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Residents, fire marshal and mayor urge county action on hazardous parcel above Walmart
Summary
Citizens and the fire marshal told commissioners a privately owned parcel above Walmart has repeated fires, hazardous material and encampments. They asked the county to pressure the absentee nonprofit owner, Mountain Youth, to secure or clean the land and to consider a joint city‑county work session.
Several residents, the local fire marshal and the mayor urged Garfield County commissioners to press for action on a long‑troubled parcel behind the Walmart shopping area that officials said repeatedly has been the site of fires and hazardous waste.
Resident Rachel Lynn described the parcel as privately owned, overgrown and used for encampments. She said: "We don't need that here. We don't need a big fire here." Commissioners and staff recalled multiple past fires on the property; one commissioner said there have been four incidents on the site during his time in office.
Robin Pitt, the fire marshal for Grama River Springs Fire Department, told the board crews find hazardous materials and human waste at the site and consider the site a firefighter‑safety concern. "Every time our firefighters go out there, just merely walking out there is a risk for them," she said, listing gas canisters, needles and other hazards found after recent incidents.
Mayor Ingrid Woosso asked the board to consider a joint city‑county approach that focused on prevention rather than only evacuation planning. "I hate when people come in and say, I'd like a work session on this. Right. But I will say that I think, city and county collaborative work session, just to put it all out there," she said, urging coordination on options that could reduce the risk of a larger fire.
Speakers said the property is currently owned by Mountain Youth, a nonprofit based in Vail that acquired the parcel by donation from a previous owner. County staff and the sheriff's office have previously cited people on the property; Pitt said citations had been referred to the district attorney, with mixed results. Multiple speakers asked county staff to press the absentee owner to increase patrols, add signage and fencing, remove hazardous debris, or transfer the parcel to a locally responsible owner.
No formal motion or vote was recorded. Commissioners asked staff to continue coordinating with city officials, the sheriff and the property owner and to consider bringing options back for further discussion.
