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The Craig City Council, in reaction to a council from the Craig Housing Authority, has begun conversations about potential choice locations for an originally planned employee housing subdivision in the Woodbury area.
The move follows deliberations at a Housing Authority meeting held last month and at a City Council meeting on April 9, where council and city members debated the desire to broaden the search for suitable sites and explored the implications of potential choice sites.
Councilmember Luke Tucker, who advocates for a reevaluation of the Woodbury Park domain as a possible site, noted that the newly acquired land at the southeast end of Woodbury Park is not finished for recreational use. He expresses fear that this land will be diverted from its unfinished use. , Tucker questioned the city’s role in the move forward and suggested reconsidering the project’s location.
In response, Council Member Randy Looper shared his confidence that the city is as invested with progress as it is with “encouraging” new progress.
He also highlighted the pressing need for more housing, raising conversations with key stakeholders in the network that highlighted the negative effect of the housing shortage on essential facilities such as physical care and education. Looper under pressure the importance of addressing the housing crisis to retain and attract skills that are critical to the city’s expansion and sustainability.
“There’s no position to live in,” Looper said. Or if that’s the case, do you need to live in one of those options rather than a halfway decent position?”
Council member Jesse Jackson observed that the progression of newer, nicer apartments can simply “incentivize other buildings to renovate their homes” in an effort to remain competitive.
Tucker also raised concerns about the demographic makeup of potential new home occupants, warning that Americans from nearby spaces like Steamboat Springs should be disproportionately housed.
“How many houses are going to stay for Craig’s? I’m afraid we’re going to fill them with 90% Steamboat and 10% Craig. So we’re solving the Steamboat problem.
Jackson replied that he himself worked at Steamboat, one of approximately 3,000 Moffat County citizens who commuted to Steamboat daily for work.
Craig Mayor Chris Nichols is under pressure that regardless of where the occupiers work, founding new citizens in Craig would provide an economic boost to the city.
“I don’t care if those other people paint at Steamboat, they’ll keep buying, they’ll keep buying gas, they’ll keep going to local restaurants,” Nichols said, adding that “this paint network wants to grow. Either that or we’re going to die.
Amid discussions about the viability of the chosen sites (adding stormwater infrastructure considerations and network feedback), council members expressed differing perspectives on the urgency of moving the proposed development. While some, like Tucker, advocated for a complete overhaul of the additional sites that would have to be had to ensure optimal selection for the network, others, like Looper, emphasized the importance of acting at the right time to alleviate the housing crisis.
“Most of the people I’ve talked to have been positive about the original site, with the exception of Woodbury residents,” Lover said, emphasizing that if moving to a new site resulted in a significant delay in construction, the city would “win. “”We won’t extend the order until 2029 and after that it will be too late. “
Council member Derek Duran also expressed the need for housing and said he was an advocate for building new housing when he was on the council. He said that while he was willing to choose locations, time is of the essence.
“The council beyond and this council have a vision,” Duran said. “We know what lies ahead and are looking to do what we can to solve this challenge and find a solution. “
Despite differing opinions on the ideal location, Economic Development Director Shannon Scott provided an update on the city’s progress in locating choice sites, adding accomplishments to homeowners’ assets and comparing possible sites known in previous housing desire assessments.
In response to considerations raised through citizen public comment, Nichols reiterated the council’s commitment to comparing all viable features in the most feasible and logical manner. He pressed the council’s duty to foster sustainable expansion and update lost jobs, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing collective well-being. Be part of the network above individual preferences.
Nichols closed the assembly with a warning, related to a persistent challenge to the structure of the progression that he said was “sticking to his throat. “He began his speech by noting that he had spent a lot of time listening to the considerations of citizens and council members. He said that while many of the considerations were well-founded, he recalled a verbal exchange with a protester at the Woodbury site who said citizens didn’t need “those people” in the neighborhood.
“I moved here in 1984 and I was one of those other people,” Nichols said, addressing the audience. “I lived in the mall apartments for two years. I was one of “the” other people, and my circle of relatives were “the” others. Our city manager has been one of “the” others for the past five years.
Nichols has promised that when it comes time to vote on the potential location of the subdivision, he won’t be swayed by considerations about the quality of the other people living in the units.
“I will personally weigh the interests based on the long-term interests of the network itself,” he said before avoiding the classic “postponed meeting” in favor of an obviously frustrated “it’s over. “
“Not all apartments are bad, and that’s what other people say by discouraging it,” Jackson said on the original site.
He added: “It’s an apartment building, I need it to remain beautiful. I’m afraid our fleet will get worse because we won’t have cash in ten years. So I’d like to do anything to inspire him. “
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