The Routt County Planning Commission on June 5 approved a conditional use permit for a bed-and-breakfast at 2125 Highway 131, near the McCoy area, allowing the family owners to rent two guest rooms in a three-bedroom home with conditions set by planning staff and environmental health.

The permit was requested after county staff discovered the property advertised as a short-term rental; staff said the applicants had obtained required permits and met the Unified Development Code (UDC) standards for an owner-hosted bed-and-breakfast.

Michael, Routt County planning staff, told commissioners the property is about 40 acres with the house roughly 400 feet from Highway 131 and the nearest neighbor about 800 feet away. He said the site shares operations with McCoy Tree Farm and that applicants had secured a commercial well permit and an on-site manager as required by the UDC. "They have jumped through all those hoops and satisfied all of those requirements and did get that well permit," Michael said.

Applicants Victor Gilmanoe, the property owner, and Tess Hawkins, representing the Gilmanoe family, told the commission the house has three bedrooms and that two rooms would be rented to guests. They estimated about two to four reservations per month during slower months (January–May) and about five to 10 reservations per month in busier months (June–December). They said typical guests include couples and hunters seeking a peaceful stay.

A planning-staff condition recommended by environmental health requires the applicants to include a statement in their advertisements and literature that food is prepared in a kitchen that is not inspected by the county. Michael explained this stems from the county's interpretation of food-service rules for owner-occupied, owner-hosted uses: "Because this is an owner occupied, owner hosted use, they are actually exempt from some of those rules. They don't have to have a commercial kitchen, for example."

Commissioners noted a numbering error in the staff report's conditions (duplicated numbering in the packet) and staff clarified they would correct the numbering in the final version so approved conditions match the packet.

A motion to approve PL20250024, with the general and specific conditions included in the staff report, passed by voice vote; the chair said the motion carried and the conditional use permit was approved.

Next steps: staff said they would email the applicants outlining administrative follow-up required to complete the permit process.