Alta residents urge ACE ownership as council weighs purchase of Our Lady of the Snows

Alta Town Council members and more than 50 public commenters debated whether the town should buy Our Lady of the Snows, the small chapel and community building on U.S. Forest Service land that has long hosted Alta Community Enrichment (ACE) events.

At the April 15 special meeting, dozens of residents, current and former ACE staff and board members, and volunteers urged the council to let ACE — the nonprofit that runs most programming at the site — buy OLS rather than the town. Council members said they had conducted closed, legally permitted real-estate discussions and were still considering whether to submit a formal public offer. No formal council vote or final purchase agreement was announced.

The decision matters because OLS is a primary home for ACE programming, community events and some religious services, and the property sits on a special-use permit on U.S. Forest Service land. Supporters said ACE ownership would protect the organization’s programming and donor commitments; opponents and some council members said the town owning the building could preserve public access, make capital improvements and protect a scarce community asset.

Residents and ACE representatives described years of use and fundraising tied to OLS. Connie Marshall, an early organizer and long-time manager of OLS events, urged the council not to forget ACE’s service: “I favor recommending ACE to be the owner because of their long years of usage and their familiarity with ability and…