San Juan County is being sued by a developer over the county’s refusal to approve a proposed 8-unit subdivision above Gladstone.
The county commissioners approved a preliminary plat last summer for the subdivision proposed by Extreme Ski Area Properties Ltd., owner of three mining claims above Gladstone. But county officials stipulated at that time that issues such as year-round motorized access and provisions for providing electricity would need to be addressed.
Protracted negotiations between the county and the developer reached an impasse, with the county refusing to budge on the issues.
In a lawsuit against the commissioners filed Aug. 22, Frank Anesi of Durango, attorney for Extreme Ski Area Properties, said the county is misreading a court decision out of Mineral County last year that seemed to require year-round wheeled-vehicle access for new subdivisions.
Anesi also said the county should accept a “will-serve” letter from San Miguel Power Association as fulfilling the obligation to provide electricity, even though the developer is instead proposing solar power for the proposed cabins near Silverton Mountain Ski Area.