Nonprofit Places to Age asks Chaffee County for up to $75,000 and fee waivers to advance senior housing project

Places to Age, a nonprofit proposing a senior living facility near SR 120/140, asked the Chaffee County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 12 for a county funding infusion of roughly $75,000, fee waivers and a memorandum of understanding to help complete architecture and engineering work in 2026 and keep the project on a 2027 construction schedule.

The request matters because commissioners said county backing and an MOU would strengthen Places to Age’s conversations with capital funders and could reduce the amount the nonprofit must borrow. The presenter said reducing upfront fees will lower the rates the project must charge residents and improve affordability.

At the meeting the presenter (identified in the record as a Places to Age representative) said the organization has raised grants and donations, completed a phase I EPA study and assembled an operations and development team. “We are asking for a partnership with the county and a financial infusion for 2026 to move the critical project forward,” the presenter said. The group is proposing 56 units — including independent living, assisted living and 10 memory-care units — plus shared dining, multipurpose space and on-site clinical support.

Commissioners and staff asked clarification questions but took no formal vote. Commissioner comments in the meeting said the board supports the proposal in principle and would consider fee waivers and advocacy at state and federal levels. A commissioner noted the county’s 2026 budget process had not yet closed and that any county commitment would need to be evaluated against other demands.

Places to Age provided a preliminary budget showing a 2026 development spending target of approximately $300,000 and reported a current $114,000 gap in its 2026 pro forma. The presenter said donations and a land donation from a private donor reduced capital needs but that fee waivers (estimated by the presenter at roughly $175,000 across 2026–2027) would materially reduce financing costs. “The less we have to finance, the better the rates we can offer to residents,” the presenter said.

Commissioners asked operational questions about capacity and scalability. The presenter said the design is intended to be financially sustainable as built and to allow later expansion if demand increases. The group said projected stabilized revenue would be about $4.8–5.0 million annually with operating expenses near $4.0–4.8 million, but she offered those operational pro forma numbers as estimates to be provided in the next submission.

The board did not take action that day; staff and commissioners said they would take the request into the budget review process, consider an MOU and explore permit-fee waiver options as projects reach permit submittal. Commissioners also said they would help promote the project to state and federal funders. The presenter said she would return with detailed pro forma and follow-up material when available.

Places to Age identified itself as a 501(c)(3) and said it has an MOU with the city of Salida and had raised grants and community donations to date.