Snowmass sets its priorities, with housing at the top

Snowmass has set its priorities, and housing takes the top slot.

“This is the one (where) I’ve got the smallest staff and the most demands,” Snowmass Town Manager Clint Kinney told council last week as they prioritized their list of goals.

Council identified the Draw Site workforce housing project as an area of focus in the coming months. If all goes to plan, ground will be broken in mid-to-late 2026, beginning two years of construction for the five-story, L-shaped building. It would provide 63 units and 102 parking spaces, and would be located uphill from town hall.

The Snowman Planning Commission will review the design in October, followed by council review in November. Kinney estimated the project could be approved in December, which would precede a six month period of gathering construction documents and necessary items before starting the build.

Along with the Draw Site, council seeks to pilot a new priority system, which would give weight to certain housing applicants.

“We can’t build our way out of the affordable housing issues here,” Council member Britta Gustafson told The Aspen Times on Tuesday. “So now we just need to really become as detailed as we can in the effectiveness of what we do build.”

Council also seeks to explore increasing its employee mitigation rate from 60% to 100%. In accordance with the town code, developers must provide housing for 60% of their workforce when bringing in personnel for a project, Assistant Town Manager Greg LeBlanc also told The Aspen Times on Tuesday. The town may require developers to provide housing for 100% of the employees they bring in for projects.

Council members will prioritize creating a citizen advisory committee to give feedback on its housing initiatives. The committee would be constituted of a mix of individuals — including business owners and residents — to provide varied perspectives, according to LeBlanc.

The committee would be “making sure we’re not missing anything,” LeBlanc said. “(It’s) just another check and a balance, to use government terms.”

Apart from housing, the town will continue its focus on destination management, which it is currently working to improve by creating a Destination Management Plan.

Among its destination management initiatives, council will review its short-term rental regulations this July. Currently, the town requires short-term rental owners to obtain a permit and follow certain safety and good neighbor standards, but otherwise does not regulate short-term rentals. 

The town also prioritized developing a detailed Snowmass Mall area plan to provide a guiding framework should developers seek to reconstruct.

To improve its local engagement, the town seeks to improve bilingual communications, engage with local newspapers, and ensure its public notices are clear and publicized. It may hire an employee next year to fill these roles.

Snowmass also seeks to continue its commitment to sustainability through an ongoing focus on wildfire mitigation efforts, among other sustainability goals.

“To me, the fire is the number one priority,” Council member Tom Fridstein said of the town’s listed environmental goals. 

Council member Cecily DeAngelo wanted to ensure the town continues exploring its other sustainability options, in addition to wildfire mitigation, including effective waste disposal, and water and greenhouse gas reduction.

The town will carry on with its Owl Creek-Brush Creek Roundabout and the Little Red School House infrastructure projects, among others. It will also work toward improving the connection between its three commercial nodes.

Additionally, council seeks to find ways to keep Snowmass affordable for year-round residents, which it will explore in a future work session.

More information about the town’s goals can be found in the meeting archives section of tosv.com.

Skyler Stark-Ragsdale can be reached at 970-429-9152 or email him at sstark-ragsdale@aspentimes.com.