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Pitkin County approves conservation easement and trail for Kino Gulch; access easement draws opposition and was reconsidered
Summary
The BOCC approved a conservation easement, trail easement and restrictive covenants for the 55‑acre Kino Gulch property that allow a limited 1,200‑sq‑ft cabin building envelope but protect most acreage; the access easement to enable cabin access prompted debate and a later motion to reconsider — the board ultimately approved the access easement with one commissioner recording opposition.
Pitkin County commissioners on Dec. 17 approved a multi‑document land‑use package for a 55‑acre parcel in Kino Gulch that secures public benefits while allowing a limited building envelope for a 1,200‑square‑foot remote cabin.
Open Space and Trails manager Paul Holsinger told the board negotiators had secured a conservation easement that protects almost the entire 55 acres, retained a 5‑acre building envelope for the cabin and added a scenic covenant intended to ensure the cabin will not be seen from public vantage points. As part of the negotiated package the county secured a public trail easement to enable a future loop connection near Little Cloud trailhead and restrictive covenants for Cloud 10 Aspen LLC to limit uses that would conflict with conservation values.
The landowners asked the county to grant road access across two county parcels to enable construction access to the cabin; that request prompted extended discussion. Several commissioners said the public benefits (conservation protection, a public trail easement and scenic commitments) were valuable and urged approval. One commissioner, who said she had never supported providing access to enable a cabin, asked to correct her earlier vote and formally moved to reconsider the Park Tunnel Road access easement. That reconsideration was permitted; after reopening the public hearing the board approved the access easement, with one commissioner recorded as voting no.
Staff emphasized conditions: the county will not allow substantial improvements to the county parcels, motorized winter access is prohibited, and any commercial uses on the conserved property require county approval. Paul Holsinger said the parcel is adjacent to Forest Service lands and that negotiated language retained reasonable hunter-owner rights while restricting commercial uses without BOCC approval.
Next steps: The conservation easement, trail easement and restrictive covenants were accepted by ordinance; the access easement was approved after reconsideration. The board recorded a formal nay from one commissioner on the access vote but otherwise moved the land‑use package forward.
