We packed up our old lives, ( a much smaller version of this ) in 2022, drove East & ended up in Pagosa Springs where the sky has no ceiling and the mountain air smells like promise. Chasing a certain form of freedom that requires a better type of dedication…
— from the 84Ranch.us website.
As inferred in this quote, above, “freedom” comes in various forms.
To one family, it might mean the freedom to purchase a large piece of property and develop an “agriculturally-based lodging establishment” dedicated to sustainable agriculture and ethical animal husbandry.
To another family, it might mean freedom from finding themselves living near an agriculturally-based lodging establishment dedicated to sustainable agriculture and ethical animal husbandry.
These conflicting views of “freedom” have been playing out a few miles south of downtown Pagosa Springs, adjacent to Highway 160.
Not a new conflict. Rather, it’s been going on for over a year. And the conflict doesn’t appear to be resolved, as of last Tuesday’s Archuleta Board of County Commissioners’ meeting.
It’s been a bumpy ride, for sure.
The first I heard about this controversy was at an August 2025 meeting of the Archuleta County Planning Commission, where Briuan Wattier, co-owner of “84 Ranch”, was seeking a recommendation from the commissioners, to allow the installation of five ‘tiny home’ cabins on his property, to be used to house guests visiting the Ranch. (The final decision would be made by the BOCC).
The cabins would support the development of an “agritourism” business, he explained.
A 2018 article published in the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development classified agritourism activities as falling into one or more categories: direct-to-consumer sales (e.g., farm stands, u-pick), agricultural education (e.g., schools visits to a farm), hospitality (overnight farm stays), recreation (e.g., hunting, horseback riding), and entertainment (e.g., hayrides, harvest dinners). Agritourists typically spend time picking fruit or feeding animals… or navigating a ‘corn maze’… or assisting with chores and ranch work.
As American agriculture has transitioned from family farms to industrialized corporate farms, it has become ever more challenging for small farms to compete financially with big corporate farms.
Agricultural tourism has become necessary to the survival of many small farms. By diversifying business operations, farm operators are able to ensure more financial stability by providing a separate stream of income.
From the 84 Ranch website:
What Are We?
A dad and three kids trying to live intentionally, feed good, and leave the land better than we found it. Nestled in the breathtaking Rocky Mountains of Pagosa Springs, Colorado, 84 Ranch is a family-owned regenerative ranch dedicated to sustainable agriculture and ethical animal husbandry.
We take pride in growing organic produce and raising pasture-raised livestock, including:
Heritage Pasture Pigs
Grass-Fed Cattle
Free-Range Chickens
Goats
Colorado Mountain Dogs (bred for both livestock protection & family companionship)
We can see, in the website image above, an attempt to diversify a farm economy, with “Ranch Retreats”… “Pasture-Raised Pork”… and “Tallow Bath & Body” products.
The controversy seems to be mainly about the “Ranch Retreats & Cabin Stays”.
It might also be related to the recent firing of the County Planning Director and the subsequent resignation of two Planning staff members, leaving the County without a dedicated Planning Department.
In August 2025, the County Planning Commission voted 3-2 to recommend the placement of five cabins on the Ranch. A few weeks later, the Archuleta BOCC unanimously approved a Board Conditional Use Permit (BCUP) for the operation of a “wilderness lodging establishment” on the Ranch.
The 42-acre parcel is zoned “Agricultural Ranching” and is located in an area of the county dominated by large ranches and a couple of residential subdivisions.
“Wilderness lodging establishments” are allowable in the “Agricultural Ranching” zones, according to a 2025 report from the County Planning Department.
From the Ranch website:
Outpost / Bunkhouse
Two of our four cabins share this same thoughtfully designed layout and 255 sq. ft. footprint. Each comfortably sleeps up to 5 guests in a spacious King bed and a cozy Queen loft, reached by ladder — 2 adults and up to 3 children 12 and under, with one child sharing the King and two more tucked into the loft. A well-equipped kitchenette, walk-in shower, and closet space for gear round out the cabin — perfect for couples, families, and close friends seeking a quiet getaway…
Historically speaking, the “bunkhouse” is a traditional feature on a family ranch, for housing the (sometimes, numerous) ranch hands needed to operate a cattle ranch or other type of farming operation.
Nowadays, those ranch hands might be agritourists who pay for the privilege of helping operate the ranch.
The Wattier family — owners of 84 Ranch — began working with the County Planning Department in January 2025, to develop an “agritourism” project that met the County Land Use Regulations for an agricultural district, and to begin jumping through the many hoops that any innovative development project faces in Archuleta County.
Somewhere along the way, the owners of the ranch across the highway from 84 Ranch — Florida residents Dawn and William Vrastil — came to the conclusion that agritourism does not belong in “the rural valley of Archuleta County” and does not fit the requirements of “Agricultural Ranching” zoning.
The Vrastils appeared at Tuesday’s BOCC meeting to offer public comment on a Board of Adjustment “consent agenda” item.
Consideration of Board of Adjustment Resolution Approving Variance from the Archuleta County Land Use Regulations for 84 Ranch Land Holding Company LLC at Lot 45, at 6252A US HWY 84
At their Regular Meeting on August 18, 2026, the Board of Adjustment held a public hearing to approve a General Variance from the Archuleta County Land Use Regulations or 84 Ranch Land Holding Company LLC at Lot 45, at 6252A US HWY 84. The Board, with a 3-0 vote, approved the General Variance with several conditions. Staff recommends adoption of this Resolution.
A couple of things to note.
When the BOCC votes on land use items — such as the General Variance for 84 Ranch — the staff later documents the vote with a resolution, so that we have an official ‘public record’ of the vote. This is a bookkeeping process. Typically, these resolutions are approved through a “consent agenda” — meaning that no discussion is necessary, because the issue was decided weeks earlier.
The Vrastils — first Ms. Vrastil and then Mr. Vrastil — testified at the beginning of the BOCC meeting, objecting to the very existence of 84 Ranch and claiming that the owners have committed numerous violations. (Land use violations? That wasn’t exactly clear.)
From Ms. Vrastil:
Today, signing of the variance resolution for Highway 84 Ranch would be an ill-advised act on behalf of the County…
Read Part Two… on Monday…
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.