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Top 5 stories on SummitDaily.com week of Sept. 30

Compiled by Heather Jarvis
hjarvis@summitdaily.com
A major crash last week on westbound I-70 involving a semi-tractor trailer forced emergency workers to close both east and westbound lanes between Silverthorne and the Eisenhower/Johnson Memorial Tunnel.
Courtesy Kathy Gibbs

Editor’s note: Social Call is compiled from comments on stories posted to the Summit Daily’s website and Facebook page.

“He said it ... “There needs to be a state and nationwide cultural shift on how seriously we take recycling,”. I lived in Champaign County, IL when the landfill closed. Yes, closed.

(Think about how you would dispose your household waste if the Summit County landfill closed.) Within weeks, hauling fees more than quadrupled, and the community quickly implemented a pilot curb-side recycling program that is still in place. Landfill closures have a way of forcing communities into action. Beginning the shift now, not at eleventh hour, is better.” — David Garner on “Summit County is raising recycling fees because of domestic and global challenges”

“This is ridiculous. In their incessant need to “do something” 41 units will be built using tax dollars and time better spent. These 41 units will have minimal effect but we “did something”! Shouldn’t we be asking why wages are suppressed to the point you cannot afford to live in Summit? Oh wait, you’re going to build affordable housing, merchants should just wait and let our tax dollars cover off for them.” — Jeff Lincoln on “Summit County breaks ground on 41-unit workforce housing development in Keystone”

“Colorado’s gas tax is well below the national average. Perhaps we should consider raising the gas tax and allow the tourists to help fix the roads that they use. Of course, we should also apply a road tax to electric/hybrid cars as they contribute to the wear and tear on our roads, but aren’t currently paying to help maintain them. If we did that, maybe we could get by with a smaller sales tax increase. I like the idea of keeping a chunk of the money for local projects, but need to understand which projects would get funded before I could vote for a significant sales tax increase.” — Patty Barkley on “Competing Colorado transportation propositions battle it out on the ballot”

“Nice job Frisco, Colorado. You have to start somewhere.” — Matt Banas on “After the industry explodes, Frisco considers short-term rental ordinance”

Editor’s note: Stories in this list received the most page views on SummitDaily.com for the past week.

1. I-70 closed between Silverthorne and the Eisenhower Tunnel Wednesday after accident



A major crash last week on westbound I-70 forced emergency workers to close both east and westbound lanes between Silverthorne and the Eisenhower/Johnson Memorial Tunnel. A semi-tractor trailer carrying steel pipes rolled over while traveling westbound on I-70, crushing a passenger van in the process. Two individuals, both from passenger vehicles, were transported by ambulance to the Summit Medical Center with injuries. There were no fatalities.



2. After the industry explodes, Frisco considers short-term rental ordinance

As the short-term rental industry continues to grow in Summit County, the town of Frisco is looking to join the ever-growing list of mountain towns adding regulations to their town codes. Details surrounding a new short-term rental ordinance emerged at the Frisco Town Council meeting, outlining a number of goals and nuisances the town hopes to address with the measure. The biggest goal of the ordinance is to try and create a more even playing field for not only more traditional lodging businesses like hotels and bed and breakfasts, but for short-term rental owners who are playing by the rules. First, the town would eliminate the umbrella license provision, requiring each property to be separately licensed to give the town a more accurate number of how many short-term rentals are in the area. Second, the town plans to contract with STR Helper, a third-party short-term rental compliance-tracking firm, to scrub rental websites for non-compliant properties. In addition to measures emphasizing compliance, the ordinance would also tackle issues such as reducing nuisance complaints, ensuring guest safety, and collecting data to determine the affect of the short-term rental industry on the community in recent years and into the future.

3. Silverthorne gives 94-unit apartment complex OK on preliminary approval

Silverthorne Town Council approved the preliminary site plan for a 94-unit apartment complex along the Blue River, north of the town core, on a 5-1 vote last week. The River West apartments project has plans to build 56 two-bedroom and 38 studio units spread across 10 two- and three-story buildings on 4 acres between 890 and 970 Blue River Parkway.

4. Steamboat bear enters condo, poops and leaves

In this story from the Steamboat Pilot, a rogue bear wandered into a Steamboat Springs complex — ironically the Bear Claw II condominiums — one weekend afternoon. The black bear had wandered into a common area by way of a ground access to the second floor of the building, and was able to escape on its own, likely by pushing open a push bar door. The bear did not cause any damage to the building, though it did leave behind some excrement on the carpet.

5. Recent discovery reopens 11-year-old Grand County missing person case

The discovery of an old hunting rifle, backpack and other personal property near Carter Mountain in Grand County has prompted the reopening of an 11-year-old missing person investigation. Two people hunting in the White Slide area near Carter Mountain, roughly 19 miles north of Kremmling, on Sept. 16 came across numerous items of personal property, as well as various bones, just four days after an area rancher discovered a skull — now confirmed to be human — in the same area. While an investigation is ongoing as to the identity of the skull, the found property was confirmed as having belonged to Dale Benjamin Banker, an Aurora man who went missing in the same area in 2007.

 


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