Brown Ranch is a self-fulfilling prophecy — the only way we need it is if we build it.

In 2007-08, I voted for Steamboat 700, the current Brown Ranch property. The developer was proactive and fiscally responsible for most of the infrastructure costs, including water, roads, trails and parks. The developer was working on this after the great financial crisis. It took vision and fortitude to look through the bottom of the market and know that when he was ready to deliver housing, the market would have turned up, a double positive sword.

We are currently at the top of the market, and we have no vision into the future. The reality of the current deal is the existing citizens of Steamboat will have a massive financial responsibility, with over a $200 million commitment by the city, over the project life. The current agreement is full of unknowns and the city is paying for things we don’t need, handing the developer a huge gift.

YVHA would have us believe this is a nonprofit endeavor, but the reality is their partner, Michaels Organization, is the biggest builder and owner of affordable housing in the U.S. They own 381 properties with over 47,000 units and had over $2 billion in revenue in 2023. They are the biggest contributor of the 2i and House Our Community Movements. They are the biggest contributor of the 2i and House Our Community Movements. They are a Denver-sized developer, they are not right for Steamboat, and they are not our friends.

With the delivery of Mid Valley, an affordable housing development, we will have 15% ratio of affordable housing units, well ahead of the national average. Great societies are also judged on fiscal responsibility, and the ability to save and spend responsibly. 

Imagine the regret you will have, after voting for this, as you explain to your kids that the city doesn’t have any funds for more parks, or to maintain the ones they have, or another sheet of ice, or any other capital improvements, all as you wait in traffic coming from the airport.

Even the least ideal living conditions in Steamboat are still far better than the best in other parts of the country, and that’s why it’s such a great place to live. It’s awesome to be for affordable housing, and it’s fiscally responsible and good to protect Steamboat. That’s why I voted no for Brown Ranch.

David Barnes
Steamboat Springs