San Juan County commissioners approve cooperative agreement with Silverton Mountain for road fill and overflow parking

San Juan County commissioners approved a cooperative agreement with Silverton Mountain to allow the ski area to screen and provide material from private property for resurfacing County Road 110 and to create overflow parking, officials said.

Fabio Graasso of Silverton Mountain presented the proposal, saying the plan would allow the county to use screened fill for resurfacing while creating usable overflow parking on the property. "The county wanted to come in and use that private land for dirt for the county road," Fabio said, describing the arrangement as a "win‑win." He added that the parking would be used for emergency vehicles and overflow during busy seasons.

Commissioners asked the county surveyor to confirm property boundaries before work begins. The board agreed to add a survey requirement to the cooperative agreement; the motion to "approve a cooperative agreement with Silverton Mountain to remove material from their property to create additional parking," was moved and seconded and carried by voice vote with no recorded roll call.

Why it matters: The agreement is intended to reduce road‑maintenance costs for the county and provide the ski area with usable land for operational needs and overflow parking. Officials said the site could also serve as a safer turnaround for buses and reduce roadside congestion in high‑use periods.

What happens next: County staff will have the county surveyor verify property boundaries and return to finalize the cooperative agreement language if changes are needed. Fabio said Silverton Mountain will coordinate with county staff as survey results and logistics are confirmed.