Steamboat council splits on path forward for Brown Ranch; staff told to clarify governance and scenario work

Councilors spent more than two hours on Jan. 20 debating how the city should move forward with the Brown Ranch Community Solutions Project, a multi-phase effort to rebuild community trust and revise plans after a failed annexation vote.

Brad Calbert, the city'hired project lead, walked council through a proposed Phase 2 scope that would continue civic deliberation work begun last year and establish a "deliberation and stewardship team" (DST) to help design next steps. The consultant-led scope includes online deliberation tools and outreach exercises paid for in part by a grant from the Belonging Colorado / Denver Foundation cohort.

Some councilors and audience members pressed for a different emphasis: instead of more process and a DST recapitulation of earlier criticism, they want a smaller, technical scenario analysis that produces tangible plan options (several speakers suggested 100'00'to'400-unit scaled concepts) the public can react to. "I have a hard time investing more time in the community builders' Phase 2," one councilor said, arguing residents want concrete proposals to review rather than another round of deliberation.

Others defended the consultant-assisted deliberation. Supporters said the first-phase DST produced important, diverse input that deserves methodical follow-up and that skipping governance and trust-building risks repeating the earlier contentious process. "We do need to make sure our governance is right," the city manager told council, urging a deliberative table that can make durable recommendations and coordinate with the county and Yampa Valley Housing Authority.

Public commenters were split. Several longtime residents and DST members urged a smaller, faster path to a new plan and recommended that the housing authority and city collaboratively scope technical scenarios and a smaller annexation ("partial annexation" of 40''60 acres) to test feasibility. Others urged keeping civic deliberation and improved public participation so the next proposal is not perceived as a rerun of the prior process.

Staff response and next steps: After discussion the council gave staff two clear directions: (1) move the governance work forward quickly (staff may use existing consultant contract funds to stand up a governance group) and (2) return with a revised scope that clarifies whether and how technical scenario planning (tangible plan options) can be pursued in parallel, and what additional funding, timeline and deliverables that would require. Staff said Belonging Colorado funds will arrive later in January and that any expanded scenario work will likely require additional resources.

Why it matters: Brown Ranch remains the city's largest, most divisive potential housing opportunity. Councilors framed the choice as one between continuing a structured civic process to bridge division, and pivoting to produce immediate, technical plan options that could be presented to voters or the public for more rapid feedback. The balance they strike will shape both public trust and the timing of any future development on YVHA-owned land.

What council asked staff to return with: a narrower recommendation on governance composition and operating rules; a proposal and budget for targeted scenario planning (including a proposed list of sites and development envelopes to be tested); and a public-engagement plan that lays out how DST input and broader community feedback will be reconciled.

Quote: Brad Calbert said the next phase "is designed to continue the community dialogue initiated in previous phases and to make additional progress toward identifying solutions that could inform a new community-supported plan for Brown Ranch."