Parking has become a point of contention for the Hotchkiss town council. More specifically, the town is working on changes to its parking code, according to the High Country Shopper. Hotchkiss Mayor Jim Wingfield recently stated that the town’s current code in regards to requiring off-street parking for new impactful business uses in C-2 zoning “doesn’t fit Hotchkiss.”
This sentiment comes after trustees approved up to 13 required off-street parking spaces for a new West Bridge Street restaurant, allowed by the towns’ C-2 zoning code. The chart mandates one off-street parking space for each three seats in a new restaurant. Per a March 2023 New York Times report, the United States has an overabundance of parking spots. According to some estimates, that number falls around two billion parking spots— nearly seven for every car. While 37 percent of respondents in a 2019 Hotchkiss Prosperity Plan survey said expanded or improved parking in downtown was a priority, Hotchkiss is still working toward updating its master plan.
A Montrose-based military veteran has a new home thanks to the non-profit ‘Homes For Our Troops.’ According to the Montrose Daily Press, Army veteran Daniel Wallace and his wife Kelly were welcomed into their new home on Saturday by the nonprofit and a slew of community volunteers. Wallace sustained lasting injuries while serving in Iraq as the First Sergeant of Bravo Company and 101st Airborne Division, in December 2003.
He was wounded as a result of a suicide bomber, leaving him without sight in one eye and legally blind in the other. During Saturday’s ceremony, Wallace spoke of the "selfless service" required of service members and thanked the nonprofit and community for the service they showed him and his family. Homes for our Troops is a national non-profit based out of Massachusetts. They help build houses specially designed to accommodate veterans who have sustained injuries while in service. This is the third house the group has built in Montrose.
Chili peppers are an important ingredient for lots of foods. Now, a study shows that they have been around for much longer than we thought. And they may have originated in parts of our region. The Mountain West News Bureau’s Kaleb Roedel has more.
LGBTQ Pride Month is known for its colorful celebrations and the highly visible Rainbow Flag. Last year, one small Colorado town found itself tangled in a web of controversy over the flying of Pride Banners on its downtown light poles. KVNF’s Lisa Young takes a look at the “flag fight” and how one non-profit organization in Paonia, Colorado is going beyond the restrictive flag policy to “Color the Town” with Rainbow Flags in support of the LGBTQ community.
