HomeMy WebLinkAboutDoug Gilg_19-FEB-26I am writing with deep concern about the proposed large-scale development, HARVEST
ROARING FORK, at the Cattle Creek Confluence, where Cattle Creek meets the Roaring
Fork River. This area is one of the last intact open spaces along the river and is vital not only
to Garfield County, but to the health and sustainability of the entire Roaring Fork Valley —
including Pitkin and Eagle Counties.
Here are key reasons why this proposed project should not move forward as proposed:
1. Traffic, Safety & Infrastructure
Overdevelopment will add thousands of new vehicle trips that would overwhelm Highway
82 and local roads, requiring new traffic lights and stretching emergency response
capacity. This puts residents at greater risk.
2. Water Quality & Watershed Health
The Roaring Fork watershed is already under strain. A large development without robust
stormwater safeguards would increase runoff, pollution, and sediment, degrading water
quality for communities downstream.
3. Rural Character & Scenic Beauty
The proposed density — 1,500 residential units, up to 375 ADU’s, a 120 room hotel, and
55,000 square feet of commercial space on 283 acres — is fundamentally incompatible
with existing zoning and with the valley’s rural identity.
4. Public Services & Community Costs
The proposal does not account for the strain on schools, fire protection, EMS, and utilities.
This leaves existing taxpayers and communities to absorb the costs of growth.
5. Ecosystems & Wildlife
The confluence is a rich ecological corridor, home to bald eagles, herons, elk, deer, foxes,
trout, and migratory birds. Development of this scale would fragment critical habitat and
disrupt migration and breeding grounds.
I respectfully urge you to reject this development as proposed and to protect the Cattle
Creek Confluence for current and future generations. My wife and I purchased our home in
2022 as we appreciated the current state of development of the region and want to enjoy all
it has to offer. This development would greatly change the look and feel of the valley and
diminish the current advantages of living here.
I would support a PUD that meets the current zoning requirements as continued growth is
certainly justified. We just don't need this massive high density housing to add to the
issues of traffic, water scarcity, etc.
If I was able to attend the upcoming PC meeting on Feb. 25, I would certainly stand in
opposition to the current PUD proposal. Thank you for your leadership and for listening to
the concerns of residents across the Roaring Fork Valley.
Sincerely,
Doug Gilg
63 Buffalo Lane
Carbondale, CO 81623