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Basalt town government’s major public works project to transform Midland Avenue received a huge vote of confidence from voters on Tuesday.
A citizens’ initiative to pare down the project’s budget and preserve angled parking in the downtown core failed with 335 votes in favor and 809 against. A “no” vote in this case was support for the undertaking, formally known as the Midland Avenue Streetscape Project.
Project foes forced the election by collecting 365 signatures of town voters on a petition, but the campaign failed to generate additional support.
“I think it’s a reflection of what people want to see with the project,” said Basalt Mayor David Knight, who was a wholehearted supporter of the plan. He helped, on his own time, to lead the campaign for support.
He noted that the 70% to 30% in favor of the project mirrored a November 2021 vote that gave the initial support to the project. That election allowed the town to extend bonding authority and a property tax to pay for the Midland Avenue project, affordable housing and “green initiatives.” That also won by a 70-30 margin.
“People just wanted the project done,” Knight said.
The opposition movement was led by longtime midvalley resident Ted Guy. He contended the project morphed drastically from what was proposed in 2021. He stressed during the campaign that he felt the town exceeded the budget and pulled a switch on the parking plan.
“It’s time to move on,” Guy said after the results were released shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday. “They won. Time to move on.”
He felt supporters of the project relied on “misinformation” during the campaign. When asked for an example, he said the initial drawings for the project showed that angled parking would be preserved in the core.
“It started from the very beginning,” he said of the alleged misinformation.
He also believed that proponents of the project were able to sway voters with fear tactics. “I think they scared everybody into thinking that saving the parking would add another year (of construction), which wasn’t true,” he said.
There were a total of 1,144 votes cast in the special election. That was significantly more than the 707 ballots cast in the April 2 election that decided three council seats and featured an uncontested race for mayor. There are 2,845 registered voters in the town, so the turnout Tuesday reached about 40%.
Town Manager Ryan Mahoney said the Midland streetscape issue was the center of discussion for about nine months while the races for the council seats were non-controversial despite being contested.
“I think there was a bit more oxygen put on this election,” Mahoney said. “With the council election, there was a low turnout because spring break was the week before. With this election, people wanted to have their voice heard. It’s a good indication of how this community is feeling about the project.”
The $16.78 million project is transforming Midland Avenue, the town’s main street. When finished, it will make the street friendlier for pedestrians and cyclists. It will create public gathering spots, update the appearance and replace aging infrastructure. More parking was added on Midland Spur, west of the downtown core, and on Two Rivers Road, offsetting a loss of parking spaces in the compact core.
“I think it’s going to add a great downtown space that we’re going to enjoy for generations and it won’t be too long and we won’t be able to imagine this place without it,” Knight said.
The project started last summer, with the first phase focused on Midland Spur. The work on the downtown core of Midland Avenue will stretch through the end of 2024. Town officials and the Basalt Chamber of Commerce are organizing marketing efforts to try to lure shoppers and diners downtown despite the construction this summer.
The mayor said he applauds anyone that spends their free time engaging in civic issues and making their voice heard. He respected the right of citizens to oppose the project, but now he looks forward to its completion.
“It was a contest of ideas. Let’s put it out there and talk and figure out what the community wants to do and then move forward with that decision,” Knight said.