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SNOWMASS RODEO 2022-23-24

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SNOWMASS RODEO - Snowmass Rodeo - The oldest rodeo in the State of Colorado future improvement's on the Snowmass Village Town Park Master Plan RFVHC needs Community Support.



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HOW THE  RFVHC BECAME INVOLVED IN THE SNOWMASS RODEO: OUR TIMELINE/HISTORY

 The Board members of the RFVHC were invited to present to TOSV our trail and parking  recommendations, gathered from the Survey Monkey,  to the POSTR Board on 4.13.22. At that meeting we discussed a few of the shortcomings that we noticed about the Rodeo Grounds and the new Town Plan when laying out the case for the importance of creating a staging grounds and place for the TOSV Trail Rides by the Snowmass Outfitters.    
  1. The Rodeo Parking lot is the trailhead for this fantastic trail ride.  2022 RFVHC TRAIL RECOMMENDATIONS TO TOSV & COMMUNITY read in front of the POSTR Board - only 2-3 POSTR members attended. 
  2. At the meeting on 4.13.22 the RFVHC was asked by Andy Worline, to prepare a organized list of items about our concerns of the rodeo, and to get the list to TOSV within 2 weeks. The first RFVHC Safety Report was placed on their desks within 10 days, on 4.25.22. 
  3. Environmental Assessment Letter about work on the Wetlands 5.17.22 here 
  4. On the same day, 4.25.22 TOSV submitted Rodeo Grounds/Town Park documents to the TOSV Planning Commission. The RFVHC did not have ready access to those maps or that information.
  5. On 5.15.22  the RFVHC delivered the first Rodeo Safety report, and then we found the new plans on-line, so we revised the Safety Report  and on 5.24.22 the RFVHC sent a REVISED Rodeo Safety Report to reflect our recommendations and opinions on all this new information. to the Planning Commissioners, the TOSV Mayor, Postr, and the Town Park Designers and we asked the TOSV Planning Commissioners not to rubber stamp a Rodeo Plan without a line item review of our findings and recommendations. 5.25.22 Revised Rodeo Safety Report. Read the report here.
  6. On the same day, 5.24.22 Aspen Times reporter Kaya Williams' story came out in the Snowmass Sun, saying Snowmass Rodeo grounds slated to get bigger, not smaller with Town Park Revamp Read Kaya's Story here 
  7. On June 15, 2022 at the TOSV Planning Commission meeting, several RFVHC Board Members were in attendance to speak during the Public Forum. The 2+ hour meeting ended with an extension to the next meeting on 6/29/22.   FYI A reminder of the Duties of this TOSV Planning Commission. The Planning Commission advises the TOSV Town Council on all matters related to growth and development of land in Snowmass Village including: The location, character, and extent of all public facilities, Updates to the town’s Comprehensive Plan. Amendments to the zoning ordinance, Rezoning and special exception applications filed, Approval of final development plans. 
  8. On June 26, 2022 the RFVHC sent a letter to the Planning Commissioners regarding the upcoming June 29th meeting, to ask for a delay un approval until the plans were safe and the facility efficient. Read this RFVHC letter here...
  9. ​On June 29, 2022 the Planning Commission reviewed the entire project as laid out for the first time by the Connect One Designer. Many maps and renderings were shown.The approval decisions were postponed and a site visit was scheduled for July 12, 2022 at 2 PM, and followed the next day by the regularly schedule Wednesday meeting. Please attend the tour on the 12th, and read all of our materials to help. Contact us, with questions and concerns. The meeting lasted over two hours and the "public comment" period where the RFVHC was going to answer questions was several minutes, and one microphone RFVHC Zoom participants unable to be heard or speak clearly.
  10. June 29 - July 1, 2022 A follow-up letter with those meeting notes was sent to the Planning Commissioners and can be read here... 
  11. July 1, 2022 Aspen Daily News column written by columnist Mel Blumenthal about the TOSV, the Rodeo, the RFVHC, the SWHA, and more 
  12. July 5, 2022 A 3-2 vote to approve the Town Park budget by the Town Council was a disappointing outcome because the plan needs some revision to meet the Best Practices expectations for a safe rodeo and multi-faceted sports and community arena in Snowmass Village. The plan is "not good enough".
  13. July 10,2022 Letter with a Map was presented to the Planning Commissioners and Town Council. Showing how the Rodeo can have permeable surface parking and a warm-up area. Just an idea. The soccer/flex fields would have to be shared with the rodeo space. 
  14. July 13, 2022 Meeting with the TOSV Planning Commissioners. With some recommendations and requests for investigations the Rodeo Plan moved off of their desks and now is back in front of the Town Council. Comments for the PUBLIC 
  15. July 13, 2022 Aspen Times article https://www.aspentimes.com/news/town-park-by-the-numbers/
  16. The next meeting is scheduled on July 18, 2022 
  17. July 15, 2022  Aspen Daily News Column #2 by Mel Blumenthal about the TOSV, the Rodeo, the RFVHC, SWHA and more.
  18. Link to RODEO ARENA USES FOR THE TOSV - Many of these uses need a warm-up area for the competitors to exercise their horses before an event. At this time, 7.16.22 there is no warm-up area designated in the almost $4,000,000 build-out.
  19. July 17, 2022 Link to Letter sent to Town Council and PC OST 
  20. July 18, 2022 Meeting with Town Council and stories in local papers here: https://www.aspentimes.com/news/council-residents-express-concerns-about-town-park/
  21. Letter to the Editor /Times & Daily Horse council: Snowmass rodeo plan flawed, lacks necessary input.  In May 2022,  The Roaring Fork Valley Horse Council discovered that no equine experts had been consulted by the POSTR board (a Snowmass Village community volunteer board of citizens) or by the town of Snowmass...
  22. https://www.aspentimes.com/news/safety-at-crux-of-rodeo-stakeholder-concerns-about-town-park-plans/
  23. https://www.aspendailynews.com/news/snowmass-council-gives-hesitant-ok-to-town-park-project/article_5a6d82b6-0704-11ed-b447-8f5dbcc63301.html
  24. Here is the RFVHC Safety list that was submitted to the TC August 29 , 2022 after TOSV invited the RFVHC to sit with the Connect One designer to finally correct the blueprints and add the necessary elements needed to have a functional and safe rodeo. Snowmass Western Heritage Association, the non-profit that operates the rodeo and Jim Synder led the critiques, and changes were made and a warm-up area was added, among other safety components for the rodeo's success. Once this was done, and the letters below were sent - the PARKING PROBLEM and the WETLANDS now have to be addressed. 
   24. Here is the RFVHC 7.29.22 Letter we were asked to write, confirming our approval of the new rodeo arena layout.     
   25.  Here is the Photo Essay of the Wetlands for your review
​   26.  Here is the RFVHC 8.8.22 Letter to Town Council & Planning Commissioners about Parking & Wetlands 

Newspaper Articles and Op-Eds on the Snowmass Rodeo and Rodeo Grounds
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Aspen Times Story 5.25.22 Bigger not smaller 
Aspen Times Story 6.15.22 Town-park-revamp-wednesday/
Aspen Times Story 6.22.22  Rodeo gets underway, Marky Butler 
Aspen Times Story  7.13.22. Plans show how rodeo will change, RFVHC intervenes since 5.25.22 

Aspen Daily News Story 5.19.04  Rodeo hoping to buck budget shortfall 
Aspen Daily News Story 8.18.12  A Tale of Two Rodeos
Aspen Daily News Opinion 7.1.22  Blumenthal: In Snowmass Village, change is a constant 
Aspen Daily News Opinion 7.15.22  Two Towns With Lots of Agendas
Aspen Daily News Photo 7.18.22  Rodeo Grounds Photo
Aspen Daily News Opinion 7.18.22  Addressing Rodeo Safety 
Aspen Daily News Story 7.19.22  Snowmass Council gives hesitant OK to Town Park project 
Aspen Daily News Opinion 7.29.22  Record rodeo attendance 
Aspen Daily News Opinion 9.17.22  A wrap -up of where we are now 

SEE PHOTO BELOW FOR THE APPROVED Snowmass Rodeo plan to be built for 2024.
The 2023 Snowmass Rodeo will be held at the existing facility, as is, because the wetlands next to the rodeo grounds must be incorporated into the entire Town Park Plan and the wetlands plan has not yet been approved.

In order to build the 2024 Rodeo Plan, TOSV has received a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers for the placement of 580 cubic yards of fill materials into wetlands located at the south end of an existing wetland-pond comple. The project will result in the permanent loss of 0.09 acre of palustrine scrub-shrub wetlands. Please note that any future permit requests that involve additional impacts to aquatic resources associated with the expansion and improvement of the site may be viewed cumulatively for the purpose of determining compensatory mitigation requirements. Here is the TOSV Army Cory Permit 

Here is an excellent explanatory story from Aspen Journalism's Follow-up Wetlands Story 9.2022 by Kaya Williams

For more wetlands information from the RFVHC :
http://www.rfvhorsecouncil.org/uploads/1/1/1/9/11199712/lets_protect_the_wetlands_-_smff_photos_essay.pdf

For further CONTEXT: Letter to Andy Worline in 2015, from Suzt Karlinski about Equestrians and TOSV Please read about how long we have been working with the town. 
Click here to enlarge map

RFVHC worked with the TOSV – POSTR board & SWHA board to secure the following
elements for contestant safety and proper rodeo function:
• Contestant warm up area
• Barrel racer run in entry gate
• Barrel racers separate exit gate
• Adequate livestock pens
• Contestant bleachers

This design includes TOSV Recreation Department storage facility under the main Grandstand.

THE RODEO CONTESTANT & SPECTATOR PARKING IS INADEQUATE!

TOSV must provide parking for the 45 to 48 competitor’s trucks & trailers and enough
spaces for the Snowmass Fire Department’s approved 2000 spectators that either
arrive by bus or by automobiles.
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