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Mountain Village outlines revised 49‑unit Ilium townhome plan; CDOT says highway fixes not funded until 2031
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Summary
Town of Mountain Village pitched a revised, modular 49‑unit deed‑restricted townhome plan in the Ilium Valley that narrows the subsidy gap but faces a major hurdle: CDOT has $6.3M programmed for Highway 145 improvements in the 10‑year plan, with construction unlikely before 2031–33 without earlier funding or phasing.
Mountain Village officials presented a new iteration of a proposed deed‑restricted housing project on county‑owned Ilium Valley land at the San Miguel County commissioners’ April 29 meeting, pitching a switch from an earlier 80‑unit rental concept to 49 factory‑built duplex/triplex townhomes intended to lower per‑unit subsidies and create ownership opportunities for area workers.
Drew Nelson, who outlined the revised plan, said the town’s earlier 80‑unit rental concept produced an “approx… estimate… about $60,000,000 in cost,” leaving a substantial funding gap. He described the new approach as a modular townhome design (duplexes and triplexes with tuck‑under garages) that could be built from regional factory suppliers to reduce transportation costs and lower the per‑unit subsidy to an estimated ~$340,000 after accounting for land value and other offsets.
Town representatives emphasized the site constraints — floodplain edges along the San Miguel River, steep slopes and the need to coordinate sewer/water with the IPOA parcel — and said the town has secured up to 100 water/sewer hookups through memoranda of understanding but still faces infrastructure costs for intersection and roadway improvements.
CDOT staff said the main external obstacle is the Highway 145 intersection project that would improve ingress/egress to Ilium Valley. Tim Funk of CDOT told the board the department has about $6.3 million for the Highway 145 project in its draft 10‑year plan but that funding would not be available until about 2031 (with possible construction later), and that an access‑permit application and traffic impact study are required to determine exact mitigation needs. Funk said coordination could allow phasing or crediting if CDOT’s planned work matches the improvements the development triggers.
Commissioners and staff discussed next steps: the town and county agreed starting an access‑permit application and pre‑application discussions with CDOT would be a logical next step so traffic and safety thresholds can be determined. County planning staff indicated code amendments (for example, allowing the Mountain Village Housing Authority to be an eligible developer and clarifying CH‑zone provisions) could help the project’s feasibility and speed, and commissioners asked staff to prioritize narrow code fixes where appropriate.
Town staff also asked whether deed restrictions could include price‑appreciation caps; county planning and legal staff said project‑specific deed restrictions are possible but that the county would want to review and approve any restrictions that apply to county land.
Next steps: the town will complete a refined scope and submit materials to start CDOT’s access‑permit process; county staff will examine traffic studies already done for the industrial park and pursue code amendments to enable local housing authorities/developer qualifications as requested.
