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Brown Ranch renamed ‘Slate Creek Neighborhood’ as governance group moves forward

The Brown Ranch Governance Group, convened by members of the Steamboat Springs City Council, the Routt County Commissioners and the Yampa Valley Housing Authority, is pivoting away from the “Brown Ranch” name, opting instead to refer to the long-proposed affordable-housing development as the “Slate Creek Neighborhood.”According to the March 26 meeting minutes, “the group reached consensus to rename the project they are working toward (previously Brown Ranch).”“From here on out,” the minutes stat...
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Steamboat Springs leaders discuss revenue growth, diversification in light of sales tax over-reliance

Steamboat Springs City Council signaled Tuesday that its ready to confront the long-simmering dilemma of how to keep the city running at current service levels when the city’s sales tax‑driven finances are increasingly vulnerable to low-snow years, influx tourist spending and economic downturns.At council’s Tuesday work session on fiscal sustainability, Finance Director Kim Weber stressed that city leaders first need to define the problem before staff can recommend concrete solutions over the ne...
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City leaders demand swift fix to ‘unacceptable’ conditions at YVHA-developed affordable housing projects

Steamboat Springs city officials met with Yampa Valley Housing Authority leaders, Mission Rock Residential representatives and Overland Property Group executives Wednesday morning to address persistent complaints about maintenance, cleanliness and compliance at three local YVHA-developed, Mission Rock-managed affordable housing projects.Nearly 150 people tuned into the meeting via Zoom, including city staff, current and former city councilors, county officials, YVHA board members, and staff and...
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The Cottonwoods: Steamboat’s first for-sale affordable housing project in decades

The Cottonwoods at Mid Valley, spearheaded by the Yampa Valley Housing Authority, is set to become a transformative development for Routt County’s housing landscape, offering 86 deed-restricted condos for sale to local workers, retirees and families — marking the first major for-sale affordable housing project in Steamboat Springs in around two decades.YVHA Executive Director Jason Peasley, Communications and Community Engagement Coordinator John Fancher, and Sales and Asset Manager Alyssa Cartm...
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Community members speak out on Stagecoach Mountain Ranch as City Council prepares to finalize letter to county

Nearly 20 community members attended Tuesday’s regular Steamboat Springs City Council meeting to comment on Stagecoach Mountain Ranch, the proposed 6,100-acre private ski area to be developed by Discovery Land Company, as council prepares to submit a letter to the Routt County Board of Commissioners regarding potential impacts to the city.At council’s Oct. 14 meeting, councilors, chief among them Councilor Amy Dickson, had expressed their opinion on the Stagecoach Mountain Ranch development, wit...
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Council green-lights Ski Corp.’s three-year, $3 million RTA pledge despite concerns

The Steamboat Springs City Council signaled support Monday for moving forward with the Yampa Valley Regional Transportation Authority, giving a majority thumbs-up to a three-year, $1-million-a-year funding pledge from Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. — even as several councilors voiced frustration over negotiating terms, lingering distrust and unanswered questions about future funding.Council’s decision paves the way for the RTA intergovernmental agreement and associated ballot language to return on...
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'The view doesn’t pay the bills’— Steamboat teachers speak out

In Steamboat Springs, the view is world-class, the community is tight-knit and the teachers are among the most dedicated you’ll find anywhere.But for the educators shaping the next generation, living in the town they serve has become a daily struggle defined by housing insecurity, second or third jobs, tolls on mental health and a constant juggling act just to get by.“The cost of living in Steamboat Springs, especially housing, has reached a point where many of our teachers can no longer really...
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Routt County, Hayden seek $89 million unified settlement as Hayden Station closure nears

Routt County’s future is at a crossroads as the community grapples with the 2028 closure of Hayden Station, a coal-fired power plant that has long been an economic cornerstone for the region.At Monday’s work session, Routt County commissioners laid out the stakes and their strategy for negotiating with Xcel Energy, the plant’s owner, and the Colorado Public Utilities Commission over how the transition away from coal should be managed, funded and shaped.Commissioners Sonja Macys, Angelica Salinas...