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Unidentified meeting speakers press for water documentation for 'Darwin's place' before approving permit
Summary
Two unidentified meeting participants discussed a building-permit hold on a property called "Darwin's place," focusing on whether the applicant has lawful water shares, the need for the well number and location, and an inspection; the public meeting was then moved to close at 9:22 p.m.
Two unidentified meeting participants discussed a building-permit hold on a property referred to as "Darwin's place," centering on whether the applicant has lawful water shares and where the water is being drawn.
"What's the hang up with Darwin's place? Is it the water?" asked Speaker S2, who said they had received a voicemail asking whether there was an issue. Speaker S1 replied that a building permit requires the applicant to "show us what water shares you have and where you're getting the water," and that the town needs documentation of the water source.
According to S1, the property currently has a straight pipe leading to it that "didn't have an attachment to a well," and the site is complicated by multiple nearby sources: an old town pipe that may need capping, the property owner’s house well and a separate spring. S1 said one of the sources has "40 acre feet" attached to it and told meeting participants the town must determine which source is allocated to the spring and which is allocated to the business so the applicant is not overallocating water.
S1 said the applicant later provided a screenshot from the division of water showing allocations, but that documentation alone is not sufficient: "I need to know the well number, the location, and it's going to be inspected," S1 said. S2 said they would call the owner back and press for the details.
The transcript includes an exchange in which S1 and S2 said someone had resisted showing the source, and S1 said that if the property is drawing from the spring "that's not his water. That's the farmer's water." S2 offered an allegation that the property "is sucking out of the 401," which was not resolved in the meeting.
Before the discussion concluded, Speaker S2 moved to close the public meeting. "I'll make a motion that we close our public meeting at 09:22PM," S2 said; a second was recorded in the transcript and affirmative responses followed. The transcript records the meeting moving to close at 9:22 p.m., though individual voters are not identified in the excerpt.
Next steps recorded in the discussion: meeting participants said the town will require the well number and location and that the well must be inspected to verify the water source and allocations before the permit issue is finalized.
