Vital Services & Infrastructure
Workforce Housing
Improvements to the Land Use Resolution
Early Childhood Education
Child Welfare
Short-Term Rental Regulations
1. Workforce Housing
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Sawtooth
Local governments spent ARPA dollars differently. We put all $8.1 million of ours into workforce housing, plus an extra $1 million from Local Marketing District revenues to boot.
The 50-unit project will serve households in the 80-120 AMI range. When the debt service is paid off, it will generate more than $500K year that can be reinvested into community needs like housing.
Working with Buena Vista company Fading West allowed the project to go up quickly. The first residents moved into Phase I in fall 2023 after breaking ground earlier that summer, and Phase 2 broke ground this June with residents scheduled for move-in this fall. A mix of solar arrays and geothermal heating/cooling for some units makes the project incredibly energy efficient.
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Whetstone
This 15-acre parcel just south of Crested Butte is planned for more than 250 units.
When the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) Division of Housing awarded $28 million in its Transformational Housing Grant program in 2023, Gunnison County received $10 million for Whetstone – more than 1/3 of what was awarded across the entire state.
US Department of Transportation just awarded Gunnison County $15.2 million for safety improvements along HW 135, including the Brush Creek intersection for the Whetstone housing project.
Plans for the project include geothermal heating and cooling as well as solar-arrays. Following state initiatives, it will also be all-electric.
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Paintbrush Apartments
This 76-unit complex in the City of Gunnison was the result of a private-public partnership between Gunnison County and Gary and Melinda Gates. 67 of the units are permanently deed-restricted to households in the 80-120 AMI range.
The complex was completed and welcomed its first residents in 2021.
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Land Banking - Gunnison
Located on the West side of Highway 135, just north of the City of Gunnison, the County recently acquired a 15-acre parcel of land within the Greater Gunnison Community Master Plan area for future workforce housing development.
The goal of the Greater Gunnison Community Plan is to construct a cohesive vision for development supported by both the City of Gunnison and Gunnison County. The plan anticipates the infrastructure needs for growth surrounding the City over the next 15-20 years. By identifying areas appropriate for development, the plan increases certainty for land owners, developers and neighbors.
2. Improvements to the Land Use Resolution
The 2024 Gunnison County Strategic Plan includes improvements to the Land Use Resolution (LUR) that will help increase certainty for land owners and developers when it comes to solving issues like workforce housing shortages. The ultimate goal is to create review processes for things like essential housing projects, which can be approved in designated areas by right or administrative review through Gunnison County LUR revisions and the development of a comprehensive corridor plan from Gunnison to Mt. Crested Butte.
To further reduce cost barriers for building residential homes, Gunnison Count is also developing free model home plans that will include pre-approvals for code requirements (as covered in Gunnison Country Times and Crested Butte News).
Read more about planned changes to the LUR in our 2024 Gunnison County Strategic Plan (D3)
3. Early Childhood Education
Early Childhood Education is the workforce that supports the workforce. It’s essential.
As the representing BOCC member on our Early Childhood Council, I have been involved in
Supporting Little Adventures (formerly Wonderland Nature School), which increased capacity in Gunnison from 14 to more than 60
CSA food boxes and stipends to support our ECE teachers
Working on solutions for ECE workforce housing and increasing support for in-home care providers
4. Child Welfare
As a member of the state’s Child Fatality Review Team, I see some of the most difficult things that happen to children in Colorado. And, as a member of the state’s Child Welfare Allocation Committee, I take seriously my responsibility to analyze and review the funding formula that determines what counties across the state receive for these essential programs.
This year, I initiated an allocation methodology working group to take a deeper dive into the formula components. Our goal is to identify and make recommendations for underfunded interventions for programs like prevention that impact child welfare resources for counties like ours.
5. Short-Term Rental Regulations
According to AirDNA, an online resource for owners and investors, the US share of the STR market was valued at $39 billion in 2019; $64 billion in 2023; and they project it to reach $78 billion in 2024.
STR’s are an important part of our tourism economy. There is nothing wrong with someone investing in a vacation home and subsidizing their costs through STR income while providing attractive lodging options for visitors. Common-sense licensing practices will ensure Gunnison County is able to balance demands from tourism with broader community impacts and housing needs.
As stated in the 2024 Gunnison County Strategic Plan, Gunnison County will implement licensing procedures for short-term rentals by December 31, 2025.