The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Shantytown or affordable housing solution?
by Mark Reaman
A small home construction project in a local backyard is causing angst for neighbors on the northwest side of Crested Butte. And given the relative newness of building a tiny house on a trailer, the town isn’t sure how to deal with the situation.
Neighbors located near Gothic Avenue and First Street came to the July 5 Town Council meeting to express concerns to the council about a construction project in the backyard of 29 Gothic Ave. Dan Escalante, a builder and former town councilman, started the tiny home project in Gunnison but towed it to Crested Butte in late June and picked up the work on his father’s property. It didn’t make everyone happy.
“It’s funny, my time building this tiny home in Gunnison was peaceful and fun,” Escalante said. “Within two days of rolling it into Crested Butte, on my parent’s land, the hostility brought forth by certain neighbors was disappointing, to say the least. It started as a fun project that would allow me to use the salvaged materials I’ve collected over the years. It’s turned into a bit more.”
The neighbors admit they aren’t pleased. Jerry Lund was one of several who wrote a letter to the council asking that the town require the trailer to be moved.
“Will this council allow the whole town to be turned into a trailer park as the winds blow for affordable housing?” Lund’s letter asks. “Alternately, will we have a plethora of VRBO bedroom units with no bathrooms available? While our community clearly has affordable housing and rental housing issues, it seems unimaginable that these kinds of efforts to circumvent the intent of our zoning laws will stand…”
Lund said the house on wheels isn’t licensed so it should not be considered a recreational vehicle.
“If the laws aren’t clear then the council needs to figure out what to do,” Lund said. “Things need to be clarified and I hope the council can give some direction and take care of it. Please don’t let special interests let these all over town.”
Property manager Cathy Sporcich said she was representing neighbor Gil Friedlander. “He is very concerned,” she said. “He believes building a recreational vehicle is different from a small project and should be done in an appropriate area and not in a neighborhood.”
Neighbor Nina Kingsdale said she returned to her home and “It looked like shantytown from my backyard.” In talking to Escalante, she learned he owns a condo in town but was renting it out so he was “homeless.”
“I was aghast and second everything that’s been said before tonight,” she said. “I have an accessory dwelling on my property and it went through BOZAR and looks good. I’m not opposed to the town finding an appropriate place for these types of vehicles but not a neighborhood.”
“I would love the opportunity to live in this well-insulated, 240 square foot home,” Escalante said after the meeting. “We have a housing crisis right now in this town. My hope is that our council will see this as an opportunity and not a problem; small, affordable dwellings such as this one are actually attainable for folks who live a simple and modest lifestyle. There are so many ways to creatively regulate tiny homes like this in town to create a win-win for both the town and locals.”
Crested Butte building and zoning director Bob Gillie said the town’s zoning code hasn’t changed much over the last several decades. “Obviously we never anticipated this animal,” he told the council. “I talked to Dan in February and told him I wished he wouldn’t do it there. The rule set is foggy in this situation because we never anticipated this. Our rule set relates to structures, and structures are in the ground.”
Gillie said the town has no regulation prohibiting people working on a project in their backyards. “When I saw it June, it wasn’t habitable,” he said. “Our hands are tied a little bit under our code. If he started living in it, he would be allowed to do that for 14 days. The question to the council is, what is it you want to do and we can address it. It’s a discussion we need to have.”
Councilman Jim Schmidt was not happy with the town being put into the situation. “I am disappointed in Mr. Escalante,” he said at the meeting. “It seems he is trying to push the envelope on what can be done. I think it is a grandstanding act and I am disappointed.”
“Progress is slow on the tiny home,” admitted Escalante. “I’m busy right now just like most other folks this time of year. I chip away at it in my free time. Our town increasingly looks like a photo shoot straight out of Better Home and Gardens, but I’m hoping our town still has tolerance and acceptance for anything less than the ‘trophy’ home.”
The council decided to put the issue on the agenda of the next Town Council meeting. The neighbors promised they would there. The council will delve into the issue July 18.
