REAL ESTATE IN THE NEWS
REAL ESTATE IN THE NEWS
Current Events in the Roaring Fork Valley of Particular Interest to the Real Estate Community
Compliments of the Aspen Board of REALTORS® A rundown of government and business activity over the last month, focusing on issues and items that are of particular interest to the Real Estate community.
ASPEN
STR Updates Approved by Council
Aspen City Council approved a slew of updates to the city’s short-term rental program but held off on changing permit-transfer rules tied to estate planning, giving staff and council members more time to review potential exemptions, the Aspen Daily News reported. Council members have discussed the updates to the STR program for months that are meant to streamline some administrative processes that hadn’t been updated since the regulations were first approved in 2022.
The new regulations eliminate annual homeowners association affidavits for existing permits, allow tax filing exemptions for permitted properties that are rendered untenable due to an “act of nature” emergency or have active building permits, and allow for the transfer of permits in the event of death or divorce. They also created a new “STR-Temporary” permit type that will honor bookings made for an STR that take place after the sale of a property.
Burlingame Childcare Facility Cautioned
A new child care center at Burlingame Ranch could harm the viability of existing child care providers in Pitkin County, according to a Kids First child care needs assessment reported by the Aspen Daily News. The proposed 94-student early childhood education center at the Burlingame affordable housing development would help meet some need for infant and toddler care in the county. But it would add too many preschool spots and potentially impact the financial viability, staffing and other operational factors of other child care providers in the area.
The proposed facility would be a 15,300-square-foot licensed center with three playgrounds. It would have room for 16 infants, 20 toddlers and 58 preschoolers and require about 24 staff members. Consultants recommended reevaluating the Burlingame center, and Kids First could consider support for other types of care and smaller-scale centers, while ensuring the existing supply of care is supported and sustained.
Sales Tax Jumps to 10.35%
Sales tax in the city of Aspen will reach above 10% next year as a result of the passage of three sales tax measures in November, the Aspen Daily News reported. Ballot measures 2A, 6A and 7A all approved sales tax increases for education, fire emergency services and early childhood education, respectively. Voters approved a 0.3% increase to a city of Aspen sales tax dedicated to the Aspen School District, a new 0.5% sales tax increase for the Aspen Fire Protection District and a new 0.25% sales tax for a new special taxing district spanning Aspen to Parachute dedicated to early childhood education. It brings Aspen’s aggregate sales tax to 10.35%, one of the highest in the state. Nine municipalities in Colorado have aggregate sales tax rates above 10%, including Snowmass Village with a 10.4% sales tax, ranked the seventh highest in the state.
Snowmass Village
Council Weighs SkiCo Housing Project
Aspen Skiing Co. is in the preliminary stages of building on-site housing called “The SHOP,” or Snowmass Housing for Operations Personnel, which would bring 30 new units for Aspen One employees to the top of Divide Road with a mix of studios and one-bedrooms, the Aspen Daily News reported. During a council meeting in November, there was a mix of support and opposition for the project.
The parcel, located next to an existing vehicle maintenance facility, is just downslope from the Ditch Trail and a short distance to the edge of the Snowmass Ski Area. There are six units of employee housing with a total of eight beds at the facility already — and a 20-person waitlist to get in. SkiCo would fully fund the project, but neighbors are concerned about the impact on their quality of life and setting precedence for Snowmass—the housing is not located near any transit hub and traffic could be an impact. Under the existing documents, only three additional workforce units, plus some storage and multipurpose space, are allowed on the lot.
Basalt
Free Range Kitchen Under New Ownership
Free Range Kitchen owners Robin and Steve Humble have sold the restaurant to Italian chef and restaurateur Angelo Elia, who formerly owned Angelo’s in Aspen, the Aspen Times reported. The move signals a major shift for the riverside favorite known for its roasted chicken, smoked trout, and lively porch overlooking the Roaring Fork River.
The Humbles opened Free Range Kitchen nine years ago in a smaller space that is now occupied by Ryno’s pizza in downtown Basalt. Four years ago, it moved to its current location at 22864 Two Rivers Rd. Elia plans to keep operating Free Range Kitchen as-is through the 2025/26 winter season. Renovations will begin in spring of 2026, with a new name and full relaunch planned for later in the year.
Carbondale
Carbondale’s New Pool Is Run on Renewables
The Carbondale Aquatic Center will open a new pool in spring 2026 fully powered by renewable energy, the Aspen Daily News reported. The new aquatic center will replace the town of Carbondale’s 40-year-old pool with three new pools, a bathhouse and community gathering spaces. The new pool—a lap pool, an entertainment pool and a spa—will be the first pool in the region powered by 100% renewable energy. The pool water will be heated entirely by electric air-source heat pumps instead of gas boilers. The facility also will feature rooftop solar panels. The project will cost approximately $13.4 million. The town is paying for it using reserve funds, bonds and grant funding.
Glenwood Springs
Automated Auto Photo Enforcement Installed
Automated speed cameras in Glenwood Springs have begun issuing citations following a 30-day warning period, the Glenwood Springs Post Independent reported. The photo-enforcement program launched in October with five cameras installed in areas identified through crash data, reports of reckless driving, and repeated community concerns. Cameras are located at the 100 block of Midland Avenue near Dairy Queen; two locations at 601 Midland Avenue near Yampah Mountain High School; North Midland Avenue at County Road 117; and the 3500 block of South Glen Avenue. More locations may be added in future phases.
All devices are marked with advance signage as required by state law. Citations will be mailed to the vehicle’s registered owner, who remains responsible for the violation even if someone else was driving. The system is intended to support ongoing traffic-safety efforts, including the traffic-enforcement officer position created in 2023.
Pitkin County
Free-Fare Increases Ridership 4%
Preliminary data from the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority’s fare-free pilot program showed a slight increase in overall ridership in October, the Aspen Daily News reported. Overall ridership across the BRT, Local and Hogback routes increased 3.96% in October 2025 compared with October 2024. Ridership in September 2025 was down about 3.5% from September 2024. RFTA launched its fare-free pilot program on Oct. 1. It ended Nov. 30.
The data from October is preliminary and could change by the time final data from RFTA’s fare free pilot is presented to the board in January. The 3.96% increase in October equates to about 179 additional boardings per day, or about three-and-a-half buses full of people. RFTA launched the fare-free pilot program at the start of October to test the feasibility of a larger reduced fare or fare-free ridership program.
Airport Landing Fees Increase
Standard fee, based on the type of aircraft and its weight, to land an airplane at Aspen-Pitkin County Airport will increase, the Aspen Daily News reported. 2026’s expenses include a $6.8 million runway maintenance project that isn’t eligible for federal grants, and the landing fee will help to cover those costs.
The county covered the whole bill for repairs to deteriorating pavement in 2025 using existing airport funds and discretionary airport revenue. That kept landing fees for flight operators the same price as 2024: $7.75 per 1,000 pounds for commercial airlines with daily service and $9.18 per 1,000 pounds for general aviation. County staff are recommending a partial subsidy, with the county paying half of the cost for runway repair and raising landing fees by up to 55% to cover the rest. Under the cost-sharing idea, prices would go up more than 55%. Another proposal would nearly double the landing fee, with no subsidy.
Voter Turnout Higher in November
The number of voters in Pitkin County topped 6,000, the Aspen Daily News reported. Voter turnout neared 43% of the 13,943 registered voters in the county. This topped recent coordinated elections: In 2023, 38% of registered voters participated with 5,341 ballots cast. In 2021, 5,570 ballots were cast, equaling 40% of the electorate.
Pitkin County voters also continued the trend of waiting until Election Day to vote. On Election Day, 150 electors voted in-person at the polling center in the county administration building. Prior to Election Day, the biggest day of in-person voting, Nov. 1, saw nine people vote in person. Another indication of that trend is that nearly half of the mail ballots were cast on Election Day.