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A meandering sidewalk is like an artery through the River Place co-housing community. It connects cottage-like homes and classic covered porches with benches, cruisers and baby strollers.

In the evenings and weekends, children roll scooters along the curving walk, while adults gather at a home for a glass of wine.

Rob Dick and Ellen Hoj sit on a patio at the end of a sidewalk, reflecting on some of the challenges they and other residents overcame to make the neighborhood a reality.

Although tired and ready for it to be complete -- the common house and some duplexes are in the finishing stages -- they ultimately are proud of the alternative community they've created.

But not everybody has been happy with the development, located next to the Steamboat Christian Center off U.S. Highway 40.

Some people have complained it is too close to the highway and that there is not enough landscaping, Hoj said.

Others don't think the buildings, which have a Victorian look with modern touches, should be at the gateway to Steamboat Springs, Dick said.

"The project was built for the people living here, not for people driving on Highway 40," he said.

Dick encourages critics and others to take a walk through the neighborhood to feel the friendliness and warmth there.

"When you come here, you feel like you've arrived some place," he said.

A strong sense of community and close relationships among neighbors are the core of the co-housing concept. Residents typically are involved in the planning, design and maintenance of the projects.

For River Place, Hoj, a former Routt County Planning Department director and Dick, who was involved in the Butcherknife co-housing development, wanted moderately priced housing that would appeal to working people.

There was no shortage of residents interested in being involved. The challenge was keeping those people on board through the "long and arduous" planning review process, Dick said.

The longer-than-expected process resulted in significant delays and additional costs, including a $28,000 "sidewalk to nowhere" along the highway, Hoj said.

Many families dropped out, frustrated by the slow process and concerned about any more "unpredictable" costs they may have to pay.

"Owning a house is stressful, let alone designing and developing your own home," Hoj said.

Hoj and Dick worked with three different groups of potential owners. About one-third of the final group ended up being investors, who now rent or plan to resell their units.

Although investor participation was not part of the original plan, their help essentially saved the project, Dick said.

"Without those investors, this project would've collapsed," he said.

Gary Osteen is one of the original participants who stuck it out. A builder, Osteen purchased two River Place lots and constructed a home for his family and one for resale.

The project's location near the Steamboat Ski Area, the river and future core trail, and a strong Steamboat real estate market bolstered Osteen's confidence in Hoj and Dick's vision.

"My philosophy was that I wouldn't get caught up in the ups and downs along the way," he said. "I knew it would be a good project in the end."

The market hasn't disappointed River Place investors.

Last year, all 18 single-family and duplex and town home units sold for about $250,000 to $300,000 -- already about $40,000 more than the target prices.

A month ago, a single family home resold for $365,000 and Dick expects a duplex soon will sell for $299,000.

"It actually did surprise me. It surprised me, and it troubled me," he said about the steep jump in resale value.

Although many owners opted for high quality finishes, the resale prices primarily are a function of land availability and cost, Dick said.

Still, even at $365,000, the River Place home likely was among the least expensive new homes for sale in Steamboat.

River Place homes and duplex units, which are between 1,200 and 1,700 square feet and have small bedrooms, are designed to sell at the lower end of the market.

"The question is what that lower end is," Dick said.

Variations in the River Place vision have widened the project's appeal. In addition to families and lower-income residents, the neighborhood also includes part-time residents such as Nancy and Jeff Wells.

"I like the fact that this is just like a little community," Nancy Wells said.

The couple also has a home in Huntington Beach, Calif., where they live on a friendly cul de sac and know all of their neighbors. In that respect, the transition to River Place has been easy.

"We've already met everybody," Jeff Wells said. "Everybody helps everybody."

River Place likely will remain relatively unique in Steamboat.

With high land costs, Hoj and Dick doubt they or anybody else could tackle a similar model in the city.

Currently, the two are planning a large co-housing development in Fort Collins.

-- To reach Tamera Manzanares call 871-4204 or e-mail tmanzanares@steamboatpilot.com