The Town’s annual strategic planning process is underway with housing issues as a top priority. Trustees met with Town staff last week and began by reviewing the strategic policies and comparing them to the Town’s mission statement.
The initial meeting included a broad discussion without including specific goals. Staff will now incorporate direction from the board to create projects to meet goals under each policy.
Among the topics discussed by the Trustees was the need for the Town to define the terms workforce, attainable, and affordable housing. Several trustees requested a change to the wording contained in the very first strategic goal: We support a wide range of housing opportunities with a particular focus on workforce and attainable housing.
The sticking point was the word “attainable,” which is defined in the Estes Park Development Code as anyone who makes up to 150% of the area’s median income.
The term “workforce housing” is also not codified by the Town in either its municipal code or development code regarding how many hours an individual must be employed. The term governs the occupancy of the use of the property.
“Somewhere, we need to make sure it’s the whole spectrum of workforce,” said Trustee Frank Lancaster. “Housing is different depending on who the worker is. We can’t just be focused on the one little corner of it and ignore the other segment.”
“I don’t mean affordable for those who aren’t working in Town,” said Trustee Marie Cenac during the session, referring to the workforce housing restriction. In her opinion, the words “workforce” and “affordable” should always be used together.
Trustee Cindy Younglund insisted that the strategic plan address senior affordable housing, as well.
The Prospector Apartments: Making the case for and against the need for more workforce housing and affordability
One example often pointed to regarding the Town’s need for workforce housing and the issue of affordability is the Prospector Apartments development on Highway 7, a privately developed rental housing project completed in 2024 that includes four buildings with 94 units.
The project received a “density bonus” waiver from the Town’s development code because 90% of the units are designated for workforce housing. According to Laura Salinas, the Prospector Apartments’ property manager, the workforce designation is to ensure the apartments are leased to people who hold employment in the Estes Park School District R-3 and not to people who intend to use the apartment as a vacation home.
This waiver permitted the buildings to be three stories tall. The height is a point of contention for many who have complained that the height of the buildings obscures views along the highway.
Leasing began in November, said Salinas, and so far, 40 units are occupied or pre-leased. Rents run from $1,945 for a 675-square-foot one-bedroom apartment to $2,135 for a 660-square-foot two-bedroom to $2,585 for a 1,185-square-foot three-bedroom.
According to Salinas, individuals who meet the criteria of working 30 hours or more per week in Estes Park and who meet income guidelines may be eligible for rent assistance packages.
Some critics have suggested in public meetings and on social media platforms that because not all of the units have been rented since they became available five months ago, there may not be as much demand for workforce housing as advocates claim. Others have said the units are too expensive for people who work for hourly wages in retail and hospitality jobs in Estes Park to afford.
Salinas told the Estes Valley Voice that rentals at Prospector are coming along as planned and that people typically do not make major moves over the holiday season or in early winter. Salinas expects to see more units rented this spring and over the summer as the weather improves.
For the rest of the strategic goals, only minor changes to wording in several of the policies were suggested, making for an efficient session that was adjourned in a short, 90-minute meeting.
The Estes Park Development Code is in the process of being re-written, said Town Administrator Travis Machalek, but “the budget forecast for the Town of Estes Park is rough.”
The Town will step down on the number of projects scheduled for 2026, not only because of uncertain financial forecasts but also to better manage staff’s workload, especially considering the advanced public comment effort that will be sought through the development code rewrite.
“We are not going to load up on projects that require heavy, intense public engagement,” he said.
The next 2026 Strategic Planning meeting will be held on April 18 from 1-5 p.m. in Town Hall, 170 MacGregor Ave. Specific projects and goals for 2026 will be proposed in that meeting. The entire planning session can be watched online.
The article was corrected and updated. The term “workforce housing” governs the occupancy of the use of the property. Patti Brown contributed to this article.