Photo: Casey Kelly, Chaffee County Times

Calling all Urbanists! After the recent resignation of Town Planner Michael Yerman, the Town of Buena Vista is currently seeking applications for Community Development Director and will be accepting applications until June 8th. With the recent approval by voters of a $3 million bond to fund street improvements and continued support for multi-modal street improvements, this position represents a fantastic opportunity for a skilled planner to help our town become even more beautiful, business, pedestrian and bike-friendly. The Town passed a “complete streets” resolution this spring, and improvement projects slated for the coming years and currently in preliminary planning stages include a redesign for Highway 24 and improvements for downtown streets such as Cedar. In public input sessions, citizens have continued to support cross sections for Cedar and other downtown streets involving on-street parking, street trees, sidewalks and bike sharrows.

In short this is a big opportunity for the town and for a planner looking to have a big positive impact in a growing rural mountain town. Have a look around this blog and South Main’s website to get more of a feel for what an incredible place this is to live. And be sure to submit your application by June 8th.

“If you’re thinking of buying a second home in the next five years, this might be your best opportunity.” So says “Vacation Homes Beckon,” a recent article in the Wall Street Journal. Of course such a pronouncement depends heavily on the specific market, but we believe it holds true here in South Main.

“There is only one way prices can go in South Main, and that is up,” says Jed Selby, President and co-founder of the neighborhood. With no debt, South Main’s financial standing is very solid, and at worst prices will hold flat for a while. With interest rates still at historic lows (3.97% average on a 30-year fixed, according to the WSJ article), there really will be no better time to buy.

Interest rates are bound to rise with time, and our inventory is only getting smaller- 701 Buzz Boulevard, one of our most beautiful single family home lots, closed yesterday.

“We don’t know exactly when South Main will ‘pop’, but it will,” says Jed. “And when it does, prices in South Main will head up for good.”

Read the full Wall Street Journal Article, “Vacation Homes Beckon”

From Colorado Kayak Supply’s Paddlefest:

May is our favorite month of the year. The river is coming up, our shop is filled with new gear, and to top it all off, we have Paddlefest!

We’ll start Paddlefest ’12 with the CKS Storewide sale, which features the best gear from the nation’s top kayaking manufacturers. This includes kayaks, Stand Up Paddle boards, gear, accessories, and other specialty items. All new kayaks (excluding 2012 Jackson Kayaks) will be 10% off MSRP. Everything else (all accessories and soft goods) in the store will be 15% off, including items already on sale and even special orders. Save up to 50% off on select items. Don’t miss these fantastic savings paired with great advice direct from the manufacturers and professional representatives.

SALE Hours: Friday Noon-7pm Saturday 9am-7pm  Sunday and Monday 9 am-6pm

We also have the CKS Used Gear Swap, bring in your old gear boats and boards and sell it in the swap and upgrade into some new stuff. If your item(s) sell, choose between a full in-store credit (no commission) that never expires, or cash back minus a 25% commission.

(CKS will only be accepting the essentials to paddling: kayaks, paddles, pfd’s, helmets and spray skirts. SUP boards and SUP paddles will also be part of the swap.)
Swap Hours: Saturday 9am – 5pm Sunday 9am – 5pm

From May 25th- 27th the Buena Vista Pro-Am Freestyle Competition returns to the Buena Vista Whitewater Park. Pros from all over the world will battle it out all weekend in this fun and high-flying event.  There will also be an Amateur component to this years competition all day Sunday May 27th. All ages and abilities are welcomed.

CKS will also be hosting amazing movies like NRS’s Of Souls + Water

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and great music, like Angie Stevens at the Teva Block Party.

Click here for more information and times.

South Main broker and Financial Manager, Andre Spino-Smith, also happens to be an awesome rock climber. Here he “sends” one of the most classic V5 boulder problems in Buena Vista, dubbed “The Becklehammer.”

Phillip Puckett and his family live in a beautiful rowhouse on South Main Street. Phillip works from his home office as a Program Manager for IBM and was recently elected to Buena Vista’s Board of Trustees. Comment below to join us in exploring how remote working can bring jobs and professionals to a small town like Buena Vista.

Just over two years ago my wife and I decided to make a significant life change when we left our comfortable and familiar life in suburbia Texas and moved to the unknown land of small town Colorado.  Both of us were born into suburbia and had lived that way all of our lives.  After we had our first child we quickly realized we yearned for a change.  Our lives had become sedentary.  We were largely bound to the air conditioned indoors or extended time in the car to go shopping, visit friends & family, eat out, grocery shopping, to work, and even to exercise.  We knew there had to be a different way to live.  We wanted our kids to have different experience.  We needed change.

Our journey began about five years ago when, on our annual summer trip to Colorado, we stumbled upon the town of Buena Vista, CO and the South Main development.  Nestled right on the edge of the Arkansas River at the end of Main Street, this little development was different.  Though at the time there was little infrastructure and only a few houses we were drawn to the classic architecture and proximity to… everything.  The river park, mountains, parks, schools, art shops, coffee shops, library, post office, grocery store, sports and outdoor shops, restaurants, climbing, hike and bike trails, church, and a brew pub – all of this was right outside your front door within walking and biking distance.  Though this was so different than anything we had experienced, we knew this was the change we needed.

Then reality kicked in, hard.  Besides the lifestyle change, a major question was how to make a living in a small town.  My skills as an IT professional did not translate to many employment opportunities in Buena Vista.  At the time (2007) I had just started working primarily out of my home office – a very common trend for IT workers that started a decade ago.  My employer, IBM, had started a global movement to align teams according to business function rather than physical location.  I no longer worked with the person in the next office.  Instead I was working with people in many other cities around the world.  Over the next three years I discovered ways to excel as a remote worker and practiced working during trips to Buena Vista.  This would open the door to our permanent move.

Through a series of short blog entries I want to share my experience as a remote worker and how we have used it to change our lives.  My goal is to encourage people to leverage technology and this new global workplace to explore new possibilities in their living situation.  I also want to explore and discover ways to attract this growing mobile workforce to the town of Buena Vista.  When I look out at the beautiful Sawatch mountain range with the roar of the river mixed with sounds from people walking by and playing at the park I am in awe at this new life.  Surely there are others out there open to a similar lifestyle change!

It is amazing how many times out running or walking on the Barbara Whipple Trail or hanging out at the River Park (and sports fields) just east of town that we all bump into so many good friends from the community. Many locals, fishermen, sports groups and visitors alike use the trail and the river area on a regular basis all year. This winter has been no exception.

Local outdoor enthusiasts and some other folks have taken the initiative to get a BV River Park clean-up day organized. If you use the trails, sports facilities or park once a year or once a day, we highly encourage you to join everyone down there to help pick up trash, debris and yes some dog poop (not a requirement). Remember the trails sit right above the river, and water does not mix well with dog poop and trash.  It is very important that we get the trails and park areas cleaned up for the health and beauty of this incredible asset.

See you on Sunday April 29^th, 2012.

We were quite excited to see ground break this month on a new skatepark at the intersection of Cedar Street and South Main Street. Located on a piece of Town land near the entrance to South Main, the park grew from efforts of Chaffee County High School (CCHS) student Caleb Green who helped write a grant with a classmate and Town Engineer Rachel Friedman as a CCHS service learning project.  $185,000 in grant funds were awarded last summer by Great Outdoors Colorado (the same organization which has helped fund extensive River Park improvements around South Main) for design and construction of the park.

“The skatepark project is really important to me as a skateboarder,” Green told the Chaffee County Times. “What we have now isn’t challenging enough. We want people to say, ‘Let’s go to BV because they have an awesome skatepark,’ and have the intensity of a larger park here in a small town.”

It’s exciting to see the incredible growth in Buena Vista’s public amenities like the skatepark in recent years. Whether it’s the ongoing whitewater park and trail improvements, the Buena Vista Boulder Garden and Rocks and Ropes park, the Buena Vista Disc Golf Course, or the new Pump Truck. And virtually all of these projects began at the grassroots with community members who saw an opportunity to further enhance Buena Vista’s reputation as a destination for outdoor adventure.

Construction of the new skatepark is being managed by Misiano Skateparks and is scheduled to be complete by Paddlefest weekend!

Our good friend Bill Dobson has fished and guided clients on our local Arkansas River since the ’90′s and continues to study the behavior of bugs, trout, and fishermen.  Some of you will also recall that Bill played an important role getting South Main started. Bill shares his wisdom about current conditions in this first installment on our blog of “BD’s Bugz”

The fish really wintered well, with Browns and Rainbows looking fat and happy. Early season floats and wades have been outstanding. The insect life has really changed the dynamics of fishing the Arkansas. In years past, the fish came out of the colder months pretty skinny, and were willing to eat anything. That is what made the “Mother’s Day” Caddis hatch so amazing. For the past couple of years, the trout have eaten well all winter and, no longer rely solely on caddis. Blue Wing Olive (BWO) mayflies, Yellow Stonefly nymphs, and prolific midge hatches offer many choices that the fisherman needs to keep in mind. My trips during the height of the Caddis hatch were more successful using BWO’s than caddis imitations, and many of the Caddis focused fishermen I spoke to ended up quite frustrated.

For the rest of March and April, we will be seeing midges and Yellow or Golden stones on the drift, with some BWO activity in the afternoon, especially on cloudier days. I recommend fishing a double nymph rig with a heavier stone, trailing a black, brown or grey midge in the morning, and changing to a beaded Pheasant Tail trailing a smaller unweighted midge or BWO nymph. Keep an eye out for surface feeders and be ready to switch to your favorite BWO dryfly when the adults start popping. Some of the best dry fly fishing of the season happens between now and May, and it’s a great time to take a float trip. The water is low and clear, the river uncrowded, and the trout’s size and strength will surprise you.

I am still not set up to tie, but will be happy to help you select and order flies for the season through my friends at Discountflies.com. They have great prices, a terrific selection, and very good quality flies tied by the same folks that Umpqua uses.

I look forward to seeing you on the river this season.

Be well,

Bill Dobson

Bill guides beginners and veterans on both wade and floatfishing trips for Arkanglers Guide Service. Full day and half day trips can be booked by calling 719-539-4223 or visiting arkanglers.com

Buena Vista could handle Highway 24 similiarly as nearby Leadville

“A road diet is one of the most cost-efficient ways to improve a roadway. You can do a mile of roadway for about $50,000, which is the cost of one sidewalk bulb-out, or to compare, a traffic signal could cost $300,000 or $400,000
-Mike Sallaberry, Transportation Engineer, San Francisco MTA

“A road diet is anytime you take any lane out of a road,” says traffic calming expert Dan Burden in this excellent StreetFilms video. We think Buena Vista’s Highway 24 needs a road diet. Watch this short and excellent video to learn more about what that looks like.

Moving Beyond the Automobile: Road Diets from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

Here are a few reasons why we’re asking you, this citizens of Buena Vista, to advocate for a road diet for Highway 24:

1) It’s safer for pedestrians, bikers and drivers alike. “Now the prudent driver is setting the speed, and not the imprudent driver. And pedestrians have less distance to cross.”

2) It’s cheaper, as you can see from the opening quote

3) It’s better for business. “We’ve reallocated the space in the street to accommodate those that live here, work here, that buy things here, rather than privileging those that would just drive through here fast”
-Charles Gandy, Mobility Coordinator, City of Long Beach, CA

Early in Lenny Eckstein’s efforts to start up Deerhammer Distilling, someone asked him “Why Buena Vista?”. Before he could respond, someone else chimed in, “If you’d ever been to BV, you’d know why.”

As a long-time kayaker, Lenny has been coming to Buena Vista since 1999, and his “wife/business partner/bar maid” Amy spent years raft guiding before her current profession as a nurse; so when they tried to make a list of places they wanted to move to from the front range, the list didn’t get beyond BV. “When we decided to pursue our dream, we knew that it could only happen here” say Lenny and Amy.

Buena Vista is certainly fortunate to have Lenny and Amy bringing their artful touch to Main Street. Their tasting room at 321 East Main Street drips with character and virtually demands that you grab a Honey Badger (Deerhammer’s take on the Hot Toddy, featuring local honey) if you’re passing by on a cold evening.

And of course the whiskey itself is excellent. From Deerhammer’s website: “Much in the way a craft-brewed beer is built from a variety of roasted and kilned barley to impart character, we also utilize these flavorful grains to add a unique complexity to our whiskey. We then double distill though a hand crafted copper pot still, using tried and true techniques with a twist of our own modern innovation.” The first result is what they refer to as Deerhammer Small Batch White Whiskey. This is the spirit as it comes straight off the still, resulting in “a light/sweet spirit with notes of fruit, chocolate and cinnamon.” Deerhammer’s unique flavor profile results from the fact that they begin with essentially a Porter base, using chocolate and crystal malts to impart flavor.

The more conventional, barrel-aged whiskey which most people are familiar with will come later, after oak barrels have imparted their own unique flavor characteristics. “White whiskey was around before aged whiskey,” Lenny told me on a recent visit to the Deerhammer tasting room. “The flavor contributions were a side effect of forgetting about a barrel for too long.” Deerhammer even has mini oak barrels for sale so that you can sample the spirit over the course of the aging process.

So, if all of this has piqued your interest and left you drooling for a taste, head over to 321 East Main Street where you can sample Deerhammer’s white whiskey straight up or mixed in one of their four specialty cocktails. And be sure to grab a bottle to go.

But wait, one more question I’m sure you’re dying to have answered- what about the name? Well, after Lenny fended off  a BV buck in rut with his trusty framing hammer, let’s just say it was a foregone conclusion. Actually, not quite, but if you like that version, spread some rumors!

The real story is that Deerhammer was the name of the woman who proposed the name “Buena Vista” instead of Cottonwood and other names. Then on his way to work, Lenny had this vision of a barrel with antlers and thought “Ah, we’re definitely using that, it’s perfect!” So now you know. Plus there’s this great word “Deerhammered” which you can use after you’ve enjoyed a couple cocktails at the tasting room.

So, be sure to stop in and get know this wonderful couple and their artfully made spirits. We love them and you will too. Cheers!