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Carbondale trustees promise immediate $10,000 and conditional $500,000 support for Cavern Springs mobile‑home park purchase
Summary
After hearing a fundraising update from park organizers, the Carbondale Board of Trustees approved $10,000 for legal/technical help and passed a 6–1 letter‑of‑intent committing up to $500,000 if the park secures the remaining funding needed to preserve the 92‑lot Cavern Springs mobile‑home park.
The Carbondale Board of Trustees voted on Dec. 9 to provide immediate technical assistance and a conditional financial commitment to a local effort to preserve Cavern Springs mobile home park.
Town Manager Ryan summarized the request: organizers of Cavern Springs—who have formed the Sopris Mountain Collective—asked the town for a $250,000 commitment toward a purchase and an immediate $10,000 to cover legal and administrative work. Ryan said organizers estimate the total cost to secure and preserve the park at about $11 million and that the park contains 92 lots on County Road 154, roughly midway between Carbondale and Glenwood Springs.
Monica Muniz, representing the park effort, told trustees the fundraiser had reached $11,423 at the time of the meeting and asked the board to consider the $250,000 commitment and the immediate $10,000 legal support. "We would love to be able to get that first million to get to where we need to go to build some momentum," Muniz said.
Trustees debated regional responsibilities and the town’s limited resources but expressed strong support for preserving existing affordable units. Trustee Jess moved to release $10,000 from this year’s housing fund immediately for technical assistance; the motion (mover: Jess; second: Chris) passed unanimously. Later, Trustee Chris moved and Trustee Christina seconded a motion to provide a letter of intent committing up to $500,000 toward purchase if the group secures the remaining funding and closes; that contingent letter passed 6–1.
What the motions mean: The $10,000 is an immediate appropriation for legal or administrative assistance to help the organizers pursue grants and close funding gaps. The $500,000 commitment is a conditional letter of intent—not an immediate cash transfer—and would only be released if the collective secures the rest of the financing and completes a purchase.
Organizers reported several new donations during the meeting: $52,000 from the Colorado Health Foundation and $10,000 from Mountain Voices Project; Aspen Community Foundation is serving as fiscal agent and organizers set up an online donation mechanism.
Next steps: Staff will prepare the formal letter of intent language and a consent-item packet for a future meeting documenting contingencies and conditions for any release of funds. Organizers will continue fundraising and grant applications; trustees indicated willingness to increase the town’s commitment if organizers approach a close of financing.
