San Miguel County commissioners heard a broad affordable-housing update June 25 that outlined progress on site-specific projects, the county’s Prop 1-2-3 commitment, and a countywide land‑use code audit to be led by consultant Logan Simpson.

Drea Bridal, the county’s housing specialist, told commissioners the county was awarded a Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) Local Planning Capacity Grant in January 2025 that funded her position and the county’s hiring of a consultant to evaluate the land‑use code. “I will be presenting the San Miguel County affordable housing update. I'll be sharing these monthly updates moving forward to keep things on track,” Bridal said.

The update covered four projects at varying stages: Ilium, Deer Creek (a proposed CDOT partnership), Pathfinder, and a smaller Ilium site design. For the Ilium site the county has contracted with KEO Studio Works to design five on‑call affordable units; Bridal said the team expects to complete construction documents and permit submission in late fall 2025 and is “hoping for the best” on a spring 2026 groundbreaking if design approvals and bidding proceed on schedule. A commissioner asked for a clear target; Jared (county staff) and Bridal agreed on a goal of breaking ground in April–May 2026 while noting permitting, design-review boards and PUD/lot‑line procedures could alter that timeline.

On the Deer Creek site, Bridal said the county is negotiating a workforce housing planning agreement with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). The current concept aims for roughly 30–35 units overall, with CDOT requesting 3–5 units for staff housing; the draft planning agreement is with CDOT’s controller for review and currently proposes a term not to exceed Dec. 31, 2026. Bridal said the county and CDOT are discussing modular construction, phasing and an operations agreement to relocate CDOT maintenance assets onto the county parcel before housing construction begins.

The Pathfinder site remains contingent on water: Bridal said the proposal is for a 73‑unit site but that number excludes a possible 12‑unit pod if the Forest Service land trade proceeds. She reported negotiations with the San Bernardo HOA over access and well‑testing costs and that RightWater Engineers are under contract to run well and wastewater feasibility and cost estimates. “We’re still on track to be able to move on this summer with the well testing,” Jared said.

Bridal reviewed the county’s Prop 1-2-3 commitment: San Miguel County has pledged 11 units and must file its commitment by Dec. 31, 2026. She summarized eligibility rules used by state program administrators: rental units generally count at or below 60% area median income (AMI) (adjusted ranges apply for rural and resort jurisdictions), while for‑sale units count at higher AMI thresholds under the program rules. Bridal added the county will complete a code audit with Logan Simpson before drafting a housing action plan required under state law (Senate Bill 24‑174) and set an adoption target of Jan. 1, 2028 for the action plan.

County planning staff described the Logan Simpson contract and work plan for a land‑use code audit and community engagement. The four‑step consultant schedule includes: project orientation and foundation, issue identification and analysis with focused outreach, code‑audit reporting and draft code amendments, and a final public‑review phase with planning‑commission and BOCC hearings. Staff said the effort will run roughly 15–18 months and emphasized that advisory‑group membership, focus groups, and a community engagement plan will be developed this summer and fall.

Commissioners asked for milestone timelines for each project; several asked that next month’s update include Gantt‑style milestone slides (design, permitting, bid, construction) to set and track goals. Commissioners and staff also discussed coordination with neighboring towns (Telluride, Mountain Village) on Prop 1-2-3 unit counts and opportunities to use existing infrastructure to accelerate projects.

Ending: Staff will return with monthly housing updates, a community engagement plan for the Logan Simpson code audit, and a timeline slide for each major project at the next regular monthly update.