopefully).We are also working with the City of Steamboat Springs and Routt County Riders to completethe Spring Creek alternate trail.
Dry Lake Parking Lot and Campground – Expansion of the campground and improvements to the parking lot. The Forest received funds from the Region – planning/engineering in 2018, implementation in 2019, 2020. Hoping to double the size of the campground, with improvements to the parking lot. We don’t anticipate a large increase in capacity of the lot, but better flow. With the Trails project, a toilet facility will be installed.
Buffalo Pass Road – we have had plans in place for continued improvements to the road, but funding has lacked. The FS will continue to pick away at heavy maintenance and improvements (primarily gravelling) as funding allows. No large project is on the horizon at this time. Another management issue is the dispersed camping impacts. We have been collecting data and monitoring the growth of this, and are looking at some short term regulation changes, while considering larger changes (e.g. maybe designate specific dispersed sites?)
Winter Recreation – this includes use and parking - Tim Rowse met with us, along with Kent and Eric from Powdercats. He is interested in getting folks together (stakeholders) to help with the conflicts during the winter months. Hopefully he will garner support for a working group. No new ideas came out of the meeting, and there may need to be a management change in the future, but no changes proposed for this winter.
Elk Park Road - This analysis will hopefully get concluded this winter. Any options to have another motorized access that were mentioned in the scoping letter are not under consideration, so the decision will either be to improve the road in the existing location or close the road to motorized use, or possible make a trail. We will keep you all in the loop on timing, but we want to wrap the analysis this winter.
There was general discussion that the trails are being built using Accommodations Tax Funds, and there is a Maintenance Endowment Fund that is meant to cover long term maintenance. Marilyn McCaulley expressed three concerns with the development on Buffalo Pass: 1- bear and moose problem near campground with increasing numbers of people, 2- ultimately the campground is going to be expanded to three times its current size, and 3- issues and dangers with the advanced biking trails merging with multi-use trails.
Traffic - now have the flashing speed sign. It is not a permanent fixture. It will be rotated around the county at 3 different locations. Linda Kakela asked if we might contact the County and offer to purchase one as a permanent fix here in Strawberry Park. Can a camera be attached as well? Mike said he could make a call.
Montessori Charter School has gone away from the Park. They have remodeled their present location to suit their needs at the old Heritage Christian School.
Steamboat Mountain School – Marta Miskolczy, Director of Marketing, gave a report on status of the school
Construction is almost complete with 3 classrooms and gallery space upstairs and new student recreational space downstairs. Of the $2M capital campaign, they have received 50% of the funds thus far.
55 students last year and 62 this year with 50% boarding students and 50% day students. More skiers again are attending the school. Once again, she invited all neighbors to come by for Tuesday community dinner night from 6:15-7:00. Contact Meg in advance at . Asked about traffic and vehicle use, Marta shared that they have 2 new “people movers”. Only seniors can have vehicles of which there are 3 this year. Additionally, they encourage day students to use their shuttle to town/Howelsen.
Nominations for SPG Board Members for 2016-2017:
Past Board members who have offered to serve for another year: Mike Cook, Laura Frey, Bette Van Dahl and Butch Bowers. Ben Beall, Annie Kakela and Don Johnson
Tim Rowse has chosen to retire. Russ Cowart was not present to discuss his serving on the Board another year. After the meeting, he was contacted and agreed to retire from the board, offering to serve another time.
Marilyn McCaulley offered to serve sometime in the near future.
Scott Owens, who lives in Soda Creek Highlands has offered to serve which is great to have representation from that neighborhood. Kurt Casey also stated that he was interested in serving.
The following Board members were nominated to represent the membership and were unanimously approved:
Mike Cook, Ben Beall, Anne Kakela, Butch Bowers, Scott Owens, Laura Frey, Bette Van Dahl, Don Johnson and Kurt Casey.
Other:
Jack Taylor stood to share with the group that “there is much confusion over the construction on my property at the end of the road”. He stated that the building is his barn and that he still plans to build a home on the property. He stated that the intent of the building is to house agricultural equipment and an office for his affairs. The County has determined that the building is a garage and enforced the regulation that he pay for a building permit. They are fighting that requirement.
Adjournment:
President Mike Cook adjourned the 2017 Strawberry Park Meeting at 8:00.
Attachment
Strawberry Park Group Annual Meeting Information on
Secondary Units in Routt County
October 20, 2017
Secondary Unit Fact Sheet adopted from Routt County Planning Department Fact Sheet at http://www.co.routt.co.us/DocumentCenter/View/5616
In November 2016 the Routt County Board of Commissioners
voted to modify the regulations that govern secondary dwelling units on property in unincorporated Routt County. In order to improve clarity with planning and development, the County has developed this reference guide that summarizes
the requirements for secondary dwelling units’
PLANNING DEPARTMENT:
Secondary dwelling units
In Routt County are subject to the following Planning Department regulations:
· Property must be /Forestry (A/F) or Mountain Residential Estates (MRE)
In order to determine the zoning of your property, contact the Planning Department at (970) 879-2704.
Note 1: The majority of parcels in Strawberry Park are zoned A/F with a one unit per 35 acre restriction. However, Strawberry Park has many parcels that are less than 35 acres and are grandfathered.
Note 2: There are a number of subdivisions in Strawberry Park with the MRE Zoning i.e. Soda Creek Highlands. If you have any questions contact the Planning Department at (970) 879-2704.
· Property must be at least 5 acres
· The property currently must be vacant or have only one dwelling unit on it.
· The Secondary Dwelling Unit must be no larger than 800 square feet.
· Primary and secondary dwelling unit must be served by a driveway at least 16 feet wide.
Note 3: Most existing driveways to single family residences are required to be only 10 feet wide.
· If your property is more than 5 acres but less than 35 acres, a secondary dwelling unit must be attached to the primary dwelling unit.
· If you have 35 acres or more, the secondary unit may be detached but must be within 300 feet of the primary unit.
DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES:
The Colorado Division of Water Resources (DWR) recently released a guidance document (Guideline 2016-1) concerning water supplies for secondary dwelling units. This document is intended to lay out the DWR’s stance on supplying water to prospective secondary dwelling units. Please get in touch with the local DWR office at
(970) 879-0272 or at the above website to make sure your well or water rights can accommodate a secondary dwelling unit.
Note 4: Soda Creek is “over appropriated”. Most parcels in Strawberry Park have been granted a permit for a “domestic well” for a single family residence. If a secondary dwelling unit is added you may need to purchase “augmentation water” to replace the increase in water to be used.
BUILDING DEPARTMENT:
· The applicant shall submit the required application for building permit complete with electronic plan submittal.
· Dwelling units in two-family dwellings shall be separated from each other by wall and/or floor assemblies having not less than an I-hour fire-resistance rating
(2-hour fire-resistance rating if adjacent to agricultural buildings or within a fire separation distance of same).
· The construction of secondary units shall comply with checklist of requirements found in on-line application and the adopted code.
· Additional questions may be answered by contacting Building Department staff at (970) 870-5566.
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH:
Routt County has adopted and incorporated State of Colorado regulations for Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (OWTS) that establish minimum standards for system
location, design, construction, performance, installation, alteration and use.
· Secondary unit additions require review of existing OWTS to ensure setback
requirements are met and that the existing system can accommodation of increased flows.
· The OWTS must be replaced or modified to handle increased design flows
unless it is determined the existing system is adequately designed and constructed for
anticipated higher flows.
· Increased flows beyond the threshold of an existing system would require alterations such as an increase in tank capacity and expansion of existing soil treatment areas (leach fields), or in some cases completely new systems.
· Permits issued through the Department of Environmental Health shall be required for expanded use of an existing systems or new systems.
· Fees for Repair (modification) Permits are $100. New systems require a $300 fee.
· Additional questions may be answered by contacting Environmental Health Department staff at (970) 870-5588.
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