Intersection of E Crestone Avenue and 3rd Street (Photo by Taylor Sumners)
A discussion on a proposed workforce housing development, to be built on the corner of East Crestone Avenue and 3rd Street took place on Wednesday, March 4 at the Salida Rotary Scout Hut. The intense discussion, facilitated by the Chaffee Housing Trust (CHT) and Salida City Planners, was met with concern by citizens and neighbors voicing opposition to what they saw as development happening in their own backyards.
The joint project with CHT came after City Council directed staff to work alongside local nonprofit entities to identify City owned land that would be suitable for workforce housing options. The action to begin processing applications for the proposed project was approved by Salida City Council back on Oct. 15, 2019.
The request for City Council action was presented by City Administrator Drew Nelson in the Oct. 15 meeting. “The City is the owner of two separate parcels that are bisected by East Crestone Avenue which, if combined together, would create a single property of 17,976.8 square feet with the potential to accommodate 4 to 5 residential units of workforce housing.”
It continues, “City records indicate that a similar proposal was considered in the past (sometime between 2009 and 2011); however, an initial vacation of public right-of-way was not approved at that time (see attached staff report and minutes [in Oct. 15 packet]). It does not appear that further action was taken following the 2011 application.”
Nelson added that there is an outlined public notification system as per State Statutes and the Salida Municipal Code. In his presentation to Council on Oct. 15 he explained, “Really what we are looking for this evening is just direction from [Council] to go ahead and start processing those applications as the property owner and then those will appear before you at some point in the future. There’s no determination on any sort of opinion about what those might entail or any sort of decision at this point in terms of the appropriateness of those applications. That will come at a later point.”
Property Exhibit of East Crestone Avenue and 3rd Street included in the Oct. 15. 2019 Salida Council Packet
It was Salida City staff’s recommendation that a Salida Council member make a motion to direct staff to begin the application process as stated in the Council packet, “vacation of public right-of-way at the intersection of 3rd Street and East Crestone Avenue and to rezone any new contiguous parcel with one common zoning designation as permitted by Colorado Revised Statutes and the Salida Municipal Code.”
The workforce housing project is now in the planning and design stages, soon to be a Public Hearing in meetings of the Planning Commission and Salida City Council. CHT notified neighbors of the project who reside within a 175-foot perimeter of the property and asked for their input before the Public Hearings commence, which ultimately lead to the March 4 discussion.
Some of the citizens in the March 4 facilitated meeting had organized a petition beforehand against the workforce housing project.
A local Salida realtor in the meeting said “I think there is real value in working towards a solution, but I disagree a little bit that affordable housing won’t decrease property value.”
Other Salida citizens were there in support of CHT’s proposed project. Those in attendance peppered the CHT and Salida City Planners with questions, making it difficult for the presenters to get through their presentation. The presenters were CHT’s Executive Director Read McCulloch and Salida City Planner Bill Almquist.
Among the questions asked by the group of citizens, were concerns that they felt should be included in the public feedback portion of the process. Almquist reminded the group that their comments would be compiled and shared with the Planning Commission and Council.
The list of concerns and questions developed in the discussion (some opinions not necessarily supported by facts) are as follows:
- Why is CHT not building rentals?
- What were the criteria for determining available lots?
- What lots did the City of Salida determine were available?
- What does the timeframe or timeline look like?
- Why is the property going to be rezoned?
- That the project will lower our property values
- That the survey that addresses affordable housing as a number one concern of Salida Citizens does not reflect the views of Salida citizens accurately .
- Clarity on the deed management and intergenerational transfer of deeds.
- That the process is moving too fast.
The next steps for CHT and the City of Salida include a joint work session which will take place on Monday, March 16 with the City of Salida Planning Commission and Salida City Council in the Salida Chambers of the Touber Building.
City Planner Almquist reminded the concerned citizens present in the March 4 meeting that although the work session does not allow for public comment, the meeting is open to the public. The Public Hearing before the Planning Commission, originally scheduled for March 23, will now take place on April 27. The Public Hearing will take place before the Salida Planning Commission and a recommendation will then be passed from the Planning Commission to Salida City Council.
Upcoming Dates for Public Awareness:
- 6 p.m. Monday, March 16 – Joint Work Session Planning Commission and Salida City Council
- 6 p.m. Monday, April 27 – Salida Planning Commission Public Hearing for Crestone Avenue project
- Date TBD — Salida City Council Public Hearing for Crestone Avenue project
Link to YouTube Recording of City Council Meeting on Oct. 15, 2019: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nc3gOglPxPk
Link to Chaffee Housing Trust’s Homepage: http://chaffeehousing.org/HOME-PAGE
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