Neighbors of a proposed income-qualifying housing development along Fish Hatchery Road gathered to express concerns and review current site plans at a public meeting held Wednesday evening.
While some expressed criticism that a housing project would even be considered on the site that is home to manmade wetlands, is an important wildlife corridor, and has limited access points, others acknowledged the improved feasibility of the proposal over earlier iterations.
Questions and concerns interrupted the presentation frequently, so the meeting stretched to more than three hours.
From the comments, there was a sense that the neighbors’ attitudes were first formed several years ago when the site was proposed for the housing development and rezoned to Multi-Family Residential.
The land, which the Town of Estes Park owns, is adjacent to Rocky Mountain National Park along Fish Hatchery Road and to the historic Fall River Hydroplant built by F.O. Stanley in 1909 to produce electricity for The Stanley Hotel.
In 2022, the Town engaged a third-party developer, American West Housing Solutions, a nonprofit development company, to create a site plan for low-income rental housing units, but negotiations with the contractor fell through. A year later, the Town partnered with Estes Park Housing Authority to move forward with the project.
The team that is now designing the project includes principals from Pel-Ona Architects and Urbanists, SCJ Studio, and Marcin Engineering with EPHA acting as the developer.
Ronnie Pelusio, AIA, LEED-AP from Pel Ona gave the presentation which included comparison between the American West plan, which was comprised of apartment buildings situated throughout the site, and the new plan that incorporates wetlands protection, a variety of home types using modern mountain architectural styles, and a child care center that would share a joint parking lot with the hydroplant facilities.
The new plan includes 103 units, with some home ownership opportunities. The income range for this workforce housing project is primarily 30-50% of the area median income for the rental component. The development will also include units aimed at people earning 80% AMI and below. Units for sale will likely serve households lower than 120% AMI but could go higher based on need and development financing.
The presentation included information from a housing needs assessment conducted in 2022, which predicted that 2,720 housing units will be needed by 2030 to meet the demand for adequate housing in the Estes Valley, including 1,200 additional until to catch up with demand and 1,500 units to prepare for future growth.
Housing prices have skyrocketed in the Estes Valley. In 2024, the average sale price of a detached home was $809,000, and homes, including townhouses and condos, sold at an average price of $580,000. Rents have increased 32% since 2015, and income levels in Estes Park have not increased accordingly, according to the report.
There are many steps to go before the development breaks ground. The project will utilize Low Income Housing Tax Credits along with EPHA funds from the 6E lodging tax revenue, which are earmarked for childcare and workforce housing needs in the Estes Valley.
Other steps include working with RMNP to share facilities, conducting an archaeological and cultural survey, and securing LIHTC funding, which can take several rounds of applications, said Scott Moulton, EPHA’s executive director.