Crestone moves long-planned priorities into action

Crestone is moving several long-standing community priorities from planning into action, with new work underway on traffic safety, the municipal water system, and the internal systems that support town operations. For a town with a very small staff, the progress reflects a deliberate effort to build capacity without trying to operate like a much larger city.

'Slow Crestone Down'

Crestone received a $5,000 Saguache County Sales Tax Grant for "Slow Crestone Down," a community traffic-calming and speed-reduction campaign. The project pairs physical measures with public education and pedestrian safety, and involves residents directly in shaping it. Planned elements include removable reflective speed bumps, advance warning signage, improved pedestrian crossing signs, and a community awareness campaign. The town is now evaluating locations and treatments, recognizing that effective traffic calming takes more than placing speed bumps around town.

Water system improvements

Crestone owns and operates its own drinking water system, supplied by three groundwater wells and a single 115,000-gallon storage tank. Working with engineering firm Swiftwater Solutions, and with planning funded in part by a Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment pre-loan planning grant, the town completed a needs assessment and alternatives analysis that turned long-standing system problems into a clear capital improvement path.

Pressure regulation emerged as the top immediate priority. In September, the town submitted a $49,835 Community Development Block Grant application to fund final engineering and design of priority pressure-regulation improvements, work that positions Crestone for Drinking Water State Revolving Fund financing and construction. Longer-range plans include a new production well, new potable water storage tank with the existing tank converted to dedicated fire storage, a smart-meter replacement program, and continued improvements to monitoring and controls that build on the town's recently installed SCADA system.

Modernizing Town Hall

Behind the scenes, Crestone has spent much of the past year rebuilding how Town Hall works. The town launched a 311-style online portal where residents can report non-emergency issues such as water problems, road and drainage concerns, and streetlight outages, with or without creating an account. In September, the town brought a new broadcast system online that lets residents subscribe to email and text alerts in the categories they choose, from emergency alerts to community events. The town is also implementing new financial and utility billing systems, has developed a 2026-2027 strategic plan with the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, and is systematically reviewing policies, forms, and procedures that had accumulated over many years, with the goal of a single town operations manual.

"For a town our size, the goal isn't to act like a big city," said Town Manager Arielle Blackwell. "It's to build systems that are easier for residents to use, manageable for a small staff, and durable for the boards and employees who come after us."

Together, these projects mark a shift for Crestone from identifying community needs to building the infrastructure, processes, and capacity to address them.