The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
How can town help keep mobile homes affordable?
By Mark Reaman
As part of the Crested Butte zoning code update process, the third and final joint work session between the town council and members of the Board of Zoning and Architectural Review (BOZAR) was held April 6. The representatives discussed ways to streamline the review process making it more predictable and efficient, while encouraging meaningful public input and looking for community benefits.
Crested Butte community development director Mel Yemma said the town heard a lot of feedback from the Community Plan for the desire to streamline the review process. Many of the recommendations were to have some decisions go first to the staff instead of the BOZAR. It was emphasized that even with staff decisions, applicants could appeal to BOZAR or the town council depending on the situation. The idea would also be to give BOZAR more time to focus on other things.
The idea of involving the council earlier in any Planned Unit Development (PUD) application was discussed as well. While the council generally agreed they could provide big picture direction, they wanted BOZAR to flesh out details. “But community benefits should be clear and in writing,” emphasized mayor Ian Billick.
The last major PUD in Crested Butte was Academy Place and not everyone on the council felt what was promised verbally was delivered.
The council and BOZAR members emphasized keeping mass and scale of buildings at the current level and essentially encouraged smaller buildings in the alleys but were open to creative alternatives.
There was also discussion of allowing units in the mobile home district to add a second story at 20 feet in height or convert the units to being stick-built in exchange for placing a deed restriction on the unit. The council felt that while trailers in that district were traditionally a free market way toward affordable housing in Crested Butte, current sale prices were in the high six figures, so deed restrictions were probably the only way to keep prices affordable.
The council expects to consider a final zoning code update in June while design standards integration and code refinements will happen in December.
