The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Reduce parking, allow bigger buildings, put housing everywhere
By Mark Reaman
The Crested Butte town council spent two hours on Monday, January 6 pondering how to develop an updated “physical vision for Crested Butte’s future” primarily through zoning and code changes. While focused on a few specific areas of town at the work session, the council expressed interest in pursuing ways to add more density, increase some building heights and find ways to squeeze more buildings on parcels in town to accommodate “community housing” opportunities, community gathering places and businesses that provide affordable services and wares for locals and not just affluent tourists.
One way to accomplish those initiatives through the so-called “Community Plan” would be to zone property so that incentives could be provided to free market developers to include things like deed-restricted housing in their projects. For example, an increase in height allowance or a reduction in parking space requirements might be allowed in exchange for workforce housing. The idea of reducing parking in some areas of Crested Butte like the C-zone along Belleview Avenue admittedly had some councilmembers worried.
Community development director Troy Russ and planner Mel Yemma explained the plan’s goals to the council and the emphasis on “performance based” zoning. They noted that Crested Butte’s low density zoning allowance “in combination with rising land and building costs is directly causing more single-family units to be built, exacerbating the inequitable development pattern and affordability crisis in Crested Butte.”
It was noted in their memo to council that more than 60% of the town’s buildings are single-family homes. “Change in density allowances is the most powerful regulatory/disincentive any municipality has in its zoning toolbox,” the memo stated. “The town should not increase the allowed market rate density as a matter of right without surety the market will produce the public benefit it needs, workforce housing and commercial affordability.”
When asked how they envision a “thriving community” the council basically said that included a variety of residents that could work near their homes, have an opportunity to grow a life in the town, be able to gather communally, and be able to see a future for themselves in CB. Most agreed that included housing that was affordable for people in various stages of their lives, whether as low-income workers, middle class families or retirees that volunteer.
“This phase of the plan is enabling a vision, not realizing a vision,” Russ assured the council.
The staff focused on Belleview Avenue’s C-district corridor as a prime example for potential changes. They sketched out how the current Alpine Lumber Yard property, a large parcel at Fourth St. and Belleview, could evolve if the business moved as is being considered. Staff and consultant ideas included two big buildings with commercial business on the ground floor and residences located above. The idea is to give breaks to a private developer in exchange for things like some deed restricted housing. They said 62 units of housing could be included, many of them deed restricted (20-30%), along with 19,300 square feet of commercial building. To get that, town would allow a fourth story on the south building and parking would be reduced to one space per dwelling unit and one space per 1,000 square feet of commercial.
“Envision Belleview in 20 years as a mix of vibrant, but edgy, mixed-use options with some deed-restricted commercial units and housing units,” said Yemma. “Look at the Alpine Lumber site as a test parcel of what could be done.”
“One thing to add to a thriving community is that it provides services like the paint store and auto shop,” said councilmember Mallika Magner. “Could those uses remain there?”
“We want Belleview to have those services along with housing. We don’t want another Elk Avenue,” said Yemma. “We want to prioritize the trades and maker spaces along with some office space. We also want to encourage different unit sizes to drive affordability.”
Councilmember Anna Fenerty said she grew up near that neighborhood and wondered about how more lights might impact that area, especially with the location of the Bench being nearby. She also noted that industrial trades and residential living don’t always mesh well together given things like noise. “Adding 62 units there is great but there is a lot going on there already,” she said.
“I struggle with the idea of limiting parking when the trades are operating. They need vehicles to haul things,” said councilmember Mallika Magner.
Russ said it would be up to the property owner whether to reduce parking in order to get a bigger building to provide some potential housing.
“The reality might be that trucks need to get to the building, but the owner would choose to construct the building as big as they can and choose to not provide parking,” said Magner. “The lasting impacts can be very impactful.”
“The mix of land uses and the time of day matters with mixed-use areas,” responded Russ. “We would allow a design that permitted on-street parking so there wouldn’t be a net loss of spaces. But the fact is there will always be parking problems.”
“It’s a change in mentality but a lever we should use,” said councilmember John O’Neal.
Fenerty said she could envision some retail or even restaurant space in that end of town. Mayor Ian Billick said he’s been on both sides of that issue, “but for me it would be an absolute loss if we get a high-end restaurant there instead of commercial. Maybe it’s a place we allow food trucks.”
Yemma said the south side of Belleview was the only place staff was considering allowing four-story buildings in town. Magner said she was opposed to the idea, but the rest of the council was more amenable to the concept. “It’s the one place in town it would work being by the Bench,” said councilmember Kent Cowherd.
“But only with the caveat that it resulted in more affordable housing,” added councilmember Beth Goldstone.
“The devil is in the details, but it is worth exploring,” said Billick.
While noting some town-owned property at the Four-way Stop has no zoning, the council was again open to the Sixth Street corridor being denser and tighter if it provided more community housing, community gathering spaces and businesses geared toward locals.
Russ explained that the original Sixth Street Station plan included underground parking which he said was a driver in expense being probably four times more expensive than surface parking. That he said, led to a project having to be geared toward a luxury market to recoup its investment. He said that is not the way town wanted to push development.
“Should we not allow underground parking?” asked Billick.
“I’m open to not allowing it,” said Goldstone. “Plus, we know it uses a lot of concrete which holds a lot of embodied carbon and that goes against our Climate Action Plan direction.”
“I am open to looking at it, but my heart feels that underground is a good place to put cars,” said councilmember Gabi Prochaska.
Heights of buildings in the Sixth Street corridor were suggested to be allowed to go three feet higher than currently permitted from 35 feet to 38. That would comfortably allow first floor commercial with living space above them. The council was again open to the idea but agreed more discussion was needed before definitively hopping on board.
“I like the mixed-use idea again,” said O’Neal. “It’s like the Gas Café that has living units above it. We should do that wherever we can.”
Council discussed how to possibly get more Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) in the town alleys. There was talk of allowing such units to be condominiumized so an ADU resident could own the property and not just rent from the primary homeowner. There was talk of permitting larger ADUs and of not allowing basements in single family homes unless an ADU was provided. Again, reduced parking requirements were brought up as an incentive.
“Alleys are a great hidden secret of Crested Butte,” said O’Neal. “I live in an alley and there is great opportunity there to figure out.”
“Can we get a better understanding of what people who own ADUs or property with potential ADUs would want as an incentive to provide more of them?” asked Billick. “What would really work with that target audience?”
Yemma said the town could conduct more targeted outreach to those people.
Recapping the planning discussion, Magner again brought up her concern over reducing parking by too much. “I am nervous about the parking reality,” she said. “Crested Butte has things like alternate side of the street parking in the winter. It can be hard to find a space now. That’s my concern.”
“We need more conversation about whether to allow bigger buildings along the alleys,” said Billick.
Russ emphasized that while potential changes could be major, the changes would likely be implemented incrementally on the ground.
“We want to emphasize that this is our chance to navigate the change coming to CB ourselves instead of just letting it happen to us,” concluded Yemma.