Snowmass Council Approves Mesh Bleachers for Rodeo Grounds

The bleachers at the Snowmass rodeo grounds have long been a visual thorn in the side of anyone driving up Brush Creek, a hulking block of industrial metal that refuses to blend into the mountain backdrop. But after years of planning and vendor delays, the Town Council finally has a concrete plan to soften that blow, and it involves swapping heavy steel for airy mesh and taupe paint.

The project aims to transform the entryway to Town Park and the rodeo grounds, but progress has been anything but smooth. Project Architect Jim Kehoe told the council on Monday that while the design team is ready, the vendors are dragging their feet. "One of the difficulties we’ve been having as a team is the vendors," Kehoe said, noting that suppliers are slow to respond to requests for additional sampling.

The biggest shift in the design involves the bleachers themselves. Instead of vertical metal kick plates, the new plan calls for expanded metal — a see-through mesh that reduces visual mass. The goal is simple: make the structure less imposing so it doesn't dominate the landscape. "This could create more open space in the bleachers to reduce their visual mass and allow them to better blend into the landscape," a staff report read.

Council Member Tom Fridstein was sold immediately. "I think the expanded metal is a great idea," he said. The change isn't just aesthetic; it’s practical. Expanded metal creates cooler seating and allows town staff to buy off-the-shelf materials, though the first four or five rows will remain solid to block views of the buildings behind them.

The rest of the council agreed that moving forward with the mesh was the right call. Town Manager Clint Kinney marked the moment as a turning point. "A big step just happened," Kinney noted. "That decision has not been made until now."

There is one snag: Bleacher International, the current supplier, hasn't responded to inquiries. "The current status is, we haven’t heard back from him," Kehoe said.

Color is also changing. Council members favored lighter-colored seats, specifically taupe. Fridstein argued that the shade would "soften the whole thing," even if it’s not strictly necessary. "I think the public would really like it," he said. The council ordered mock-ups for both the screening and the new seat color.

But the bleachers aren't the only eyesore. Fridstein pointed to the staging parking lot to the right of the roundabout, a place where drivers get hit with a direct view of stock trailers and chaos. "The whole issue is you come right around the roundabout and look right into this ugly parking lot," he said.

Town Manager Clint Kinney said the area needs to stay accessible for loading and unloading, but suggested a temporary, moveable feature might solve the visual problem. The design is taking shape, one delayed vendor at a time.