SUMMARY
“Gunnison Rising” is a master-planned, mixed-use community
located in the City of Gunnison, Colorado, a historic mining
community which has evolved into an established college and
recreational town. Gunnison Rising’s Master Plan is completed
(viewable at
www.gunnisonrising.com).
Approval of its 633-acre planned unit development (PUD)
annexation and zoning permit was completed in December, 2009.
Gunnison Rising’s 1,245 acres is most easily divisible into
three parcels: North Parcel (833 acres), South Parcel (191
acres), and East Parcel (221 acres).
LOCATION
Gunnison Rising is located at the east entrance to the City of
Gunnison at 7,700 feet elevation and is bisected by the
east-west U.S. Highway 50. It is centrally located in the State
of Colorado on the western slope of the continental divide—only
200 driving miles from Denver (3 to 4 hours from the Front Range
by car), 165 miles from Colorado Springs, and just minutes from
Gunnison/Crested Butte Regional Airport. Gunnison Rising
provides a winning combination through its intellectual and
cultural influence from Western State College, abutting the
western border of Gunnison Rising, and unusual recreational
amenities of approximately 8 miles of public trail and the
adjoining Tomichi Creek corridor, which contains 4-1/2 miles and
458 acres of fishing, water fowl and wildlife plus attractive
open space.
GEOGRAPHIC ATTRIBUTES
Gunnison Rising is a mecca for the outdoorsman and traveler.
The “West Elk Loop Scenic and Historic Byway” provides scenic
immersion into the history and culture of western Colorado, and
Black Canyon of the Gunnison—one of the newest national parks in the United States—is only 60 miles from Gunnison, offers a unique and
spectacular landscape. In the winter, Gunnison Rising is a ski
suburb. Gunnison Rising’s next door neighbor is Crested Butte
mountain resort at only 30 miles away, 42 miles from Monarch,
and a convenient weekend drive to Breckenridge Resort at 138
miles, 161 miles to Vail, and 146 miles to Aspen. In the
spring/summer, it boasts miles of mountain and meadow trails for
hiking, biking, and horseback riding. Gunnison Rising is
surrounded by 2 million acres of combined BLM, State and Forest
Service lands; 85% of Gunnison County is government-owned lands;
and its entry monument is the lush Tomichi Creek corridor with
its prevalent wildlife of elk, deer, and water fowl. Gunnison
Rising abuts Western State College, a 4-year, fully-accredited
undergraduate institution, and at its southwestern border is the
Gunnison/Crested Butte Regional Airport. Gunnison County’s
other attractions include: wildflower festivals, an artists’
colony, mountain biking, rock climbing, hunting, golfing,
camping, whitewater rafting, parasailing, kayaking, and
boating. Historically, Gunnison County has had a national
reputation for high-quality trout fishing for over 100 years,
with over 2,500 miles of trout streams. The three Aspinall Unit
reservoirs, which were constructed in the mid-1960s and produce
approximately one million visitor days, include Blue Mesa
Reservoir (Colorado’s largest body of water), and is only 5
miles away from Gunnison Rising.
Surrounding
Land Use Depiction
ENTITLEMENTS
Annexation/Zoning
The Master Plan, annexation, and PUD zoning are complete for the 633-acre application for the project. The PUD allows for 734
residential units, a 350-unit RV resort, commercial land uses,
and a business and research park. A 9-acre parcel is being
donated to the Colorado Division of Wildlife for its Regional
Headquarters, now being moved to the City of Gunnison. (See
“Land Use” section below for more details)
Land Planning:
Engineering:
Del-Mont Consultants, Inc., Montrose, Colorado
Transportation:
LSC Transportation Consultants, Inc., Colorado Springs, Colorado
Geotech:
CTL/Thompson, Inc., Colorado Springs, Colorado
Water Rights and Legal Consulting:
Bratton Hill Wilderson & Lock, LLC, Gunnison, Colorado
Gunnison Rising’s 1,245 acres is
divided into three distinct parcels separated by Highway 50—the
North, South, and East Parcels. Developer has completed the
annexation of 633 acres:
406 acres—North Parcel
187 acres—South Parcel
40 acres—CDOT roadway and other
contiguous parcels
Most of the potential 734
residential units are planned for the North Parcel, while the
South Parcel contains the RV Resort, a business park,
and commercial land for a proposed travel plaza. The 18-acre "Gov" zone will house the regional headquarters for the Colorado Division of Wildlife. Each parcel has its own focus and function as
described below and is phased to provide maximum economic value
and orderly infrastructure development and future build-out.
| NORTH PARCEL
The North Parcel is 833 acres located north of Hwy. 50,
of which 411 acres are annexed and zoned for residential and commercial
mixed use. The northerly 422 acres of open space are
not being annexed into the City and contain the widely
popular Contour Trail and many prehistoric cultural
sites. |
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SOUTH PARCEL
The 191-acre South Parcel is located south of Hwy. 50,
adjacent to the Museum and the Gunnison/Crested Butte
Airport. This area of development includes the existing I-Bar western pavilion and equestrian meadow, the
proposed travel plaza, a 350-unit RV resort, and the
27.5-acre business and research park. A 9-acre parcel
(out of 17 acres) is being donated to the Colorado Department of Wildlife (CDOW) for their
Regional Headquarters to be moved to the City of
Gunnison.
Directly adjacent to Gunnnison Rising and south of Hwy. 50, is the Tomichi Creek corridor—250 acres of abundant fish and wildlife and owned by the Colorado Division of Wildlife as part of the Colorado
Wildlife Habitat Protection Program.
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EAST PARCEL
This 221-acre East Parcel is located southeast of Hwy.
50. Pending application and approval by the City, land
uses are anticipated to include both residential in the
western portion and industrial in the eastern end of the
parcel adjacent to the Signal Peak Industrial Park.
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Parks, Trails and Schools
Over 8 miles of public trails are being provided and will tie
into the City of Gunnison’s existing, extensive trail system to
provide access to both Western State College and the
government-owned lands surrounding the project. A 10-acre site
is allocated for the school district, and nearly 30 acres of
land are being set aside for parks.
Phasing Plan
NOTE:
INFORMATION IS APPROXIMATE AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT
NOTICE.
