Colorado Mountain College outlines housing plan and Dutch Henry lift proposal tied to trails and grooming partnership

Colorado Mountain College told commissioners Tuesday it has planning work underway to make student and workforce housing near the Leadville campus shovel‑ready and described a multi‑phase proposal to modernize the Dutch Henry ski/tubing area that could expand beginner access and formalize trail‑grooming collaboration with the county.

College speakers said preliminary engineering and site work supports two 36‑unit housing buildings on a parcel above the campus where earlier housing once stood. The college and county have completed infrastructure studies, and CMC said sewers and water are adequate for development; the campus has committed initial planning dollars and wants to have shovel‑ready designs so it can pursue grants and bond options when funding windows open.

Why it matters: CMC argued that affordable local housing is central to its workforce-development mission because many students are also local employees. The college said student‑housing projects are also workforce housing and would support long‑term workforce stability for county employers.

Financing and next steps: CMC said the full construction cost for two 36‑unit buildings was estimated in earlier planning at roughly $11–14 million (presentations noted the figure had risen since initial estimates). The college proposed being “shovel ready” for state or federal grant rounds and said it may propose a districtwide mill levy or bond to fund trades and housing across CMC’s multiple campuses; CMC staff said they plan polling and outreach before any ballot initiative.

Dutch Henry and recreation: The college described a working-group plan (with partners including Cloud City Mountain Sports and county recreation interests) that would first relocate a donor lift to Dutch Henry and later create a gentler beginner area and a formalized tubing operation with a surface lift or magic carpet. The college said phase‑1 (a relocated lift) could be completed quickly if partners agree; later phases would require additional permitting, land‑use coordination, creek culverting work and potential land transfers or lease clarifications.

Trails, grooming and safety: CMC said it has trained student groomers, supplies specialized grooming equipment and currently maintains parts of the Mineral Belt and other campus‑adjacent trails. The college said some trail segments — bridges and narrow, wind‑exposed stretches — require different machinery and experience and that grooming in those areas should be done selectively. CMC asked the county to coordinate burn‑pile mitigation and to maintain joint wildfire‑mitigation planning.

Community access and liability: CMC explained the difference between private club operations and an open public resort: club and institutional groups can use some facilities under institution insurance; opening lifts or tubing to wider public use would require careful insurance, signage and adherence to Colorado ski/safety laws. The college said it would prefer to keep Dutch Henry community-oriented and affordable rather than turn it into a tourist destination.

Ending: College staff asked the county to continue collaborating on housing, grooming, wildfire mitigation and potential Dutch Henry land‑use work. They said they would provide follow‑up materials and invited commissioners to on‑site tours.