Pitkin County OKs self-funded restoration of historic Glacier House, asks staff to study adding affordable unit

Pitkin County commissioners and the Open Space and Trails (OST) board gave consensus March 4 for the county to move forward with a full, self-funded restoration of the historic Glacier House on Hooksboro Road, and asked staff to study adding an affordable housing unit to a proposed new non‑historic barn on the property.

The action follows OST staff saying the county budgeted money for the restoration in 2025 after a second application for a state historic grant was unsuccessful. “We applied for the second time for the State Historic Grant, and we did not get that,” said Gary Tenenbaum, Open Space and Trails director. Tenenbaum and staff argued the house is deteriorating and should be stabilized and restored before construction costs rise further.

The county acquired the Glacier property with help from Eagle County in the mid‑2010s and holds conservation easements on both parcels. Paul Fulsinger, the county’s conservation easement and agriculture manager, said the easements limit residential square footage but that the county had preserved existing square footage and reserved about 2,000 square feet of additional residential allowance for future use.

OST staff described a restoration plan that would remove poor‑foundation later additions and replace them with higher‑quality construction, consolidate square footage, and add a small auxiliary room intended to serve as a lock‑off bedroom for seasonal staff. “The house is starting to fall down,” Tenenbaum told the boards, arguing that doing the full restoration now is more efficient than continuing to seek uncertain grant money.

In addition to the main restoration, staff proposed replacing a deteriorating non‑historic metal garage with a new barn‑style workshop (referred to in the meeting as a “barndominium”) that could include an affordable housing unit. Staff sought but did not ask for immediate approval to build that unit; rather, commissioners and the OST board were asked to authorize further study of feasibility and configuration, including utility (well and septic) and land‑use questions because the property falls under Eagle County’s land‑use code.

OST board members and commissioners voiced support for the restoration and the concept of exploring an affordable unit. Howie, speaking for the OST board, summarized the board’s direction: the board had consensus to self‑fund the Glacier House renovation including the proposed assembly room addition and to pursue further study of an affordable housing unit in a new barn structure. Commissioners raised implementation questions (foundations, sequencing, relationship to the barn restoration) and asked staff to return with permit‑level drawings, cost estimates and a recommended configuration for the potential living unit.

Estimated costs discussed on March 4 placed the county’s share of the immediate renovation phase near $1.3 million, with Eagle County expected to contribute at least $350,000; staff reported a total project cost in the neighborhood of $1.65 million. Staff said the restoration and barn studies will be brought back for appropriation and formal budget approval at a later date.

Why it matters: the Glacier property combines historic structures, active agricultural leases and public trail access. Staff said restoring the house would preserve historic fabric while providing housing for seasonal agricultural workers and staff who manage the leased operations, improving long‑term stewardship of the property.

What’s next: staff will complete permit‑level drawings, pursue remaining grant opportunities for ancillary historic structures (notably the historic barn), and return with a recommendation and budget request for the restoration and a separate recommendation regarding configuration, size and cost for an affordable housing unit attached to a new barn structure.

Quotes in this article come from speakers at the March 4 joint OST board / Pitkin County BOCC work session, as recorded in the meeting transcript.