[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6610797,"mediaKeyId","2901428-53925f0f5666331bd6d8a6125ba48553","parentId",2901428,"title","Pitkin County to consider $1 million for West Mountain Regional Housing Coalition 'Good Deeds' buy-down program","audioSeconds",3156,"startMs",3600000,"endMs",6756000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2901428-53925f0f5666331bd6d8a6125ba48553&start=3600&end=6756","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2901428-53925f0f5666331bd6d8a6125ba48553/thumbnail_3600000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6610797/Pitkin-County/Colorado/Pitkin-County-to-consider-1-million-for-West-Mountain-Regional-Housing-Coalition-Good-Deeds-buy-down-program","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6610797-98cbacc34ee0fe372a884c9fad515b3a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771218639&Signature=bTKWt5UWFW28HMpfxGYQs9S92mx~kZOcpwZrcab7gdJWHWCO6ePMBCeeu9kAlRsrs2JvDVkZC0hlL2BdWr7aCBXa1RWHIIuqUvETSLRNUfeImZ76FgU5zleT5x~nwbfmEBDAEE4tnqGelbGMZ7w2amsph743moBRzBQnJoWvWbDkv~7J-C2Qnryb4oSVTyr2lNep~VM-XRDhyxF0XDOloR91rAa6HwJCAc6NGEvjOjpUBM-nFz-B31IwNWiiHdJlhtArKPMLUlsGNNHnkz~Cq1WTB3g7gnux3TfgX91SCcj0NO-IXb0-VE81soY6-OlraMjogLzjdnmSsuanKl4T2Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Pitkin County","date","2025-04-08T22:36:15.15Z","article","Pitkin County commissioners on April 8 heard a presentation from the West Mountain Regional Housing Coalition (WMRHC) on its Good Deeds buy-down program and signaled support for a near-term county contribution. Staff and coalition leaders asked the board to consider using funds from the county's recently approved 1.5‑mill housing property tax to expand the program.

County staff explained the county’s newly established housing property tax (a 1.5‑mill levy approved by voters for 25 years) and how the county budget allocated a portion of 2025 funds to partnerships. The 2025 budget included funds set aside to allow rapid responses to partner requests; staff told the board there is money currently available in the partnership allocation should the board choose to act quickly.

April Long, Executive Director of WMRHC, described the Good Deeds program as a buy-down model that converts free-market homes to permanently affordable units by placing a capped deed restriction on the property. The coalition pays roughly 30% of a home's purchase price while the buyer provides the remaining 70%; buyers must use the property as their primary residence, may not rent it, must requalify annually and may not own other residential property. Resale is governed by a capped, 3% annual appreciation formula so the home remains affordable for future eligible buyers.

Long said the coalition launched Good Deeds with a $2 million program budget and has already spent roughly $2.25 million in 2024–2025 to permanently secure nine homes (28 bedrooms) across the region, including several homes that now shorten commuting distances for working residents. She said the program’s buyers include school employees, medical staff and other locally serving workers, with income profiles spanning roughly 40% to over 200% of area median, depending on jurisdiction.

County staff outlined the property-tax ballot language and the fiscal picture for 2025: the county expects about $8.5 million this year from the mill levy and the 2025 budget also folded in $4.5 million the board had previously set aside from general fund housing dollars. Staff presented a planned line-item structure that year, with approximately $2 million for acquisitions, $9 million for partnerships, $400,000 for reducing homelessness impacts, and $200,000 for capital maintenance; funds available for partnership grants were the likely source for a Good Deeds award.

Board discussion focused on how the Good Deeds buy-down model fits with other housing tools, its leverage and scale, and how to fund it beyond a single year. Commissioners asked for additional market analysis (e.g., how many for-sale homes in an appropriate price band would be candidates for buy-downs annually), clarified how the program handles deed-restricted portfolio conservation and asked whether neighboring counties (Garfield, Eagle) might contribute. Several commissioners characterized buy-downs as efficient compared with new construction for immediately creating permanently affordable units.

Outcome and next steps

The board directed staff to produce a draft resolution for the upcoming regular meeting that would allocate $1,000,000 from the property tax partnership line to the West Mountain Regional Housing Coalition’s Good Deeds program for 2025 and requested that staff include a recommendation to consider an additional $1,000,000 allocation in 2026 budget discussions. Commissioners asked staff and coalition leaders to return with market-sizing data, cost-per-bedroom analysis, and plans for regional fundraising and partnership to scale the program.

Why it matters

The Good Deeds program is a demand-side, conservation-oriented tool to increase permanently affordable homeownership in a market where median prices have outpaced local incomes. By purchasing properties in the active market and placing long-term deed restrictions, the program aims to preserve housing for working locals and limit investor capture of housing stock.

What staff will return with

- Draft resolution and proposed agreement language for board consideration at a regular meeting.
- Market analysis estimating the annual pool of candidate homes and projected buy-down capacity for $1M and $2M annual funding levels.
- Clarification of how the county’s property-tax partnership line pays into the program and whether funds are one-time or recurring.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","BOCC Work Session (1st and 3rd Tuesdays) - 04/08/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Pitkin County commissioners heard an April 8 presentation from the West Mountain Regional Housing Coalition on its Good Deeds buy-down program and directed staff to draft a resolution to allocate $1,000,000 from the county’s new housing property-tax partnership funds for 2025, with consideration of another $1,000,000 in 2026 budget discussions.","taxTitle","Pitkin County, Colorado","taxId",27807,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6610802,"Pitkin County commissioners weigh reopening environmental review of 'Entrance to Aspen' plan",3379,186000,3565000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2901428-53925f0f5666331bd6d8a6125ba48553&start=186&end=3565","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2901428-53925f0f5666331bd6d8a6125ba48553/thumbnail_186000.jpg","/articles/6610802/Pitkin-County/Colorado/Pitkin-County-commissioners-weigh-reopening-environmental-review-of-Entrance-to-Aspen-plan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6610802-5df9c9619b5acfa3a65f027a12d1f7fd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771218639&Signature=dsnvNLFdi0HigqH-LOpVfmTQdTkYmxQoOpPeA2sOmD1WdiVl~JlMHqbNik3I2vLHNJjLJkmg8iEPoOIzJeJArabf9WVboPMT9ozQOB4dsHYgh1yT7dr2NTzqCJ6EEuaQu-R-S4MaqeIQ3UgnHTfCM4Gc0OmLuw6atGxJMln6iJQPKPnCSvqr3OCJ9UMludhUHD0YvA6-cBUJEoFZa-r-v~WanaT9TBcxxF9Wi0Hb1ZJJJzC1q7-z8RuU4h~uf5dG9U2loX2XRKzcy9MyhSfsS7iRtBzCflOKlGWy1TlMuBe15rWPDfxs5VDPEAL8Vh40WHYMPGJp13losUTrwr-RAw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Pitkin County Board of County Commissioners on April 8 heard a staff presentation on the long-running Entrance to Aspen environmental process and signaled support — with conditions and dissent — for beginning a formal reevaluation of the 1998 Record of Decision (ROD) rather than immediately asking federal and state agencies to reopen the full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

The presentation by county staff framed three options for the board: do nothing (take no position), support a reevaluation of the existing ROD and refinements to the preferred alternative, or formally ask the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to reopen the EIS and start a full new environmental process. County staff emphasized that CDOT and FHWA hold the ultimate authority to reopen the ROD.

The draft ROD and preferred alternative discussed at the meeting are the outcome of an EIS process completed in the late 1990s and reevaluated in 2007. County engineer Andrew Knapp and Public Works Director Brian Pettit reviewed project history and what remains unbuilt: a proposed alignment across the Maroon/Meadow open space that would include a cut-and-cover tunnel, a new four-lane bridge over Castle Creek and a signalized connection at Seventh Street, and the elimination of a link from Cemetery Lane to the roundabout. The preferred approach is phased: one general-purpose lane and a dedicated bus lane in each direction initially (four lanes total), with potential future light rail.

Knapp cautioned that the outcome of any new environmental process is unknown: “No one knows what the outcome of a new environmental process would be,” he said, noting that FHWA and CDOT would only reopen a ROD for reasons beyond merely disagreeing with the earlier choice — for example, substantial changes to background conditions, projections, or assumptions.

Board discussion split along three lines. One group favored moving the reevaluation forward, both to confirm whether the 1998/2007 assumptions remain valid and to permit limited design refinements; Commissioner Jeffrey Woodruff said he was “comfortable with number 2” (the reevaluation) and “comfortable with minor design tweaks.” Another group — led by Commissioner Patty (surname not specified in the transcript) — urged caution and preferred to wait for a formal position from the City of Aspen, arguing the city’s decision should inform the county’s posture. A third group expressed openness to a full new EIS if the reevaluation concludes the original assumptions are invalid.

Commissioners asked staff to return with more detail on costs and roles. Several board members pressed staff about traffic data and whether the original person-trip or vehicle-trip assumptions still measure the problem in the places where congestion now occurs. County staff said new vehicle-count infrastructure — including a recent rollout of video-based automatic counters at multiple valley locations — will provide a more complete picture of origins, destinations and vehicle classifications.

The presentation also reviewed community goals that guided the original EIS screening (community-based planning, transportation capacity, safety, environmental protection, financial feasibility, Clean Air Act requirements, emergency access, livability, and phasing). Pettit noted many items from the ROD have been implemented already — including Maroon Creek bridge improvements, dedicated bus lanes and a roundabout — but the open-space crossing remains undone.

Outcome and next steps

The board directed staff to draft an informal resolution that would authorize the county to pursue a reevaluation of the 1998 Record of Decision and to return with clarifying information on costs, the county’s role in an FHWA/CDOT-led process, and potential design tweaks that would be allowable under a reevaluation. The chair and staff said the draft resolution would be presented for consideration at a regular April meeting; staff also noted the City of Aspen will hold discussion on the subject in June and that the county could choose to time its public position accordingly.

Commissioners were explicit that support for a reevaluation is not necessarily support for every element of the original preferred alternative: several members sought language preserving the board’s right to press for wildlife, wildfire egress, transit performance and small-town character considerations.

Why it matters

The Entrance to Aspen project affects a key state highway corridor (Highway 82) and connects to emergency egress, regional transit planning and open-space protections. Any change to the ROD or a full new EIS would require coordination with FHWA and CDOT and could change the project’s geographic scope, schedule and cost. County staff emphasized the limits of local authority — FHWA and CDOT must agree to reopen the ROD — and said a reevaluation would be required before implementation of remaining ROD elements because the last reevaluation occurred in 2007.

What staff will return with

- A draft informal resolution for the board’s regular April meeting.
- More detail on the likely cost and staffing implications of a reevaluation versus a full new EIS.
- Clarification of the county’s role and potential legal/financial responsibilities if the county supports reevaluation or requests the ROD be reopened.
- Updated traffic-count data and preliminary analysis of whether new counts suggest a different scope or new purpose-and-need definitions.

Local officials and staff at the meeting repeatedly reminded commissioners that CDOT and FHWA retain decision authority on federal NEPA processes; the county’s role is advisory and supportive.

","Pitkin County Board of County Commissioners on April 8 heard a staff presentation on the Entrance to Aspen Environmental Impact Statement and signaled support — with conditions and dissent — for beginning a formal reevaluation of the 1998 Record of Decision rather than immediately asking FHWA and CDOT to reopen a full new EIS.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Pitkin County to consider $1 million for West Mountain Regional Housing Coalition 'Good Deeds' buy-down program

Pitkin County commissioners weigh reopening environmental review of 'Entrance to Aspen' plan