Housing pressures, public-space rules and safer river access

Council is scheduled to receive a presentation from Liz Axberg and Planning Director Michelle Thibeault on the first phase of a regional housing needs assessment. No ordinance, resolution or spending decision is proposed at this meeting. Council is being asked to hear the findings, discuss the region’s housing shortage and understand the next steps for maintaining access to Colorado affordable-housing funds. The presentation is scheduled for 6:20 p.m. and covers Basalt along with Pitkin County, Garfield County, Aspen, Snowmass Village, Carbondale, Glenwood Springs, New Castle, Silt, Rifle and Parachute.

The work responds to two state requirements. Colorado Senate Bill 24-174, adopted in 2024, requires most local governments to complete and publish a housing needs assessment by December 31, 2026, and update it every six years. Proposition 123, approved by Colorado voters in November 2022, created a state affordable-housing fund. Rural resort communities must submit a petition supported by recent housing data if they want Proposition 123 programs to serve households with incomes above the standard limits. The City of Aspen began the study with Pitkin County and Snowmass Village in February 2025, then expanded it regionally after the Colorado Department of Local Affairs recommended a broader approach. Aspen hired Economic and Planning Systems, which previously completed assessments for Basalt and Eagle County.

The project was divided into two phases because communities face deadlines for Proposition 123 applications. Phase 1 is complete and covers demographics, the economy, housing inventory, market trends, affordability and current and projected need. Phase 2 will add housing problems, available resources, development barriers and opportunities, policy options and a housing action plan. Staff says the assessment itself is not a legal commitment to build the number of homes identified or to put housing in any particular location. Later, each council will use the data, available land, construction costs and other local considerations to set its own 10-year goals through a housing action plan.

The draft finds a regional net need of about 7,176 homes through 2035 after counting affordable units already under construction or approved. Pitkin County’s share is 2,545 homes, or 35% of the regional need, while Garfield County’s share is 4,631, or 65%. Basalt is assigned a net need of 298 homes: 173 associated with an existing shortage and 125 tied to projected demand. The allocation uses each community’s share of county jobs, then subtracts qualifying affordable homes in the development pipeline. Basalt’s figure represents 12% of Pitkin County’s need and about 4% of the regional total.

The study lists 40 affordable Tree Farm homes under construction in Basalt. It also identifies 17 affordable and 48 market-rate homes at Basalt Center Circle, three affordable homes at Basalt Commercial Park Lot J and two at Stott’s Mill as approved but not yet completed. Regionally, the presentation reports 641 affordable homes in the pipeline, including 357 in Pitkin County. Pipeline projects are subtracted differently depending on their stage: homes under construction reduce the estimated existing shortage, while approved projects reduce future projected need. The packet does not assign Basalt’s 298-home figure to specific parcels or projects.

Market data helps explain the estimate. Basalt had 2,249 housing units in 2023, up by 415 from 2015, making it the fastest-growing municipality in the study during that period. A separate affordable-housing table lists 294 Basalt affordable homes—43 rentals and 251 ownership units—against an “all housing” count of 1,610. That differs from the broader 2,249-unit count, and the packet does not fully explain the geographic or data distinction. The study also reports that Basalt’s median single-family sale price rose from $1.03 million in 2020 to $1,817,417 in 2024. The 2024 median was $1.25 million for townhomes and $1.069 million for condominiums.

Affordability has not kept pace with those prices. For Pitkin County, the study reports a 2024 median income of $100,600 for a two-person household, supporting about $2,515 in monthly housing costs under the study’s affordability standard. It says a two-person household earning three times the area median income—$301,800—still could not afford a median-priced home in the mid- or upper valley. In Basalt and Carbondale, only 2% of 2024 sales were affordable to households earning between 80% and 150% of area median income, while 47% were affordable only above 400%. Rental information is less complete, but a statewide apartment survey reported a Glenwood Springs-area median rent of $1,800 in the third quarter of 2025, up 57% from early 2022.

The choices come later. Basalt will need to weigh how much of the estimated need it can realistically address, which income levels should receive priority, and how to balance new construction, deed restrictions, rentals, ownership housing and regional partnerships. The assessment does not calculate a Basalt-specific construction cost, identify funding commitments or recommend zoning changes at this stage. After this update, staff plans to complete the Proposition 123 rural-resort petition, finish the state-compliant assessment and begin the required housing action plan. Residents may speak for up to three minutes during public comment near the start of the meeting and again when the housing presentation is called. Written comments may also be emailed to council for inclusion in the public record.

Council will hold a public hearing and consider final adoption of Ordinance No. 02, Series of 2026. The ordinance would add Section 11-179 to the town code and adopt a fee schedule for reserving parks, shelters, stages and other public facilities. This is the second reading, meaning the final council consideration after an initial vote. Council may approve the ordinance, amend it or send it back to staff for more work. Staff recommends approval. If adopted, the ordinance would take effect 14 days after its final publication.

Council unanimously approved the first reading, 7-0, on January 13, and requested no changes. Staff began the update because reservation information, special-event requirements and fees are currently located in different places. The town has also added and improved public spaces, most notably Basalt River Park, while developing a longer-term approach to parks, trails and open-space costs through its 2024 Financial Sustainability Strategy and Maintenance Asset Management Strategy. Staff says the new system is intended to make applications clearer, more consistent and fairer while protecting public property.

A basic reservation would give an organizer use of a particular amenity, such as a shelter or stage, during an approved period. It would not permit the organizer to exclude the public from restrooms, public trash and recycling containers, multi-use fields or playgrounds. Ordinary reservation requests would have to be filed at least 14 days before the requested date. Town staff would administer the applications and could waive fees at its discretion, although the ordinance does not list specific standards for when a waiver should be granted.

A Special Event Activity Permit would be required for an event with 50 or more attendees. It would also be required for amplified sound, ticketed events, events advertised as open to the public, food or alcohol sales, merchandise sales, reservations more than six months in advance, tents larger than 400 square feet, staked tents or temporary structures, and stages, fences or barricades that interfere with general public use. Special-event applications would be due at least 45 days before the event and require a pre-application meeting. Town staff could deny a late application and could require technical review or classify another large or disruptive use as a special event.

Council approval would be required for recurring events, most street closures and all uses of Basalt River Park. Staff could approve closures of Harris Street, Midland Spur and Market Street between East Valley Road and Grange Street without bringing them to council. Special-event permits could also be required for trails or public rights-of-way. These provisions affect spaces across town, including Old Town parks, the Willits Linear Park shelter and Willits Rugby Park, Southside Park, Arbaney Park, Fisherman’s Park, Triangle Park, Wildwood Park, Cliff’s Hillside Park, Patti’s Park and Stott’s Mill South Park.

The proposed fee table sets ordinary reservations at $50 with a $200 deposit for the Lions Park stage, Arbaney Park shelter, Willits Linear Park shelter, Fisherman’s Park shelter and Triangle Park stage. A special event using one of those facilities would cost $250 with a $500 deposit. Separate special-event charges would be $150 with a $300 deposit at Wildwood Park, Cliff’s Hillside Park, Patti’s Park and Stott’s Mill South Park. They would be $250 with a $500 deposit at Arbaney Park, Linear Park, Willits Rugby Park and Southside Park. Basalt River Park and right-of-way events are listed as “contact staff,” so no fixed price appears in the packet. Fees could later be changed after staff review.

Organizers would be responsible for trash, recycling and compost, including emptying park receptacles after an event. The town could use a deposit for cleanup and bill an organizer if the deposit does not cover the full cost. Alcohol would require a town liquor license. Food trucks, bar services and other vendors would need town business and sales-tax licenses and might also need county health or fire approval. Security and liability insurance could be required. Four 10-by-10-foot pop-up tents could be used without review by the building official, but tents larger than 400 square feet would require inspection by the building official and Roaring Fork Fire Rescue Authority.

Using stakes to secure tents or other structures would require an additional $750 deposit because of possible damage to turf or irrigation. Organizers could avoid that deposit by using sandbags or water instead. The principal trade-off is between predictable rules and the added cost and lead time for community gatherings. Open questions include how staff will determine fees at Basalt River Park, when deposits will be returned, what qualifies for a fee waiver and how insurance or security decisions will be made. Residents may speak for three minutes during public comment near the beginning of the meeting and again during the public hearing when this ordinance is called. Comments may also be emailed to council for the public record.

Council will hold a public hearing and consider final adoption of Ordinance No. 01, Series of 2026. The measure would amend Sections 11-1 and 11-178 of the town code to regulate private use of public sidewalks, rights-of-way and other town property. This second reading is the final council vote after initial approval. Council may adopt the ordinance, make amendments or return it to staff with direction. If adopted and published, it would become effective 14 days after final publication.

The ordinance passed first reading unanimously, 7-0, on January 13. Council requested no changes. Staff developed the proposal after completion of the Midland Avenue Streetscape project and in response to increased commercial activity. The town calls the concept “streetscape activation,” meaning restaurant tables, merchandise displays, information kiosks, public-facing art and similar activity that makes commercial streets more active. The stated goal is to encourage that activity while keeping safe, direct connections among sidewalks, business entrances and public facilities.

A business seeking to use a public sidewalk would need an encroachment license agreement. In ordinary language, that is revocable town permission for a private activity to occupy public property under specific conditions; it does not transfer ownership of the sidewalk. Under Basalt’s Home Rule Charter, council would approve these licenses by resolution and renew them annually. A business using a privately owned sidewalk would not need an encroachment license, but the use would still have to follow the ordinance and all applicable town, county, state and federal rules.

The ordinance would apply to seating, food or beverage service, commercial displays and similar activities on town property within or immediately beside public rights-of-way. It would also regulate sidewalks immediately beside private property in commercial zoning districts. The underlying use must be allowed by the property’s zoning. The proposal defines “immediately adjacent” on town property as the area between the private property line and the nearest street flow line. That provision is particularly relevant along Midland Avenue in Old Town, although the law would apply to qualifying commercial areas throughout Basalt.

An adjacent business could use a licensed public sidewalk for seating or display areas from April 1 through October 31. Outdoor seating could be no wider than the business’s actual street frontage and would have to be operated by the adjoining commercial establishment. Tables, chairs and merchant display carts could be placed on sidewalks and public rights-of-way in commercial districts when the setup meets the ordinance. No additional off-street parking would be required for qualifying outdoor seating. Seating on private property could still require separate planning approval.

Pedestrian and disability access are the central safety requirements. A setup would have to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and preserve a clear walkway at least three feet wide around any obstruction. It could not block the full width of a building entrance or impede access to public restrooms or transit stops. The outdoor seating area itself would have to be accessible to people with disabilities. Materials used in pedestrian areas would need to be stable, durable, slip-resistant and compatible with the surrounding design so people of differing abilities can move comfortably through the area.

The proposal would not allow food preparation, busing stations, storage or privately supplied trash cans on public sidewalks. Existing public trash receptacles installed as part of right-of-way improvements could remain. Tables, chairs and related furnishings would have to be clean, attractive and in good condition, and they could not be stored on the sidewalk after the operating season. A failure to follow the standards could lead to revocation of the encroachment license. The packet does not specify a warning period, appeal process or series of lesser penalties before revocation.

Alcohol service would require a liquor license that includes the outdoor area. The business would need a clearly marked perimeter matching the licensed premises and signs telling customers to keep alcoholic drinks within that area. Alcohol otherwise remains prohibited on town property. The packet does not establish an encroachment-license fee, estimate how many businesses will apply or explain whether current sidewalk setups will receive a transition period. Residents may speak for up to three minutes during public comment at the start of the meeting and again during the public hearing when the ordinance is called. Written comments may also be emailed to council for inclusion in the record.

Council is being asked to approve a letter supporting the town’s application to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Fishing is Fun Grant Program. The letter is included on the consent agenda, where several items are normally approved together without separate discussion unless a council member asks to pull one. The grant would support improvements to the boat ramp at Duroux Park on the Roaring Fork River. The packet does not include a construction contract, matching-fund authorization or final design approval at this meeting.

The existing ramp is described as steep, undersized and affected by erosion. According to the proposed letter, those conditions prevent safe and reliable river access for anglers, floaters and small watercraft. The town also says the inadequate ramp contributes to congestion and informal access points along the river corridor. The letter frames the work as both an access and safety project, with the added goal of protecting the riverbank from damage caused when users seek alternative places to enter the water.

The project is still in design and grant-review stages. The Engineering Department reports that staff has applied for the Colorado Parks and Wildlife grant and is reviewing the design with several stakeholder groups. Staff met on January 22 with the Roaring Fork Conservancy concerning the Basalt boat-ramp project. Once comments have been collected, the design is expected to be finalized and the town may put the construction work out for competitive bids. The current target is to complete the design by summer 2026, but the packet does not provide a construction start date or completion date.

Duroux Park is one of two river-access projects listed in the engineering update. The other is the Willits Lane river-access project, which is separately being reviewed and is expected to have a design completed by summer 2026. The support letter before council applies specifically to Duroux Park, not the Willits Lane project. The packet does not provide an address, drawing, ramp dimensions, parking plan, traffic analysis or description of whether the proposed Duroux design would alter nearby trails, landscaping or other park facilities.

The letter says the improvement would provide more equitable access for boaters and anglers of differing abilities. It also connects the project to Basalt’s broader goals for outdoor recreation, river stewardship and inclusive access to local waterways. For nearby park users, a better-defined launch could reduce conflicts created by congestion and informal entry points. For Basalt as a whole, the project could improve access to the Roaring Fork River while concentrating use in a designed location rather than allowing repeated erosion at unofficial access points.

Important financial information is not included. The packet does not state the total estimated project cost, the amount requested from Colorado Parks and Wildlife, whether a local match is required or which town budget account would provide that match. It also does not say when grant awards will be announced. Because council is only considering a support letter, later action could still be needed for a construction contract, town funding or acceptance of grant terms. Staff says the project may go to bid after stakeholder review and final design, which indicates that contractor pricing is not yet available in this packet.

The trade-offs will become clearer with the final design. Residents may want to ask how the town will manage parking, trailers, pedestrians and congestion; whether riverbank stabilization is included; what accessibility improvements are planned; and how construction would affect the park or river season. It is also unclear whether the grant would cover the full project or whether other money would be needed. Residents may speak for up to three minutes during public comment near the start of the meeting and again when the consent item is called; they may also ask council to discuss the letter separately. Comments can be emailed to council for the public record.