A few blocks west of the proposed three-story mixed use building at 232 Pagosa Street, and adjacent to the Pagosa Springs Elementary School, is a large, vacant parcel that has remained stubbornly wild, and largely undeveloped, throughout Pagosa’s history.
A couple of years ago, some potential developers came to the Town Planning Commission with an ambitious plan for a mixed use development on the vacant parcel, and in July 2022, a packed audience listened to the Town Council make two decisions.
1. Preliminary approval of Pagosa Views, an 80-acre, housing-and-lodging development spread across the rolling, forested landscape immediately west of the Pagosa Springs Elementary School.
2. Final approval of a contract to purchase 3.5 acres of partially-developed residential property immediately south of the Walmart store in Aspen Village, to become the site of future workforce housing… at a purchase price not to exceed $550,000.
Most of the audience seems to have attended to learn about, and testify for or against, the proposed Pagosa Views subdivision — a project that had been stirring up controversy ever since the public first learned about it, earlier in 2022.
As proposed in 2022, the project would have essentially doubled the number of residential dwellings within the town limits, and greatly increased the lodging options. A portion of the dwellings would have been aimed at ‘workforce’ households.
Obviously, a big dream, compared to — for instance — the three-story Eagle Mountain building proposed for 232 Pagosa Street.
Here’s the version of Pagosa Views we were shown in July 2022… showing three potential phases, to be built out over maybe 10 years. (You can click the map for a larger view.)
Pagosa Springs Elementary School is visible at the top right… the yellow line across the top is Highway 160. The planned entrance was a roundabout on Highway 160, (top of the map,) and the project was going to begin, with Phase One, with the lodging units, condos, cabins and “clubhouse” marked with a “1”.
Here’s part of the written description provided to the Town Council in 2022:
This 80-acre vacant property is located along Highway 160 west of the Pagosa Springs Elementary School and their adjacent athletic fields; the northeast corner of the property is an existing residence owned by the current property owner, who is not party to this proposal, however, has provided permission for the applicant to submit development applications for their proposed development. The applicant proposes:
675 rental and ownership residential units at all price points and sizes from 340 SF to 1,900 SF…
252 Apartment units which will be owned, operated, leased, managed, and maintained by the developer.
133 Condominium units will be managed by an HOA established for the condo units. Condominiums will not be allowed as short-term rentals (STRs) with the prohibition being formalized in the Codes Covenants and Restrictions (CC&Rs), and also incorporated in the PUD [Planned Unit Development] Agreement…
10% of the proposed residential units will be allocated for workforce housing (through deed-restrictions) for income levels between 40%-120% of Area Median Income (AMI) as annually defined and by the Colorado Housing Finance Authority (CHFA) and accepted by the Town. 27 units are proposed to be incorporated into phase 1, 25 units in phase 2, and 26 units in phase 3. Workforce units will be equally allocated for 40%-60% of AMI, 60%-80%, 80%-100% and 100%-120% of AMI categories.
The project was also proposing various amenities that would be open to the public: a paved trail, a bistro and bar, pickleball courts, lap pool, hot tubs, splash pad for children, outdoor theatre.
Here’s one of the developers, Carl Bommarito, responding to a question from Town Council member Brooks Lindner, asking about similar mixed-use projects that Mr. Bommarito’s partnership has developed in other towns.
“Most of the other developments that we’ve both been involved in, over the past 39 or 40 years, are much, much, much larger.
“2,000…4,000… 6,000 acres. Much, much larger developments. And all aspects coming in; the utilities…”
“You may have heard of Fountain Hills… or Lake Havasu… Most of them are all much, much, much larger. This is actually the smallest mixed-use [project], but it’s appropriate for a smaller town. This isn’t Dallas or LA.”
(Thankfully, not.)
“And we were attracted to it, because it seemed to match the Town’s goals that were put in place in 2018… And we tried to work with [the Town planning staff] and follow what the guidance was from Council… And we tried to stick within this plan…”
I assume Mr. Bonnarito was referring to the Town’s 2018 Comprehensive Plan, titled “Pagosa Springs Forward”. You can download that plan here. (40MB file.)
Mr. Lesio and Mr. Bonnarito indicated that at least of couple of the partners planned to live in the new subdivision.
For some reason, I am reminded of the crush of planned subdivisions that were coming before the Pagosa Springs Town Council in 2007 and 2008. Blue Sky Village. Pradera Point. Reservoir River Ranch. Mountain Crossing. Sawmill Place. Plans similar to what Village Care Partners LLC is now proposing near the elementary school, but with much less focus on workforce housing.
Then the Great Recession arrived, and none of those earlier planned subdivisions were developed.
Recessions come and go, and the American economy seems to be reasonably healthy at the moment — except for food prices… and housing… and childcare. The things required, especially, for a functioning tourist economy.
Anyway, that was July 2022. Things have changed, rather dramatically. Phase One has been moved from the north side, down to the southeast corner of the parcel. Apparently, all of Phase One would be accessed via South 10th Street, which runs past the Elementary School. (The winding green dotted lines at the far right.)
You can click the image for a larger view.
A roundabout access on Highway 160 is still shown on the map, but it would apparently not be part of Phase One.
Are the neighbors happy about that change?
Bill Hudson began sharing his opinions in the Pagosa Daily Post in 2004 and can’t seem to break the habit. He claims that, in Pagosa Springs, opinions are like pickup trucks: everybody has one.