County pursuing parallel paths for Country Meadows

Attempting a purchase and advocating for improvements

[ By Katherine Nettles ]

Gunnison County commissioners conducted a work session Tuesday, July 27 to consider all angles of helping hundreds of residents at the Country Meadows mobile home park north of Gunnison to decide on a path forward as they face changes in ownership and uncertain outcomes for the park in the near future. County officials have said they will continue assisting residents in attempting to buy the property from its current owners, River Walk LLC. But officials are also supporting the residents in organizing to represent themselves and advocate for better living conditions even under potential new owners.

The residents of the park were informed last month that the property is up for sale and that an offer is pending. Under a new Colorado law, the property owner of a mobile home community must give residents 90 days before accepting an offer to decide if they would also like to make an offer. It is not clear whether a new owner would displace residents, but the uncertainty has brought some of them to the county requesting help with legal representation and making an offer to purchase the property for themselves.

All parties agreed on Tuesday to keep pursuing parallel paths of helping to make a purchase possible, or helping connect residents with the potential new owners to secure and even improve their living conditions in the park.

County attorney Matthew Hoyt said he was able to talk with some local attorneys interested in stepping up on behalf of the residents.
“The good news is there was some interest expressed by some attorneys,” he said. “I see it as an opportunity to give these residents a stronger voice.”

Hispanic Affairs Project representative Marquetta Zubkova and Colorado Poverty Law Services attorney David Valleau attended the meeting, as well as several other volunteers, advocates and local nonprofit organizations.

“To manage expectations, we have 40 working days,” said county manager Matthew Birnie of the deadline to make a viable real estate offer on behalf of residents. He commented that he thinks the legislation is well intended but isn’t realistic in its 90 day timeframe for all the due diligence.

Hoyt agreed that the timelines are not very generous, and said the current offer on the table appears to be a cash offer with no known contingencies.

Commissioner chairperson Jonathan Houck added that even if the financing process plays out, the seller may decline the county’s/residents’ offer.

Gunnison Valley Regional Housing Authority executive director Jennifer Kermode offered her insight on the options. She agreed that the timeline is too restricting.

“We’re at the point where maybe it’s not that we can step in and stop this sale because we don’t know what the seller or the buyer has in mind…But if we can assist in getting a resident association created so the residents do have a unified voice, they do know what their rights are, they know where they can insert themselves into the ownership model and make requests that are reasonable and are financially feasible for the new owner—that’s probably the best the Housing Authority can offer and the best hope we have right now for improving things at Country Meadows,” she said.

Birnie said he believes that no matter who buys it, including the residents themselves, a rent increase is likely. He offered “contextual evidence” that residents might be secure even in the event of an outside buyer, because changing the park from its current state would be a long, involved land use change process and other undeveloped properties of the same size in that vicinity are “a third of the cost.”
Meanwhile, Birnie said there is potential to create a fund that folks can access to increase the quality of the homes and there are some utility and regulatory approaches.

Kermode spoke of helping people improve energy efficiency, heat and insulation for their units, and making structural improvements for health and safety.

“We’re still trying to figure out what opportunities exist in this short period of time that we have…for you all to buy the park,” said Houck. If that’s not possible, he said, the next step is figuring out how to secure and maintain people’s ability to live there.
“We need to work hard to build housing. But we need to work hard not to lose housing,” he reiterated.

Gregorio Luna, a Country Meadows resident, reported that he held a meeting at the park last weekend and a majority of homeowners hope to buy the property. He said they formed a committee with a five-member board, and hope to take advantage of a 90-day extension to provide a counter offer that is in their lease.

A private “Know your rights” meeting was conducted on Tuesday evening for residents, and Luna said many planned to attend.
One resident named Kaitlin Young said that she has never known who actually owns the park and to whom she pays her increasing rent.

Houck responded that the county can be a convener and “put everybody in the same room.”

Mark Schumacher spoke about his mobile home park and its increasing costs. He said he charges $350 per month, and gave perspective on rising expenses such as increasing well test frequency and a new $20,000 discharge permit on the wastewater treatment plant. “The 5 percent return on $3 million doesn’t cut it,” he said. “The rent will keep coming up at my place until I figure out what to do. And it is unfortunate.”

Hoyt said that there are several opportunities for a new owner to add more housing and drive down rental rates, and essential housing qualifies for several incentives such as an expedited process, set back exemptions, lower fees, etc.

Houck emphasized that the work they are doing to organize is important, even if the sale can’t be completed. He encouraged them to continue that whether with a purchase or a new owner. “You as a community have a much stronger voice than any one of you as an individual,” he said.

“The groups here in the room represent the things we can get going,” said commissioner Roland Mason. “The two tracks that we’re pursuing both make a lot of sense.”

Commissioner Liz Smith thanked people for their participation. “It’s a nice place to be sitting in this room right now and see how many partners we have…whatever we can do within our legal boundaries…No matter what path we end up on you all are going to be in a better situation at the end of it,” she said.