Wednesday night results show Snowmass ballot question 2D passing
Site Architects/Courtesy Image
A ballot measure to fund an affordable housing in Snowmass is passing as of Wednesday evening.
There were 1,046 votes favoring, or 60.78%, and 675 votes opposing, or 39.22%, Ballot Question 2D.
Per the results, voters approved the town’s source of funding for an $86 million affordable housing complex, deciding to let the town go into debt.
Containing up to 79 affordable units and 118 bedrooms, the complex would be built at the Draw Site, uphill and adjacent to Town Hall.
Snowmass Council member Tom Fridstein said just because voters may have approved the funding for the site, they didn’t approve the design.
“In my mind the design is seriously flawed,” he said.
He supports removing the underground parking garage in the current design and focusing on building more units behind the Snowmass Center, which the town is in the process of acquiring, Fridstein said.
“I am in favor … to build a smaller project on the Draw Site,” he said.
The project would draw funding from tourism tax revenues, rental income, potential grant funds, and other public or private contributions but would not increase taxes. The town predicts it will pay off the complex over a 30-year period.
Proponents of the Draw Site think the project is a good opportunity to increase the liveability for the local workforce, meeting a legitimate demand for affordable housing.
They argue it would reduce traffic in and out of the town, contributing to the long-term environmental improvement of Snowmass with less cars on the road. They believe it would help create a stronger and more tightly-knit community, as it would keep more people in the valley full-time.
Opponents of the ballot question think the Draw Site is not the ideal place for an affordable housing project of this magnitude because it would require an enormous removal of dirt and could create traffic from dump trucks traveling up and down the valley.
They worry there hasn’t been a thorough-enough environmental assessment of the project, and that funding for future projects would be depleted given the large expenses of construction.
Snowmass Council member Alyssa Shenk said, if the ballot measure passes, the council will likely review the design because they haven’t reached consensus.
“I think that given the conversations we’ve had as a council on the Draw Site,” Shenk said. “There’s not a satisfied feeling among the council members.”
She said some of the council members think the current plan to build up to 79 units on the site would make the living situation too dense.
Skyler Stark-Ragsdale can be reached at 970-429-9152 or email him at sstark-ragsdale@aspentimes.com.
Aspen local Klaus Obermeyer turns 105
Klaus Obermeyer represents the pioneering face — and heart — of skiing. His lifelong passion for the sport led him to innovate much-needed gear during skiing’s infancy. Now, at age 105, his positivity and contributions continue to ripple throughout the industry.
