Steamboat Pilot & Today

For the third time in six months, city officials will hear a housing plan proposed for a massive, resort-style development at the base of Steamboat Ski Area.

The Steamboat Springs City Council is scheduled to act tonight on a proposed community housing plan for One Steamboat Place, a 440,000-square-foot, mixed-use development planned for a 4-acre site immediately adjacent to the ski area's gondola building and AprÃs Ski Way. In August and October, the City Council turned down proposals from Carbondale-based developers Timbers Resorts and requested more affordable housing units in the 80-condominium project, which also includes five on-site employee housing units.

The City Council already has approved the development plan for One Steamboat Place, meaning housing plan approval is the last major hurdle for Timbers Resorts to clear before beginning construction of the multistory building that will dramatically alter the appearance and skyline of the ski base.

Timbers' previous two housing proposals asked the city to accept payments in lieu of providing affordable units within One Steamboat Place. This time, developers are proposing to build 18 affordable units at nearby Wildhorse Meadows as part of a joint venture with Wildhorse developers Resort Ventures West. Eighteen affordable units would exceed the city's housing requirement for One Steamboat Place.

"I'm glad to see it," City Council President Susan Dellinger said about the proposal. "People working together, that's a good thing. I don't get why this proposal wouldn't work here."

Before rejecting earlier housing proposals, some council members expressed a need for affordable units on-site at One Steamboat Place to ensure diversity and year-round residency at the ski base.

Councilman Paul Strong said he planned to review details of the housing proposal Monday night. But Strong said in his mind, the Wildhorse Meadows development, adjacent to Mount Werner Road and The Tennis Center at Steamboat Springs, is part of the base area.

"It sounds reasonable to me," Strong said about the proposal. "Wildhorse Meadows is in the URA boundaries, and we've always talked about trying to get the (housing) units before anything else. :I think I'll probably look favorably on it, but I'll have to see the details."

The city's URA, or urban renewal authority, uses tax revenue from a designated area around the ski base to fund infrastructure improvements in the area.

City Council President Pro-tem Steve Ivancie said he is undecided as to whether residences at Wildhorse equate to residences at One Steamboat Place. According to building plans, the two projects will be connected by a people-mover gondola.

"We'd like to see some diversity on-site," Ivancie said. "We need to have vitality and diversity on the mountain : whether it works with (Timbers') business plan is another thing. It may still be that they want one thing and the city wants something else. But we'll have that discussion (tonight)."

The housing plan for One Steamboat Place is near the end of the agenda for today's council meeting, which begins at 5 p.m. at Centennial Hall on 10th Street.

If you go

What: Steamboat Springs City Council meeting

When: 5 p.m. today

Where: Centennial Hall, 124 10th St.

Call: City offices at 879-2060

On the agenda

- 5 p.m. Council member and city staff reports; community reports including 2007 rate request for Haymaker Golf Course and updates from the Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association and the city's Education Fund Board; resolutions including the formation of the Steamboat Springs Recreational Needs Exploratory Committee; ordinances including supplemental budget appropriations

- 7 p.m. Public comment; proposal of community housing plan for base area development One Steamboat Place

- 9 p.m. Adjourn

- To reach Mike Lawrence, call 871-4203

or e-mail mlawrence@steamboatpilot.com