Major new development near CB South in the pipeline

Single family, multi-family, commercial and some deed restrictions

By Katherine Nettles

A large new subdivision near CB South is in the sketch plan phase with the Gunnison County Community Development Department and has recently grown in scope from 76 residential lots to 129 with additional commercial spaces. After a few initial work sessions with the county’s planning commission in the past six months, the applicant has some minor tweaks to manage but overall seems to be on track for a final work session and possible consideration for approval to preliminary plan if the county’s latest requests are met.

The development applicant is HGC, an Oklahoma City based firm; Harrison Land Estates, which is run by Russ and Celina Harrison owns the 90-acre property which is located on the southeastern corner at the intersection of Highway 135 and Cement Creek Road, at 48 County Road 740. 

The team has proposed developing what was formerly named Avalon and is now named StarView Subdivision, subdividing the 90 acres into 129 residential lots with additional commercial spaces and a high density, live/work approach to a portion of the development that would likely get built first. 

The overall project would include a variety of homes and encompasses 84 single family lots, 40 multi-family units, 12 commercial units and four residential units to be built above commercial buildings. There is also one lot designated for the CB South Metro District, with potential employee housing. Fifty percent of the property would remain open space. 

There would also be an internal trail system. The applicant is working with the Crested Butte South Metropolitan District for water service and wastewater treatment.

The original application came into the county in 2022, and after several adjustments it is in sketch plan phase. The planning commission reviewed the Major Impact project in a third work session on July 11, and the sketch plan details had changed slightly from previous meetings, the last of which had been in February and had included a site visit. 

As HGC’s representative, local real estate broker Gary Huresky described, “Originally, we had 76 [residential lots], and it was requested [by the planning commission] that we put in more density because we had good utilities on the site, and consideration of light commercial. We have done that, and we have plenty of room for it,” he said. 

The proposal would require a minimum residence size of 800 square feet and a newly added “high density” area of 44 units, 22 of which would have some type of deed restriction for the local workforce. The remaining 22 units in the high-density area would not necessarily be deed restricted but would be smaller in size with the intention to be more affordable than the rest of the neighborhood. 

The application states, “The idea here is to target the missing middle of the market, working persons that are making good money and do not fit into deed restriction caps but cannot afford a house that costs over a million dollars.” Huresky reiterated this intention last month to the planning commission.

The applicant made the case that the proposed land use change and density is “putting development next to development” with Crested Butte South on the other side of Cement Creek Road and avoiding leapfrog development. The larger lots are located next to existing one to two acre lots and the open space on the north side would provide a buffer from the larger agricultural parcel to the northeast. 

The updated site plan now shows a 5,800-square-foot gas station, and an additional 13,500 square foot commercial space and additional light commercial parcels that could provide office, studio and retail spaces within the development, with residential units above the commercial units which could be used by the owner for employee housing, or for long-term rentals. 

The site plan includes about five roads, which would be named with similarly astronomical names to complement the name of the subdivision, such as Orion, Taurus, Ursula, and Aries. It is yet to be determined whether roads would be paved or not, and how they would be plowed. 

“Questions around maintenance and who is responsible for what, are really important and those will certainly come into play during preliminary plan,” said Gunnison County assistant manager for community and economic development Cathie Pagano. “We’ll need to outline who is responsible, whether it’s the HOA, the CB South Metro District, etc.”

Huresky highlighted an area on the site plan with an allotted space for the CB South Metro District and said he would expect that to be the plowing arrangement if possible since they would take over the water and sewer lines as well, with monthly charges for maintenance going to the subdivision. Planning commissioner members ultimately requested that those details get ironed out in advance of the next meeting. 

Attainable housing?

The proposed project includes up to 40 multi-family units to increase the supply of more affordable housing in the north end of the valley, with the goal of working with the Gunnison Valley Regional Housing Authority to develop plans for deed restrictions.

HGC has proposed that 22 units include some form of deed restriction with the following restrictions:

•The owner/or occupant would have to live and work in Gunnison County as his/her primary residence

•70% of income would have to be derived within the county 

•No income cap or resale cap

•Short-term rentals (of less than 90 days) would be prohibited  

The planning commission members asked the applicant a great deal more about how to make the middle-range residences “attainable,” as well as how to define it. “Trying to hit someone who can afford $750,000 as opposed to more,” Huresky said, would be a goal. But then the resale values, without deed restriction caps, were considered by several planning commissioners as likely to climb higher. There was discussion of simply making more deed restrictions to keep prices at the lower end in the long-term. While Huresky said he and his client found some of the options to be too restrictive to potential buyers, he agreed that “We are truly open to all options.”

The planning commission asked HGC to provide additional information for further consideration, including: 

•Delineation of the allowed square feet and size

•Identification of recreation amenities

•Address wildlife concerns

•Clarify if ADUs are allowed and where

•Consult with GVRHA on possible deed restrictions

•Clarify road maintenance with CB South Metro District

•Provide renderings and/or comparable photos of berms

According to Pagano, “Once the applicant submits the requested information we will schedule the next work session with the planning commission.”

The Harrisons spoke with the Crested Butte News this week, and described that having been property owners in the Gunnison Valley since 2017, they have found ties to the community by getting heavily involved with the Crested Butte Land Trust  and Gunnison Tough. “We are property owners who would be neighbors to this project,” said Russ, which he said motivates him to make it a good fit for all those surrounding it. 

As to the hoped-for project timeline, Russ and Huresky indicated that they would like to get to preliminary plan stage by the end of the year or in early 2025. “We’re really subject to the county’s time,” added Huresky. “In a development schedule we would look to develop the high-density area first.”