In preparation for this spring, when the Colorado Supreme Court will decide whether it can take possession/full ownership of the Valley Floor using the powers of eminent domain, the town of Telluride is already devising a management plan for the property. The community raised the necessary $50 million to purchase the property back in May 2007.
“The intention is to spend as little money as possible, be as ready as humanly possible and pull the trigger the week after the court renders a favorable decision,” said Mayor John Pryor.
The proposed Action Plan lays out a timeline for studies, processes, consultants, public input and plans involved in ownership and management of the land. It includes a lengthy set of tasks and planning covered by the action plan, such as aerial photography, environmental studies and assessments, a management plan and conservation easement. While most of this can’t be delved into just yet, preliminary work—like completing the Baseline Documentation Report and selecting a consultant team—can.
If Telluride is awarded ownership in the appeal, the plan is to conduct a thorough environmental report, and then base what can and can’t be done on the land according to what science reveals, as well as what lies in the rules of Telluride’s ordinance to acquire the property, what is stated in the draft conservation easement, and what is desired by the public.
|
