Blue River to vote on road paving

BLUE RIVER - To pave or not to pave? That's the question that several hundred Blue River property owners will likely answer in November.

The Blue River Board of Trustees has taken the initial steps to include a question on the November ballot that would form a special improvement district to pay for the paving of all the narrow, gravel roads in town.

Residents who already have homes in the town's three paved subdivisions or live on Highway 9 would not be included in the district, said Mayor Darcy Lystlund.

Lystlund, who's been on the board for nearly a decade, said a meeting rarely passes by when somebody doesn't ask when the town is going to pave the dusty, pothole-ridden roads.

She said the board isn't advocating for the improvement district to pass, but wants to put the ball in the property owners' court so they can answer the paving question once and for all.

"It's kind of fish or cut bait at this time," Lystlund said.

Lystlund said she won't know how much the project will cost, or how much each home would be assessed until the town's engineer completes a preliminary plan in the next two to three weeks.

Jaime Frieze, who lives in the Sherwood Forest subdivision, said she wouldn't care if the paving project was free, her vote would still be no.

Frieze has lived in Blue River since 1983 and appreciates the rural feeling that the unpaved roads and commercial-free town core offers.

"What's next, sidewalks and streetlights? This is a sleepy little town," Frieze said.

Frieze also fears better roads would bring additional traffic by her home.

"I think the benefits could outweigh a couple of those negatives," said Donald Jones, who's building a home off of Coronet Drive. Jones believes paved roads will eliminate "obnoxious dust" and boost property values.

Nick Shama agrees.

He lives on Creek Side Drive in Blue River, and said he'd be willing to pay more taxes in exchange for nicer roads and the economic benefit they carry.

"I think it makes sense," Shama said. "Yes, it does cost us money to pave the roads, but other neighborhoods such as Silver Shekel that have paved roads through the years have seen the money come back in the value of their property," Shama said.

At the regular town board meeting Tuesday evening, Frieze and two other Blue River residents spoke against the special improvement district during the public comment period, although the topic wasn't on the regular agenda.

Part-time resident Roger Kessler, who is not eligible to vote in Colorado, said the natural state of Blue River attracted him to the area in 1998, and suggested the town board spend its time and money on pine beetle mitigation instead of road repair.

"I just don't think the cost of paved roads, in the long-term, is really want we want," Kessler said.

Lystlund became frustrated with the citizens' comments, reminding the small audience that the board is not trying to shove anything down residents' throats, but wants voters to make the decision on the future of the roads.

"I'm upset and I'm angry because this is not the board doing this. We're trying to be neutral in this," Lystlund said.

Blue River road manager Pete Turner said if the special improvement district passes, the town would be paving about 11 miles of road, and the asphalt would make the roads easier to plow in the winter. The pavement would probably be less expensive to maintain than gravel roads for about a decade before costs begin to rise, Turner said.

Right now, the town spends about $85,000 in maintenance costs each summer, an investment that is lost each winter when the weather wreaks havoc on the roads, Lystlund said.

Full-time Blue River homeowners and renters who are registered to vote and live in affected areas will be eligible to vote on the special improvement district, as well as second homeowners who are registered to vote in Colorado.

The town will hold a work session on Sept. 5 to discuss the wording of the ballot question. As soon as the board knows the project costs and potential financial impact to homeowners, it will host community meetings to answer questions and concerns from residents.



Nicole Formosa can be reached at (970) 668-3998, ext. 13625, or at nformosa@summitdaily.com.