https://www.jcoccaro.comRSS Feed for Julia CoccaroenMon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/routt-county-commissioners-raise-concerns-regarding-proposed-13850-acre-oil-and-gas-lease-sale-north-of-hayden/Routt County commissioners are raising concerns about a proposed federal oil and gas lease sale covering nearly 14,000 acres of national forest land north of Hayden, with Commissioner Sonja Macys calling it potentially the “largest extractive resource play” in the county during her lifetime.  The U.S. Forest Service is analyzing an expression of interest for oil and gas development on approximately 13,850 acres in the Hahns Peak/Bears Ears Ranger District of the Routt National Forest, accordi...Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/routt-county-commissioners-raise-concerns-regarding-proposed-13850-acre-oil-and-gas-lease-sale-north-of-hayden/https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/routt-county-commissioners-raise-concerns-regarding-proposed-13850-acre-oil-and-gas-lease-sale-north-of-hayden/Routt County commissioners are raising concerns about a proposed federal oil and gas lease sale covering nearly 14,000 acres of national forest land north of Hayden, with Commissioner Sonja Macys calling it potentially the “largest extractive resource play” in the county during her lifetime.  The U.S. Forest Service is analyzing an expression of interest for oil and gas development on approximately 13,850 acres in the Hahns Peak/Bears Ears Ranger District of the Routt National Forest, accordi...Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/routt-county-commissioners-raise-concerns-regarding-proposed-13850-acre-oil-and-gas-lease-sale-north-of-hayden/https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/yampa-valley-housing-authority-opts-against-november-2026-slate-creek-annexation-measure/The Yampa Valley Housing Authority has decided against submitting a petition to the Steamboat Springs City Clerk to put an annexation measure for the Slate Creek Neighborhood — formerly known as Brown Ranch — on the November 2026 ballot, instead formally committing to their original roadmap to put the annexation question on the November 2027 ballot. The decision came after an hour-and-a-half discussion at a special meeting convened by the housing authority Thursday afternoon, where board memb...Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/yampa-valley-housing-authority-opts-against-november-2026-slate-creek-annexation-measure/https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/yampa-valley-housing-authority-opts-against-november-2026-slate-creek-annexation-measure/The Yampa Valley Housing Authority has decided against submitting a petition to the Steamboat Springs City Clerk to put an annexation measure for the Slate Creek Neighborhood — formerly known as Brown Ranch — on the November 2026 ballot, instead formally committing to their original roadmap to put the annexation question on the November 2027 ballot. The decision came after an hour-and-a-half discussion at a special meeting convened by the housing authority Thursday afternoon, where board memb...Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/yampa-valley-housing-authority-opts-against-november-2026-slate-creek-annexation-measure/https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/data-centers-prohibited-routt-county-code/Data centers are highly unlikely to come to Routt County any time soon, according to Routt County Planning Department staff.  Routt County Planner Michael Fitz told the newspaper this week that the county’s Unified Development Code, adopted in 2024, includes a list of allowed uses, of which data centers are not mentioned. Any uses not included in that list are then “prohibited by default,” said Fitz.  “There are great (and justifiable) fears in many parts of the country that data centers c...Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/data-centers-prohibited-routt-county-code/https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/data-centers-prohibited-routt-county-code/Data centers are highly unlikely to come to Routt County any time soon, according to Routt County Planning Department staff.  Routt County Planner Michael Fitz told the newspaper this week that the county’s Unified Development Code, adopted in 2024, includes a list of allowed uses, of which data centers are not mentioned. Any uses not included in that list are then “prohibited by default,” said Fitz.  “There are great (and justifiable) fears in many parts of the country that data centers c...Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/data-centers-prohibited-routt-county-code/https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/leading-through-change-superintendent-celine-wicks-reflects-on-her-tenure/As she prepares to step away from a career in public education, Steamboat Springs School District Superintendent Celine Wicks leaves behind a tenure defined by collaboration, growth and navigating some of the most challenging years in modern schooling. Wicks announced her retirement in late October, passing the torch this summer to incoming superintendent and veteran Douglas County educator Kristin Drury. Wicks joined the district seven years ago as principal of Strawberry Park Elementary,...Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/leading-through-change-superintendent-celine-wicks-reflects-on-her-tenure/https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/steamboat-springs-routt-county-officials-talk-potential-ballot-measures-in-2026-2027/Steamboat Springs and Routt County officials are beginning to map out what could become a crowded slate of ballot questions over the next few election cycles, raising concerns about voter fatigue and prompting early discussions about coordination and timing. During a joint work session Tuesday night, members of the Steamboat Springs City Council and Routt County Commissioners identified a growing list of potential measures that could appear between 2026 and 2027, ranging from funding for the...Wed, 20 May 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/steamboat-springs-routt-county-officials-talk-potential-ballot-measures-in-2026-2027/https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/steamboat-springs-routt-county-officials-talk-potential-ballot-measures-in-2026-2027/Steamboat Springs and Routt County officials are beginning to map out what could become a crowded slate of ballot questions over the next few election cycles, raising concerns about voter fatigue and prompting early discussions about coordination and timing. During a joint work session Tuesday night, members of the Steamboat Springs City Council and Routt County Commissioners identified a growing list of potential measures that could appear between 2026 and 2027, ranging from funding for the...Wed, 20 May 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/steamboat-springs-routt-county-officials-talk-potential-ballot-measures-in-2026-2027/https://www.kunc.org/news/2026-04-15/brown-ranch-renamed-slate-creek-neighborhood-as-governance-group-moves-forwardThe 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...Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.kunc.org/news/2026-04-15/brown-ranch-renamed-slate-creek-neighborhood-as-governance-group-moves-forwardhttps://www.kunc.org/news/2026-04-15/brown-ranch-renamed-slate-creek-neighborhood-as-governance-group-moves-forwardThe 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...Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.kunc.org/news/2026-04-15/brown-ranch-renamed-slate-creek-neighborhood-as-governance-group-moves-forwardhttps://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/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 min...Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/brown-ranch-renamed-slate-creek-neighborhood-as-governance-group-moves-forward/https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/south-routt-community-divided-over-principals-contract-as-petitions-board-letters-mount/The potential renewal of Soroco Middle School and High School Principal Dave Grabowski’s employment contract has divided the South Routt community, sparking multiple petitions, a protest and a larger discussion about the extent to which public outcry can and should be factored into the evaluation of a school administrator.  Per the district’s response to a Colorado Open Records Act request from the newspaper (see full document at the bottom of the page), a petition with approximately 120 sign...Mon, 30 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/south-routt-community-divided-over-principals-contract-as-petitions-board-letters-mount/https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/routt-county-commissioners-hold-off-on-state-nuclear-funding-support-request/Routt County commissioners are holding off on endorsing a state push for future federal nuclear energy funding, opting instead for broader community input amid a wave of interest in advanced nuclear technologies for Northwest Colorado’s energy transition. The Colorado Energy Office, backed by the governor’s office and the Office of Just Transition, reached out to Routt County commissioners March 10 with a request for a letter of support that centers on a U.S. Department of Energy request for...Wed, 25 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/routt-county-commissioners-hold-off-on-state-nuclear-funding-support-request/https://www.kunc.org/news/2026-03-19/city-leaders-deliberate-revenue-growth-diversification-in-light-of-sales-tax-over-relianceSteamboat 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...Thu, 19 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://www.kunc.org/news/2026-03-19/city-leaders-deliberate-revenue-growth-diversification-in-light-of-sales-tax-over-reliancehttps://www.kunc.org/news/2026-03-19/city-leaders-deliberate-revenue-growth-diversification-in-light-of-sales-tax-over-relianceSteamboat 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...Thu, 19 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://www.kunc.org/news/2026-03-19/city-leaders-deliberate-revenue-growth-diversification-in-light-of-sales-tax-over-reliancehttps://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/hostile-environment-hayden-staff-ask-council-to-publicly-defend-them-from-harassment-social-media-attacks/Hayden town staff used a public letter this month to plead with elected officials to more forcefully defend them from what they describe as escalating harassment, social media attacks and a “hostile environment” tied to contentious development decisions. At the Hayden Town Council’s March 5 meeting, Council member Trevor Gann read aloud a letter drafted by a longtime staff member and signed off on by nine total staffers across departments and seniority levels.  The Hayden letter and the re...Mon, 16 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/hostile-environment-hayden-staff-ask-council-to-publicly-defend-them-from-harassment-social-media-attacks/https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/city-leaders-deliberate-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 t...Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/city-leaders-deliberate-revenue-growth-diversification-in-light-of-sales-tax-over-reliance/https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/bennet-casts-affordability-as-colorados-defining-challenge-in-bid-for-governor/After hosting an affordability roundtable in Routt County last month, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet described what he sees as Colorado’s defining challenge — and part of the reason he’s running for governor. “We have an affordability crisis in Colorado,” Bennet told the Steamboat Pilot & Today in a Jan. 22 interview. “This is not a passing problem. It goes to the very heart of what kind of state we’re going to be.” Bennet, who announced his campaign for governor in April last year, said one of...Mon, 16 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/bennet-casts-affordability-as-colorados-defining-challenge-in-bid-for-governor/https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/bennet-casts-affordability-as-colorados-defining-challenge-in-bid-for-governor/After hosting an affordability roundtable in Routt County last month, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet described what he sees as Colorado’s defining challenge — and part of the reason he’s running for governor. “We have an affordability crisis in Colorado,” Bennet told the Steamboat Pilot & Today in a Jan. 22 interview. “This is not a passing problem. It goes to the very heart of what kind of state we’re going to be.” Bennet, who announced his campaign for governor in April last year, said one of...Mon, 16 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/bennet-casts-affordability-as-colorados-defining-challenge-in-bid-for-governor/https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/property-management-companies-deliver-action-plan-to-improve-conditions-at-anglers-alpenglow-and-reserves/Following weeks of controversy over “unacceptable” living conditions at three Yampa Valley Housing Authority-developed properties in Steamboat Springs, property management companies Overland Property Group and Mission Rock Residential have delivered a detailed action plan to city and county officials and YVHA leadership.  The plan, submitted in response to mounting tenant complaints and a tense public meeting earlier this month, lays out dozens of specific steps, deadlines and reporting requi...Thu, 29 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/property-management-companies-deliver-action-plan-to-improve-conditions-at-anglers-alpenglow-and-reserves/https://www.kunc.org/news/2026-01-21/city-leaders-demand-swift-fix-to-unacceptable-conditions-at-yvha-developed-affordable-housing-projectsSteamboat 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...Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://www.kunc.org/news/2026-01-21/city-leaders-demand-swift-fix-to-unacceptable-conditions-at-yvha-developed-affordable-housing-projectshttps://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/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...Wed, 14 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/city-leaders-demand-swift-fix-to-unacceptable-conditions-at-yvha-developed-affordable-housing-projects/https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/council-to-meet-with-housing-authority-management-companies-over-unacceptable-conditions-at-yvha-developed-properties/After weeks of growing scrutiny surrounding the Yampa Valley Housing Authority and its privately managed affordable housing complexes, City Council members on Tuesday agreed to hold a public meeting next week with YVHA and Mission Rock Residential and Overland Property Group — the developer and property management companies, respectively, behind several troubled housing sites in the city. Set for 10 a.m. Jan. 14, the meeting aims to produce an immediate corrective plan addressing maintenance...Wed, 07 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/council-to-meet-with-housing-authority-management-companies-over-unacceptable-conditions-at-yvha-developed-properties/https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/deplorable-living-conditions-anglers-four-hundred-resident-speaks-out/When longtime Steamboat Springs local Bright Stevenson signed his lease at Anglers Four Hundred, he expected stable, reliable, well-managed housing in a community marketed to Routt County’s working class.  Instead, he found “a disaster”: a unit that was not move‑in ready, dirty common spaces, hallways and stairwells littered with trash and grime, and what he described as a disappointing lack of support from both the Yampa Valley Housing Authority, which developed the property in partnership w...Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/deplorable-living-conditions-anglers-four-hundred-resident-speaks-out/https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/deplorable-living-conditions-anglers-four-hundred-resident-speaks-out/When longtime Steamboat Springs local Bright Stevenson signed his lease at Anglers Four Hundred, he expected stable, reliable, well-managed housing in a community marketed to Routt County’s working class.  Instead, he found “a disaster”: a unit that was not move‑in ready, dirty common spaces, hallways and stairwells littered with trash and grime, and what he described as a disappointing lack of support from both the Yampa Valley Housing Authority, which developed the property in partnership w...Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/deplorable-living-conditions-anglers-four-hundred-resident-speaks-out/https://www.kunc.org/news/2025-12-03/the-cottonwoods-steamboats-first-for-sale-affordable-housing-project-in-decadesThe 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...Wed, 03 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://www.kunc.org/news/2025-12-03/the-cottonwoods-steamboats-first-for-sale-affordable-housing-project-in-decadeshttps://www.kunc.org/news/2025-10-29/community-members-speak-out-on-stagecoach-mountain-ranch-as-city-council-prepares-to-finalize-letter-to-countyNearly 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...Wed, 29 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://www.kunc.org/news/2025-10-29/community-members-speak-out-on-stagecoach-mountain-ranch-as-city-council-prepares-to-finalize-letter-to-countyhttps://www.kunc.org/news/2025-10-29/community-members-speak-out-on-stagecoach-mountain-ranch-as-city-council-prepares-to-finalize-letter-to-countyNearly 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...Wed, 29 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://www.kunc.org/news/2025-10-29/community-members-speak-out-on-stagecoach-mountain-ranch-as-city-council-prepares-to-finalize-letter-to-countyhttps://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/teacher-retention-curriculum-and-administration-support-drive-discussion-at-school-board-candidate-forum/Teacher attraction and retention, workforce housing, academic curriculum and support of the current school district administration headlined the discussion among board of education candidates at Wednesday evening’s forum at Bud Werner Memorial Library.  Hosted by the Steamboat Pilot & Today and sponsored by Altitude Realtors, the event offered an opportunity for community members to hear from candidates for four City Council seats and two school board openings.  Questions were posed by Cra...Sun, 12 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/teacher-retention-curriculum-and-administration-support-drive-discussion-at-school-board-candidate-forum/