Fremont County OKs 'Over the River' project
Fremont County Commissioners on Tuesday morning unanimously approved a permit for artist Christo to drape sections of the Arkansas River in fabric in 2015, a project known as "Over the River."
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has already approved the project. It could bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to the region over a two-week span, though some who live in the area have voiced concerns about the impacts to traffic and wildlife.
Christo plans to install 5.9 miles of "silvery, luminous fabric panels" above the river along a 42-mile stretch between Salida and Cañon City.
“The Fremont County permit is essential to realizing this temporary work of art that Jeanne-Claude and I first envisioned nearly 20 years ago,” said Christo in a news release, referring to his wife, who died in 2009. “I am very pleased that the Commissioners have voted to approve this public work of art for Fremont County, and I want to thank them for their hard work and efforts in evaluating our application. I am glad to be moving forward with our plans to complete Over The River.”
Check back here later Tuesday for more details. Christo's next step is to submit a permit request in Chaffee County, which he will do in the coming weeks.
If approved - and if a court challenge doesn't halt the project - crews will begin installing equipment in 2013.
