From the beginning, the Yampa Valley Housing Authority (YVHA) set a clear goal for the 534 acres donated to them by an anonymous donor last year. They will “thoughtfully plan and develop the land in a manner that is it community-driven and affordable to all income earners.”
Committee to Spearhead the Development
A twenty-person steering committee of community members was chosen to spearhead the development under direction from design consulting firm Mithun. The committee created five focus groups to work on infrastructure, urban design, natural and built sustainability, housing and non-residential demand, stewardship and project economics. The first public listening session was held this January, which generated a plethora of hopes and concerns.
Among some of the hopes, the community identified the following:
• Opportunities for local workers of every income level to create housing mobility.
• Open space, bike paths, and walking trails.
• A grocery store and other key commercial services for the west-end neighborhoods.
• Innovative solutions for water and clean energy.
• A recreation center with a swimming pool.
• Help solve the housing crisis and enable businesses to better find workers.
Large Need for Subsidized Housing
YVHA has identified a need for 2,300 subsidized housing units by 2040. Of the 534 acres at Brown Ranch, 324 acres are developable, 116 acres have restrictive topography for development and 114 acres are outside the urban growth area.
The first phase of construction will include around 1,100 building units with a goal to develop a total of nearly 2,300 units by 2050.
Required infrastructure to be Paid Over Time
An estimated $400M is required for infrastructure, which would be paid over time to cover necessities such as roads, water, sewer, recreational green spaces, and electric. In a statement to City Council YVHA, Executive Director Jason Peasley said, “These are enormous, daunting numbers, but they don’t have to be addressed in one fell swoop. We have a challenge as a community to tackle this and see through our vision of creating a neighborhood entirely for locals.”
Sen. Hickenlooper Visits Brown Ranch
In April, Sen. John Hickenlooper toured Brown Ranch, and said he believed it could become a model for other communities to follow, who are facing housing shortages. YVHA has made two spending requests to congress, one for an $800K water line and one for electric upgrades at Brown Ranch, amounting to around $30M. “I can see this getting federal funding because this is a problem that is not just happening in Colorado, but it’s happening all across the country,” Hickenlooper said.
Whether the local community agrees to back the project in its entirety remains to be seen. City Council must vote to annex the land, which is currently in unincorporated Routt County, into the City of Steamboat. It will ultimately be up to city voters to decide if the development will proceed.