Letter: Will Steamboat commit to affordable housing?
A lot of people say, “We support affordable housing,” but it’s glaringly obvious that people really don’t support it becoming a reality. Case in point: new luxury condo building? Done. More new luxury home permits? Done. Vote on affordable housing? Nah.
Maybe I’m uneducated locally, but what about Milner? What about all of the unused or underutilized land along U.S. Highway 40 west? There are so many possibilities but no one wants to really commit.
It’s either a big messy bureaucratic concept from our California residents or it’s nothing. Who has the big new Walmart and Target? Not Steamboat. Who has the local non-tourist/retail/restaurant jobs? Not Steamboat.
If all we have to offer is snow, then Steamboat will remain a highly exclusive, very expensive, confusing, and undesirable little town. Then again, maybe that’s the whole point. Same goes for the old theater. Owners want others to foot the bill. The city should just buy it, clean it up and schedule some shows.
It’s really not that hard.
David Pettengill
Steamboat Springs
Support Local Journalism
Support Local Journalism
Readers around Steamboat and Routt County make the Steamboat Pilot & Today’s work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.
Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.
Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.