Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Employee Housing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District outlines employee-housing plan with 21 units and garages; permitting and utilities still pending
Summary
Facilities manager Pascale Genesta presented a staff employee-housing plan calling for 21 modular residences with garages, ongoing permitting with the county building department, and coordination with Steamboat metro for water and sewer; staff said a spring construction start remains the target.
Pascale Genesta, the district's facilities manager, presented the current employee-housing site plan and timeline during the Steamboat Springs School Board meeting on Dec. 8. Genesta said the district issued an RFP in mid-summer and selected Rural Homes to develop the site; the plan has evolved from earlier renderings and now shows 21 residences with garages.
Genesta told the board that the preliminary site and construction drawings are with the county building department and that staff have formally requested water and sewer service from the Steamboat metro. "This this 1 here actually shows 22, residences with no garage... we're working on 21 residences and garages for each," Genesta said, noting iterations to balance affordability, design and neighborhood character.
Key details: Genesta said staff ran a districtwide employee survey that supported providing garages; the team adjusted the plan to include more off-street parking and to balance unit count against cost. She described the project as modular construction to keep costs lower: units are constructed off-site, then craned into place and share common foundations and walls to reduce per-unit costs. Genesta said the target start date remains in spring, pending county plan review, tap and sewer approvals and coordination with the planning department.
Board members raised neighborhood-design and streetscape questions and asked about an executive committee or further vetting before finalization. Laura Craig asked whether the plans were "set in stone"; Genesta replied the count (21 units) and garages are fixed at this stage but orientation and site details can still be adjusted. The board asked staff to notify members when a community meeting is scheduled; Genesta and Superintendent Celine Wicks said an invite will be circulated.
Why it matters: The district's employee-housing project is intended to address staff affordability and retention by providing locally sited housing options. The size, unit mix and siting decisions will affect neighborhood character, parking, snow removal and long-term operating costs. Pending permits and utility agreements mean the schedule remains contingent on external approvals.
Next steps: Staff will continue design iterations, hold a community meeting and proceed with county permitting and utility agreements. Board members indicated appetite for design refinement and public engagement ahead of any final commitment.
