Just curious - why do say this? Is it not 100% legal at this point? I though Hickenlooper signed it in already.
Latest development on this property:
A cultural campus on S. Fir Street?
Landowners waiver for height, request affordable housing, more
By Katie Klingsporn
Editor
Published: Wednesday, January 29, 2014 6:06 AM CST
Today, the neighborhood surrounding the intersection of S. Fir Street and Pacific Avenue, which is known as the “Four Corners,” is home to a grocery store and a bakery, an empty lot, the shell of an old warehouse, a historic building and a parking area.
But if a development proposal comes to fruition, the neighborhood could undergo a major transformation in the coming years, going from a quiet collection of buildings and lots to a bustling campus for artistic, intellectual and cultural endeavors that will be active through the year with seminars, conferences, workshops, studios and performances, along with parking areas, free-market units and commercial spaces.
That’s the vision presented Tuesday by the Telluride Transfer Company LLC, a partnership that formed in the summer of 2013 with the intention of putting together a mixed-use and diverse development plan for the Four Corners.
The partnership is comprised of longtime locals Pamela Zoline and John Lifton (Lifton Zoline International) along with Boulder-based real estate developers Meriwether Companies and St. Louis investment firm Real Capital Solutions.
Telluride Transfer Company owns properties on three of the four corners, which were purchased from the estate of Joseph T. Zoline, developer of the Telluride Ski Resort and Pamela’s father. The Town of Telluride owns the fourth corner.
As a landowner, the town has long had a goal to explore partnership arrangements that could result in public benefit for the neighborhood, and identified the intersection as a special sub-area prioritized for planning in its 2006 master plan. In 2011, a task force was formed by the landowners, town and the Lifton-Zoline family to explore such partnership opportunities.
On Tuesday, the Telluride Transfer Company presented its preliminary development plan for the Four Corners to the Telluride Town Council in a work session. The plan calls for a development comprised of free market, multi-family units, commercial uses, required affordable housing and a public “campus” component occurring on roughly 47,000 square feet of land. The idea behind the campus is to provide facilities for Telluride’s nonprofit, art, intellectual and science organizations to hold seminars, studios, classes, performances and more, Lifton explained to the council. The goal is a bustling region of pedestrian-friendly and public-purpose activity that serves as a link to the gondola.
“Telluride’s creative and intellectual economy already exists, but it lacks facilities,” Lifton said. “It’s time now, working with the Town of Telluride, to bring South Fir Street back to life.”
A new nonprofit, along with local nonprofits and a governing board, would own the campus, Lifton said.
Baked in Telluride would remain, the Village Market would be replaced with a mixed-use building containing residential, commercial and parking, the Stronghouse Building would be preserved, the warehouse would be rehabilitated as part of the campus and the vacant lot would be replaced with a mixed-use building with residential, commercial and underground parking. The town-owned property could also be incorporated into the plan to achieve some public benefit.
But in exchange for the public benefits, the Telluride Transfer Company is asking for general waivers to exceed the Land Use Code maximums for floor area and building height and waive the affordable housing and parking requirements for the campus. Specifically, the height waiver would permit TTC to propose a height of up to 49 feet for parts of the development.
“We are offering an unusual amount of public benefits and public cooperation in order to maximize the potential of the Four Corners,” Lifton said. “We are requesting increased design flexibility.”
Since the work session was just that, a work session, the council was not tasked with making any approvals. Rather, it served as more of an introductory discussion. Lifton started the presentation with a thorough history of South Fir Street, which was once a bustling warehouse district filled with buildings big and small.
Lifton said he has long been interested in returning the neighborhood to its once busy state with parking and cultural amenities, and TTC intends to go through a transparent process that welcomes public input.
“We know that the community is very interested in what will happen to this central and important part of town,” he said. “We are committed to a clear process and we are eager to hear from our community.”
The proposal was met with a warm reception by the town council, but some members urged the applicants to move forward with restraint.
Bob Saunders was wary of the height waiver, which he said could set a dangerous precedent.
“I love the idea of this. I think it’s a great thing for the town, but I think it’s going to have to have limits,” Saunders said. “The ultimate goal for me is that this town stays a special place.”
Todd Brown, meanwhile, said he supports the effort to bring vitality back to that part of town.
“There’s nothing else that I’m aware of that’s even being considered at this point that has this kind of opportunity for the arts and the cultural end of things,” Brown said.
Kate Jones, director of Telluride Arts (which is housed in the Stronghouse) said that with the recent Creative District designation, she has been working to identify needs of local artists, and sees a lot of opportunity for synergy in this plan.
“There are just so many needs that we know exist in this town,” she said. “This is a great opportunity in seeing those met.”
In the end, the council gave direction for staff and applicants to move forward with the general waiver application proposal. A formal waiver request could come before the council as early as its Feb. 18 meeting.
That would leave Clarke’s as the only grocery store in town.
Quite a hike from Town Park for some us “older” festivarians.
This bit of news does not make this senior happy. 
Actually, this part also raised my eyebrow too. I go to both grocery stores for different items, but can’t help but wonder if prices will climb even higher at Clarks if its the only grocery store in town?
It will for those of us flying in from one of the 48 “bad” states…not having to fly and carry will be much less stressful!
True that! No sweating there, it’ll be easy business for us to find some. :thumbsup
Here’s a story which will appear in tomorrow’s Telluride Daily Planet (currently on their PDF version).
Keep in mind Airport Manager Richard Nuttall apparently was very adament during the process to ban retail pot sales in Norwood. I believe he referred to, or went along with the sentiment of tax revenues being generated as being “dirty money”.
So, while they’re looking into things and there are some real gray area issues, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a strict policy take place at the airport re: pot.
Telluride Airport Board
explores marijuana policy
Board looking into how to handle pot at the airport
By COLLIN MCRANN
Staff reporter
Now that marijuana is legal
in Colorado, airports across
the state are trying to fi gure
out what to do with passengers
who are in possession, and
Telluride is no exception.
Sales of retail marijuana became
legal on Jan. 1 in town,
but marijuana is still federally
illegal, which puts the Telluride
Regional Airport Board in
a tough position. If TEX allows
marijuana at the airport or on
planes it could endanger some of
its Federal Aviation Administration
grants, according to board
member Stu Fraser.
The board has directed Airport
Manager Richard Nuttall
to research how other airports
in Colorado are dealing with
the marijuana issue, and hopes
to discuss the matter at its next
meeting in February.
Fraser said there are still
many unknowns surrounding the
issue.
“At this point we just don’t
know, that’s the reality of it,”
Fraser said. “There are a lot of
things related to marijuana that
we have no idea how it should be
dealt with. Right now we’re just
trying to fi gure out, legally, what
our position as an airport needs
to be.”
According to The Associated
Press, at least one airport in Colorado,
the Colorado Springs Airport,
has implemented amnesty
boxes, which allow passengers
to drop off marijuana before they
go through security to avoid getting
in trouble. The Eagle County
Airport near Vail is also considering them.
Nuttall said there are a lot
of questions when it comes to
marijuana at the airport and the
options range from doing nothing
to implementing new regulations.
He said the board will have
to discuss the issue to see what’s
best for TEX.
The passage of Amendment
64 in November of 2012 made it
legal for adults 21 and older who
are residents of Colorado to possess
up to 1 ounce of marijuana.
Non-residents can possess up to
a quarter-ounce.
On airplanes the issue of marijuana
becomes complicated, because
airspace is largely federal.
But if a passenger in Colorado
boards a fl ight that is headed
somewhere else in the state, it
could argue that they don’t leave
the state.
Nevertheless, getting on a
plane with marijuana could get
a passenger in trouble, and federal
authorities have confi scated
marijuana and edibles at several
Colorado airports this year, according
to the AP.
Recreational marijuana is illegal
in the majority of the U.S.,
so anyone who is caught with it
once they leave Colorado is subject
to prosecution.
Due to the legal grey area of
marijuana at the airport and on
fl ights, passengers are advised
by federal authorities to simply
not take it with them while traveling.
Would you let someone board a plane with a six pack? No! Same for Pot. It should be the same accross the entire board. How about edibles? Welp would you arrest yer mum for a brandy filled fruit cake wrapped in a rum soaked cheese cloth. No. Keep it simple. I hate this fuzzy stuff. Grey? LOL! Fun to watch and I hope that whom ever is in charge keeps it simple and to the point. The whole world is is waiting and watching! Dirty Tax money. Oh PLEASE!!
I have seen at airports in WA and CO they are doing something called an “oops box” of sorts where people who forgot to drop off their “goods” at their house are allowed to drop it off there with no questions asked… Kind of fishy to me, it’s always better to not have any of that stuff with you on flights and travel, if it’s that important find someone where ever you are going. It will be something hard to enforce down the road. Oh well.
There was nothing that said to me that The Village Market would not be returning to the mixed use building when it was completed.
As for our Bluegrass Seniors, myself included, get on the Goose with the rest of us. In essence, it’s do-able and there’s no reason for anyone to become a public wimp on this forum. (oh whoa is you :bash).
Auntie Hope :festivarian2 :green
Know I remember why I stopped looking at this forum. The same people that make think twice about going each year are year. But nice to know the negative energy of Hope is though out the year.
I hate to be the grammar/spelling police on message boards but if you’re going to bash someone on the forum, you should at least make your sentences readable. That was painful trying to read your post apollo.
Grammer adn speling our overrrated way.
:lol :lol :lol :evil
So all the dispensaries are open for recreational use for people out of staters in Telluride? Just wondering for our vacation in a few months. Since I didn’t make it for tickets this year we are just going to Telluride for the beauty and hiking. Any suggestions as to which place is better in town? Also, do they sell wax or just flowers? Any help is much appreciated, thanks guys!
As of this past week with the opening of Delilah, there are now a total of 4 rec dispensaries - which are open to everyone 21+ … including out of staters. I think there’s a limit of 1/4 oz for out of staters per transaction (whereas colorado residents can purchase up to an ounce). Deliliah has been around for a while as a med dispensary, but just recently became licensed on the rec front. Would otherwise recommend Alpine Wellness - which is located on the 2nd floor next to Elks Park! Not sure about wax, but edibles are available. Have fun on your trip regardless!
Awesome, thanks for the info friend!
Alpine Wellness and the Telluride Green Room are both AWESOME. I know the owners of both places and they have a lot of integrity. Don’t know anything about the other shops, but I can personally vouch for these two. The Green Room is right across from the gondola (caddy-corner) and Alpine is up on Main St. above Maggie’s (the breakfast place). Friendly and knowledgable service and tremendous products. Both have been in business for years.
I wonder if in the future there will be a vendor inside Fest. I would love to see an Edible food vendor on the Fest grounds.
While I think it would be great, my strong suspicion is there won’t be … for a variety of reasons … one of which is with respect to what I believe is a regulation which does not allow for pot infused products to be readily visible to minors. Apparently, there’s a big regulatory deal about necessitating packaging with opaque containers. Who knows, maybe there could be a way around this by setting up a “secure” vending area off to the side somewhere with a person checking IDs where adults get it to shop & out of sight of minors*.
But even if you get past the packaging issue, there’s also the stipulation about consumption in public not being allowed. Not sure if the festival grounds would technically be considered public or private? If public, then we might start seeing other more niche specific festivals around the state trying to skirt this by calling themselves a “club” or something like this to achieve private status.
Then again, I’ve never seen tickets made available to the public for the poser pit, so perhaps this could be considered a private enclave where anything goes provided minors aren’t allowed inside and they erect a giant opaque sneeze guard to replace the white picket fence so minors can see inside.
- realized “minors” is not entirely accurate. There is subset of individuals who might be compelled to potentially give their life for our country yet are not allowed to partake in rec pot (18-20 year olds).