Path unclear for Country Meadows residents

County officials advocating for resident rights, safety

By Katherine Nettles 

While a $5 million real estate listing for a mobile home park north of Gunnison has left residents anxious about their future there, it is not yet clear whether the residents’ association will attempt to make an offer on the property or if available resources will go toward ensuring fair and livable conditions regardless of the next owners. 

County officials, state officials and housing and mobile home advocacy leaders in the Gunnison Valley have been working closely with residents of Ski Town Village, LLC (formerly known as Country Meadows) since word got out of the real estate listing this summer. But what, if any, recourse residents may have to protect themselves from a second ownership change in as many years, which may include increasing rents and ongoing roadway, electrical and water issues, remains unknown.

Ski Town Village LLC purchased the park from River Walk, LLC in 2022 for $2.9 million. At the time Country Meadows residents, who formed an alliance called Organización de Nuevas Esperanzas (ONE), tried to purchase the property from River Walk but were unsuccessful due to several loopholes in new mobile home legislation that has aimed to protect and empower mobile home residents in such circumstances.

The new park owners then listed the property in late June for $5.7 million. 

There are approximately 400 residents who rent or own 57 mobile homes on the 11-acre property, and according to a real estate listing on LoopNet, an annual rental increase from $545 to $585 is set to take effect by October 1. The charge for new tenants is set at $800 per month. 

The Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) has been involved with the park, issuing a temporary injunction against the owner this year for failing to address chronic electrical issues and outages. The Crested Butte News has reached out to several associates of Ski Town Village, including three contacts listed on the LoopNet listing. They responded that they are no longer involved in the property or listing. The property manager had not responded to a request for comment as of press time. 

“The residents are pursuing making an offer themselves and have been working on that effort. There is a potential lender, the Impact Development Fund, and we have been working with the county and other organizations to explore the feasibility of that sort of project,” confirmed William Edwards, the attorney representing ONE.

This week, Gunnison County commissioners held an executive session to discuss legal matters surrounding the mobile home park and efforts to help residents either purchase the property or to advocate for improved conditions there. They read into the public record afterward that they would direct county staff, including the legal team, to keep working as a regulatory authority to ensure safe conditions, and to continue consulting with the Impact Development Fund that has come forward as a potential lender to help finance a purchase if ONE members decide to go in that direction. 

According to commissioner Liz Smith, who has taken a lead on behalf of the county to listen to and advocate for residents there, “From a regulatory standpoint we are looking at how we can ensure conditions are safe for our constituents.”

Smith reviewed that last week she had attended an information session with the Poverty Law Project Association alongside Ski Town Village residents. She said information was shared about timelines and stipulations for purchasing the park.