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Council tables 700 South Main mixed‑use plan after packed public forum
Summary
After a 45‑minute public forum with mostly critical comments about water, buffers and rural character, developer Josh Blake presented a phased mixed‑use plan for 700 South Main; the council voted to table the conditional‑use application pending developer‑paid impact studies.
A large crowd turned out to Gunnison City Council on June 4 as residents urged the council to slow a proposed mixed‑use development at 700 South Main, citing concerns about water supply, buffers next to farm operations and traffic. After hearing public comments and a detailed presentation by the developer, the council voted to table the conditional‑use application until developer‑funded impact studies are completed and submitted.
The public forum opened with the mayor explaining a 45‑minute comment period with three‑minute limits. Residents repeatedly told the council they feared the scale and pace of the project would change Gunnison’s rural character. "Instead of finding ways to approve the project, please find ways to not approve it," Patricia Glauser told the council, identifying herself and saying neighbors do not want high‑density housing near existing farms.
Developer Josh Blake presented a master plan he said would be phased over 15–18 years and would mix townhomes, apartments, a commercial front and renovation of the old school building. Blake said the plan aims to create more affordable ownership options — "My goal in this development is to build a townhome ... and sell it for $299k," he told the council — and that many infrastructure impacts would be privately maintained by homeowners associations.
Residents pressed the developer and staff about water demand, sewer capacity and buffers adjacent to agricultural operations. "Do we have enough water to support this?" asked Tana Newton, who said irrigation cutbacks this year have already affected hay production. City staff and the developer said they expect the required impact studies (water, sewer, transportation, stormwater) to define capacity and mitigation needs; the developer said some calculations had already been prepared and that he would proceed with studies.
Council members stressed that state land‑use law requires the council to treat the conditional‑use application according to objective standards and that any approval must include reasonable conditions to mitigate detrimental impacts. The mayor recommended requiring the studies at the developer’s expense and including protections for adjacent agricultural operations in a development agreement.
A motion to table the conditional‑use permit until the studies are completed was made by Councilmember Pickett and seconded by Councilmember Peterson; the motion passed by voice vote. Council members emphasized the decision was procedural — to require factual studies — not an approval of the project.
Next steps: the developer will submit the requested water, sewer and transportation analyses and the council will review those reports in a future meeting; the application will remain tabled until that information is provided.
