Chaffee County residents want smart, safe development that works for everyone.

Smart Land Policy: Smeltertown has long been developed and is designated for industrial uses in the 2000 and 2020 Comprehensive Plans, and the Land Use Code requires rezonings to match our plan (LUC §5.2.9.1(D)(1)). Mixing industrial with large-scale recreation, commercial or residential MUR uses in a rural area goes against smart, fair planning principles.

Public Safety First: The proposed Smeltertown site neighbors a former Superfund area with capped industrial waste. An ice rink there would risk stirring up those legacy toxins, potentially endangering public health.

Traffic Safety & Road Access: All rink traffic would funnel off busy Highway 291 through CR 150 or CR 151, then down dead‑end CR 152, all rural roads with no shoulders or sidewalks. Mixing high-volume recreational traffic with the heavy trucks that already serve nearby industrial yards significantly increases risk of accidents. CR 152’s single‑exit layout leaves no alternate route for fire, EMS, or evacuees if the road is blocked. It is a low‑volume rural road not built for the high traffic a regional sports venue or other MUR use would generate.

Wildlife & River Corridor Protection: These parcels sit right next to the Arkansas River’s riparian corridor—prime habitat and a migration route for deer, raptors, and Gold‑Medal trout. Paving the area for a high‑footprint rink or other MUR uses would add lights, noise, and runoff that fragment habitat and pollute the river, directly contradicting the Comprehensive Plan’s call to safeguard critical wildlife and riparian zones.

Built‑In, Community‑Backed Alternative: Poncha Springs has already designated a 30-acre park site, planned with input from over 500 residents, which includes a covered rink option in the master plan (public process completed, approved 6/24/25). This site offers infrastructure, road access, and broad public support.

Doing It Right for the Future: Rejecting the Smeltertown rezoning doesn’t block the rink—it redirects it to a better spot. Just as importantly, it protects valuable industrial land and ensures our county continues to grow thoughtfully, responsibly, and with public input.

We support a healthy, vibrant Chaffee County, where innovation and recreation go hand-in-hand with smart land use. Denying the rezoning and redirecting the rink project to Poncha Springs is simply the right move — for safety, for planning, for community.