Western Slope May Updates

Make some new friends this summer at Slope Scoop Events

Photo of the Week

Redlands Culvert View- Rick Kieffer

Please continue submitting photos of yourself/ the Western Slope. I have gotten so much good feedback about this section. Let’s see those beautiful Spring pics!

In this edition:

  • New! Homeowner Tip of the Week

  • Montrose vs Montrose Methodist

  • Update on GJ Downtown (4th and 5th st)

  • Fruita Lacrosse teams advance

Housing

🏠 Homeowner Tip of the Week:
Inspect Outdoor Faucets and Hoses to Prevent Water Leaks—and Pests

With warmer weather arriving, it’s a smart time to check your outdoor faucets, hoses, and irrigation lines for leaks or damage. Winter’s freeze-thaw cycles often lead to cracks that can go unnoticed until water starts pooling. Let the faucet run for a minute and inspect the area for dripping, soft spots, or unexpected moisture around the foundation.

Beyond wasting water, these small leaks can attract pests like ants, mosquitoes, and earwigs, which thrive in damp environments. Standing water near your home’s perimeter is practically an open invitation for bugs to move in. Catching and fixing leaks early helps prevent infestations—and keeps your water bill in check.

Market Stats:

Average Sales Price: 

T12 (last 12 months): $462,833 (+$3k from last week)

YTD (since Jan 1st 2025): $452,577 (+$2k from last week)

Median Sales Price: $400,000 (no change from last week)

Inventory Levels:

Number of New Listings: 92 (+19 from last week) 

Average Days on Market: 77 (no change from last week)

Total Active Listings: 608 (+27 from last week)

Source: Skyler Kraai with Coldwell Banker Distinctive Properties

News

City of Montrose vs Montrose Methodist Church

The City of Montrose took the Montrose United Methodist Church to court in February 2025 for an emergency abatement order.

The court denied the emergency abatement order, and the unhoused community members were allowed to remain at the church, but recently, the city brought the case to district court. The district court ultimately denied a hearing on the case at the district level, but the case is not closed yet. “We’re waiting to hear whether or not the city attorneys wish to go back to court on those citations, all 23 of them, against the church,” said Paul Zaenger, Montrose United Methodist Church representative.

If the city decides to take the case back to the municipal court, the church could be forced to remove the unhoused community from its premises. Zaenger states that if the unhoused are removed from the church’s property, they may have nowhere else to go. With the city’s camping ban, many of them could end up in jail.

We contacted the Montrose City attorney’s office, but they could not comment at the time because the case is still pending litigation.

The votes are in: 4th and 5th street to be reverted back to original state

Wednesday night, the Grand Junction City Council decided on what to do with the controversial 4th and 5th Street pilot project.

In a 4-3 vote the council passed the decision to revert the 4th and 5th Street corridor back to its original state before the pilot project began, but it doesn’t just end there. The motion also outlined that city staff will have leeway to adjust lane widths in the future to account for traffic safety standards as they see fit.

John Shaver, Grand Junction’s city attorney, also reiterated traffic engineers would be the ones to most likely preside over these lane widths.

“Our standards would be the engineering design standards whether or not that’s MUTCD or engineering judgment so it’s not necessarily staff’s decision, but it would be based upon those engineering analyses,” Shaver said.

The 4th and 5th Street project was first started under the former city council in an effort to make downtown Grand Junction more bike and pedestrian friendly.

Many community members have voiced their concerns about the project though and according to a blog post from Grand Junction Mayor Cody Kennedy, a Chamber of Commerce survey found nearly 72% of people who responded have visited downtown less since the start of the project.

Council members who voted against the motion were Scott Beilfuss, Jason Nguyen, and Anna Stout.

Business Highlight

This actually isn’t a business. I just love chess and want to promote some in person, over the board chess for this person.

Pawns and Pints

Enjoy a super relaxed, informal, chess meetup in GJ for the past few months called Pawns & Pints. Typically, we’ve been meeting indoors at a beer/coffee shop on Saturday afternoons for a couple of hours, but with the weather warming up, I’ve been trying to move the meetup to a nice outdoor location on Sundays at Basecamp! Some weeks it’s only 3-4 people that show up, the most we’ve ever had is maybe 10-12. All ability levels are welcome, always free, just a good way to hang out with some new folks and play chess :)

Local Community

Grand Valley Connects turns three, celebrating a milestone

Grand Valley Connects is celebrating a large milestone, turning three years old.

The program provides individuals with a Resource Navigator, who connects them to behavioral health resources, childcare, veteran services and help with utility bills.

Resource Navigators will meet the individual who needs help where they are comfortable, whether that’s over the phone, in the office or out in the community. They are available at the Mesa County Library or Clifton Library on Tuesday from 1-5 p.m. on a walk-in basis.

“In our first year, we received 300 referrals for individuals requesting assistance and last year, we saw over 100 individuals,” said Michelle Trujillo, Health Promotion Division Director for Mesa County Public Health.

Western Slope Sports!
Fruita Monument Boys & Girls Lax Teams survive and advance in State Playoffs

Tuesday was a good day if you play lacrosse and have Fruita Monument written somewhere on your uniform, with the Fruita Monument Girls and Boys Teams both acing their first round playoff assignments.

Over at Colorado Mesa, the Wildcats Girls Team did not miss a beat offensively against the Conifer Lobos , with four different ‘Cats accounting for multiple goals. The tandem of McKenna Jensen and Olivia O’Hara almost outscored the Lobos on their own, combining for 14 points, with Jensen leading Fruita Monument with nine. O’Hara also accounted for three assists in the 24-14 victory.

Fruita Monument Girls Lacrosse will hit the road for a Thursday second round matchup in Lakewood with Green Mountain.

Over on the Fruita Monument Campus, the Wildcats Boys Team seemed like they were in a defensive battle with the Prairie View Thunderhawks at first, but Regan Marshall connected on a lob shot on goal after a surgical drive, to open the flood gates for Fruita Monument.

Exciting Events!

This section only includes local upcoming events. Feel free to submit yours!

Sports

Skate the Ages

Date Night 🎆

  • Line Dancing at Mama Ree’s

    • 664 North Ave, 2310 West Ridges BlvdGrand Junction, CO 81501

    • (970) 200-1234

    • Price: FREE

    • Time: 8:00 PM to 2:00 AM

    • Recurrence: Recurring weekly on Saturday

Family Fun!!

  • 119 Pitkin AveGrand Junction, CO 81501

  • (480) 861-9933

  • Price: free

  • Time: 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM

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