|
Local Pagosa Springs News
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Road Show in Aspen Springs, Part Two |
| Bill Hudson | 3/2/10 |
|
| Back to the News Summaries |
|
Read Part One
“Let’s talk about what you have here already, and what you want to preserve. What do you love about Aspen Springs?”
 Archuleta County planner Cindy Schultz was standing in front of the easel, ready to mark down comments from the Aspen Springs residents gathered in the Aspen Springs Metro District meeting room last Thursday.
The second monthly presentation of the “County Road Show’ was underway, with the purported purpose of gathering input from residents in this “most rural” of Pagosa Springs subdivisions. The presentation was attended by several County staff members, one County commissioner — and an overflowing roomful of local area residents.
What do Aspen Springs residents cherish about their subdivision?
“No covenants,” suggested a man from the center of the audience, and murmurs of approve arose from the audience.
“Okay, no covenants,” Schultz noted, as she wrote the phrase on the easel board.
“That you can camp on your own property if you want to,” called out a woman in the packed room. “It’s not dictated by the County as to how you can live, and how you want to reside.”
“So, how should I write that?” Schultz asked. “No regulations? Little regulation?”
“No regulations,” came from the murmuring audience.
“Is that what you already have, or something that you want to have?” Schultz asked.
In fact, the Aspen Springs subdivision is under the very same County Land Use Codes as the rest of Archuleta County — but for some reason, this roomful of residents seemed to feel they were exempt, or would like to be exempt, from most County building regulations.
“Let’s be clear,” Schultz told the vocal group. “There are regulations here. And yes, you're correct, there are no covenants and restrictions here, but those County land use regulations apply to everyone whether they have CC&Rs or not.
“I’m going to write down, little regulation.”
An older gentleman sitting in the very front of the room near Schultz’ easel spoke as Schultz wrote. “Regulations, as they exist now, are fine. But no covenants. Existing regulations are sufficient.”
As I noted in Part One, the Aspen Springs subdivision, formed in 1973, is one of the more ‘independent’ areas of the county — a subdivision without central water or sewer service, and in some cases, without electric and telephone service. And a subdivision without the sometimes burdensome covenants and restrictions that guide — and hinder — residents in some of the other areas of the county.
That lack of community controls seemed to be a badge of honor for at least some of the Aspen Springs residents in attendance at the Thursday evening meeting.
“One thing I like about Aspen Springs is the separate Metro District,” offered another resident. “They are great.”
As in a few other subdivisions in Archuleta County, the Aspen Springs residents formed a Metro District — separate from the County government, with its own independent mill levy and its own board of directors — to maintain the subdivision roads and to address various community issues such as a possible future community-wide water system. The properties in Aspen Springs are not served by community water lines, although the Metro District recently completed installation of an artesian well at a central location — and that water is now available to residents within the district.
“I like that people can operate businesses from their homes, from their private residences, so long as they aren’t bothering anybody,” noted another gentleman. “Tradesmen, and craftsmen, have a chance to start a business at home, with a minimal investment. I’m taking about home-based businesses that don’t bother anybody else.”
“I moved out here because I wanted to be away from the city, I wanted to do with my land what I wanted to do,” a lady asserted. “And I want to know, who makes the rules and regulations for Aspen Springs? Do you guys make the rules and regulations for Aspen Springs? Do you make the rules and regulations for us?”
The answer to that question is at once simple and complicated. Of course, we all, here in Archuleta County, live within various political subdivisions — within the United States of America, which has its rules and regulations; within the state of Colorado, which has its rules and regulations; within Archuleta County, which has its own rules and regulations; and in the case of the Thursday night audience, within the Aspen Springs subdivision, which has almost no rules and regulations of its own, other than its overall sense of human decency and mutual respect.
“As far as land use goes,” Schultz explained, “the regulations either come from the [Department of Development Services] staff, or they come from the Commissioners. Or they come from the public. Generally speaking, the staff comes up with a proposal and takes it to the County Planning Commission, the Planning Commission votes on it and makes a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners, and the BoCC makes the final decision, yea or nay.”
“But the people who are making the rules for us don’t live in Aspen Springs,” the lady continued.
“And that’s exactly why we are here,” Schultz answered. “That’s our purpose in having this meeting. We have a representative government, and the Commissioners are elected to make the decisions.”
“But you guys work for us,” called out an audience member. “You should make the decisions we want.”
“I understand that,” Schultz replied. “But I’m not here to talk about civics. Let’s get back to the question. What do you love about Aspen Springs, and what do you want to preserve?”
As the evening wore on, it became apparent that nearly everyone in the room was concerned about a certain level of freedom, to use their land as they saw fit — and that everyone was likewise in general agreement that you also needed to respect your neighbor’s freedom to be reasonably free from intrusions of pollution, noise, animal smells, industrial operations, and excessive traffic generated by private businesses operating in residential areas.
It also became clear that, beyond those general agreements about 'my freedom and yours', the residents of Aspen Springs generally had not yet had a chance to — or had not yet been inclined to — meet together and discuss the fine points of these concepts. As a group of highly independent, self-sufficient residents, the people of Aspen Springs had rarely met as a community to talk openly and honestly about the political compromises required in meeting everyone’s need for ‘freedom’ while respecting everyone else’s need for security, safety, and the aesthetic enjoyment of a beautiful Colorado mountain setting. Or so it seemed to me, from listening to the discussions on Thursday.
To me, as an outside observer, it appeared that the threat of additional land use regulations had finally brought out a large number of concerned Aspen Springs citizens to talk about their mutually shared future. As that discussion progressed, and as planner Cindy Schultz led the group into more specific topics, such as camping on one’s land or where to locate future Aspen Springs commercial operations, the questions and answers — the solutions — became less and less obvious, and less emotionally charged.
I live in downtown Pagosa Springs, in an older community that defined its basic neighborhood structure — the commercial areas, the shopping centers, the schools, the parks, the residential rules — back in the middle of the last century. It was fascinating to observe the discussions at the Aspen Springs Metro District meeting room last week, in a community that it still defining itself.
What does Aspen Springs want to be when it grows up? To date, the subdivision has existed as a low-infrastructure suburb of little old Pagosa Springs. For their schools, their government services, and most of their shopping needs, the independent-minded residents of Aspen Spring must jump in their vehicles and drive several miles to the east. Is that how the community’s residents see their future?
Or will Aspen Springs someday develop its own set of community services, perhaps within walking distance of some residents' homes? Could such an array of community services come into being without a central water and sewer system?
As I left the meeting — before the end of the discussion, to catch another event downtown — and as I walked across the thickly mudded parking lot to my vehicle, I found myself thinking about communities, and freedom, and respect — and how seldom we gather together to talk about these big ideas. |
|
|
|
|
| Visit the Pagosa Daily Post |
| |
Enjoy our Big Screen Sporting Events ... check our our Special Events page for full schedule.
|
|
