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Planning department outlines modest 2026 budget; parking study and Thompson House maintenance highlighted
Summary
The planning department presented a compact 2026 budget that emphasizes a parking study (phase 1), historic design-guidelines work and continued maintenance of Thompson House; staff noted an unfilled position that may be held as contract hours depending on workload and space availability.
The Town of Carbondale planning department presented a streamlined 2026 budget to trustees that prioritizes a scoping and planning phase for a parking study, design-guidelines work for Old Town residential areas, and maintenance of the Thompson House.
Jared, the planning presenter, described multiple ways the town could approach a parking study: a “quick and dirty” update to parking ratios based on industry norms, or a two‑phase process that first gathers community goals about parking and then conducts technical parking‑use analysis to derive locally appropriate ratios. “The initial scope is honestly a spaghetti on the wall number,” Jared said, and staff proposed a scope that could include community engagement and a technical second phase, depending on trustee direction.
Jared also flagged a budget line for land-use code consulting and an Old Town Residential Design Guidelines grant. He told trustees the planning department is monitoring a DOLA (state) housing grant that could help identify code barriers to affordable housing; Jared said staff may seek an extension on that grant to complete the work.
The department is budgeting for maintenance of the Thompson House, including refurbishing an enclosed patio, painting, window and wood‑trim repairs, and an accessible path. Jared said historic‑preservation volunteers and the Historic Preservation Commission helped scope maintenance needs.
Trustees asked about an unfilled position in planning. Jared and town manager Ryan explained the town is evaluating whether to fill the slot as full‑time staff or use contract/consultant hours, given uncertainty about near‑term workload and building‑space availability. Ryan said space constraints in the municipal building (recently reallocated to meet other departmental staffing needs) factor into the decision.
Trustees and staff discussed how parking ratios and town-center expectations could affect future town-center and housing projects; staff said code work and consultant support could be shaped by those policy choices. Trustees asked staff to continue scoping the parking study, communicate with DOLA on the affordable-housing code grant timeline, and return with costed options.
Ending
Staff will return with a scoped, costed parking‑study proposal and a recommendation on whether to fill the open planning position as a hire or contract hours.
