The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Micro lots possible?
by Mark Reaman
The Crested Butte Town Council continues to take a few steps to address the shortage of affordable housing in town.
Town manager Todd Crossett reported to the council at the July 6 council meeting that a person has been hired and will start work this week to conduct a survey of the accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in Crested Butte.
Town planner Michael Yerman said he is researching the possibility of allowing so-called micro lots in town. The idea is to take a lot that is platted for duplexes and split it in two. That would allow two individual single-family homes that could be up to 1,100 square feet. That is not currently permitted in town but Yerman said it might work well in blocks 79 and 80, so he is investigating how the idea could be put into a zoning change for those blocks.
Councilman Skip Berkshire said he attended the regional Housing Authority meeting and there is an effort to conduct a broad Needs Assessment Survey. Each municipality that participates would have to chip in between $10,000 and $15,000 for the project. Some Crested Butte councilmembers have said there is no need for such a new study but a formal request for participation will come to the Town Council at the July 20 meeting. “There is a sense of urgency to get it started to compile data in the summer,” said Berkshire.
A council subcommittee—Crested Butte mayor Aaron Huckstep and councilman Jim Schmidt along with town staff—will review the so-called VRBO (vacation rental by owner) report put together by the Colorado Association of Ski Towns and come to the council with some site-specific recommendations on how to address the issue in Crested Butte.
“It seems everyone is going at it a different way,” said Schmidt. “After reading, it seems it is not easy but some steps can be taken.”
The subcommittee will present its recommendations on VRBOs to the full council at the first meeting in August.
