City land swap question passes

City of Glenwood Springs voters in a special election Tuesday authorized the city to negotiate a trade or sale of land next to Glenwood Springs Elementary School that will forward the school’s renovation plans and the city’s efforts to redevelop the confluence area.

The single question on the mail ballot was approved 829 votes in favor to 286 opposed, according to results released by the City Clerk’s Office.

The city sought permission to sell or trade two parcels, including the existing recycling center property, to the Roaring Fork School District.

The city question was loosely tied to the school district’s upcoming $122 million bond issue, which will be on the Nov. 3 ballot for Glenwood, Carbondale and Basalt voters to decide. About $20 million of that larger bond issue would go toward a $29.2 million overhaul of the GSES school and campus.

In turn, the city seeks to acquire what’s now school district-owned land north of the school, including Vogelaar Park. That area is being eyed for a possible mix of residential and commercial development as part of the larger confluence development master plan.