After nearly two months of review and drafting of conditions, the Fremont County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously today to approve a Temporary Use Permit for the Over the River (OTR) art project proposed by the artist Christo in Fremont and Chaffee Counties. The project, now targeted for display in 2015, would cover 5.9 miles of the Arkansas River between Parkdale and Salida with translucent fabric. Commission Chair Debbie Bell said she has never seen a project invoke as much passion as Over the River from both supporters and opponents.
The resolution adopted by the Board lists 18 findings and conclusions along with 35 conditions that the OTR team must comply with. District 3 Commissioner Ed Norden said the conditions adopted go far beyond the proposed conditions put forth at the February 1st public hearing and that the conditions reflect specific concerns raised in public testimony and written comment. Impacts that OTR will have to address in the list of conditions include reimbursement of staff time spent on the project by Fremont County Sheriff’s Officers, reimbursement of extra Cañon City Police traffic control, assured access for ranchers and farmers to their property during the exhibition, reimbursement of $7,500 for staff time spent on the project prior to the formal application, reimbursement of $40,000 to the county for anticipated impacts to county roads, compliance with any Sheriff’s orders regarding wildfire mitigation on railroad tracks, assured access for private property owners and businesses on and off of U.S. Highway 50, requirements to keep citizens in the canyon corridor adequately informed about status of construction and the exhibition, and many other anticipated impacts from the project. The Commissioners noted that some of the obligations of OTR may not be clearly defined until the Event Management Plan is completed and a Unified Command is in place.
Commissioner Bell said “Our taxpayers will not bear the costs of this project, but instead will benefit from additional revenues flowing into the county. We have placed conditions on Over the River that address and mitigate the concerns brought before us by the public where we have jurisdiction.” She added that her job is to do what is in the best interests of the entire county, “Our economy relies heavily on tourism, and we could not buy this kind of publicity at any price.”
Commissioner Stiehl said until last Thursday he was opposed to the project but after reading the findings and conditions that the Board had drafted, he felt he was able to support the project. Stiehl said the OTR team made things more difficult in drafting language for the conditions. Stiehl said he doubts the economic impacts predicted for the local area saying most of the economic benefit will occur in Denver, Colorado Springs, and Pueblo.
Commissioner Norden said in the final analysis the arguments of business opportunities that Over the River could bring convinced him to support the project. Norden said of the public comment probably 80 to 90 percent of business people from one end of the county to the other were supportive of the project. Norden also cited written comment offered by Texas Creek campground owner Mark Rowland. Rowland said as a medical responder he runs emergency medical calls throughout Big Horn Sheep Canyon weekly. Norden quoted from Rowland’s letter, “If the Event Management Plan is implemented, the residents of western Fremont County will be better served by emergency medical services”. Rowland’s letter went on….”After studying Christo’s proposal, I don’t see severe or irreparable harm to any of things I value here. The flora, fauna, and residents here are hardy and irrepressible, we’re a resilient bunch.”
While Christo hopes to begin construction work on Over the River in 2012, he must still secure permits from Chaffee County, the Colorado Department of Transportation, and the Colorado State Patrol. Christo earlier received the most important permit, a Record of Decision from the Bureau of Land Management granting a 2920 federal permit for the project following review of a comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement.