Steamboat Pilot & Today

Series excellent

I'm calling just to commend you on your series "The Great Divide Housing in Steamboat Springs." I'm a 12-year homeowner in Steamboat proper and a year-round resident and I've lived here for 15 years. The series of articles have been excellent. I just wanted to commend you on the poignancy and let you know that you are doing a great job.

I am a former resident of Steamboat. I was thinking about moving back, so I subscribed in hopes of getting a gauge on the housing situation. Your coverage was excellent. I think it's a shame when the people who make a town into what it is can't even find a place to live in it. Steamboat is unique because of its people. Local government should realize that turning a blind eye to the full-time residents is not conducive to promoting and running a family-oriented resort.

Thanks for series

It was and still is a scary decision to move back to Steamboat after being back East for 20 years. I am still living on the East Coast and plan to make the move next spring. I have read with great interest the articles concerning The Great Divide. Each article makes me waiver in my decision to move. Each article leaves me with a glimmer of hope that with determination, support from friends who live in Steamboat and a lot of luck that I can come home again. Thanks for the great series and I look forward to reading the upcoming installments.

Stick with it

Housing cost is simply a result of supply and demand. Steamboat is desirable and as a result it is more expensive. If you want to live someplace affordable, move to Sterling or Lamar. I think it is a matter of recognizing what we have and being willing to pay the price. My wife is a teacher doing what she loves, I don't make a lot of money and the fact of the matter is that it has taken us 10 years of living here to get to own our own home. I think it is worth it. We could have made significantly more money living in Denver, being closer to family. But I hate Denver. Stick with it and you will find a way to make it here.

Why not commute?

I have been following all the articles written on affordable housing. I grew up in a small suburb of NYC and everyone who worked in the city did a half-hour commute. Is there a reason that the people do not consider buying more affordable housing that exists in South Routt and in Hayden? It seems that the Realtors have listings all over that are affordable. It is unfortunate that the dream house in Steamboat Springs is hard to afford, but maybe the first-time homeowners who want to live here should start with a condo and move up after building equity. I have met many Craig residents who commute to Steamboat because there are better jobs here. In most of the country, especially near big cities, people do commute. A change in attitude seems to be necessary.

Not in favor of taxes

I would not be in favor of paying more taxes to pay for affordable housing. I have lived in Steamboat Springs for 25 years and I just built a modular home a year ago. So I feel that people who want to live here can learn to cut back on expenses and try to save their money. Why should I have to pay taxes to help them?

Consider different tax

I have read your ongoing series on affordable housing. It seems that all the cities with a real estate transfer tax are much more successful at dealing with the issue. I suggest Steamboat and other cities who did not enact this previously petition the state for the right to do this subject to local approval for specific use for affordable housing.

Time to walk the walk

I have listened to the affordable housing talk for years. Your series provides me with a glimmer of hope that maybe we can get something done this time. Please Steamboat, it's time to walk the walk. It's time to make housing available to people other than wealthy second-home owners.

Series won't help

Enough already with the affordable housing stories. You may as well bang your head against a wall for all the good the stories will do. This is a market issue beyond anyone's ability to control. Houses cost more in Steamboat. Get used to it or move.

No more Cheese bashing

I'm tired of the Cheese bashing. I have been a 10-year resident of Steamboat Springs. And my favorite band is String Cheese Incident. I am a clean-cut, well-rounded, hard-working young man. I have friends in this town who are also fans who are landowners and business owners. We take exception to the comments Councilman Romberg's comments about inviting certain elements of the town that will respect our town.

Romberg off base

Bud Romberg needs to find himself a nice whittling stick and an old cabin in the woods. He can sit up there at his cabin and talk about how he hates hippies and stinky people.

Mr. Romberg, there is no space in our world for bigotry so let's not overgeneralize what String Cheese fans are all about. Some of us, like myself, are homeowners in Steamboat Springs.

Nice column, Doug

I just wanted to comment on Doug Crowl's Edge of Steamboat column on the Independence Incident. I think his writing was perfect. I think he hit the nail on the head.