Local News: Proposed development sparks debate over housing, traffic and open space near Carbondale

A proposed development that could bring up to 1,500 housing units to the Roaring Fork Valley is drawing both support and strong opposition as Garfield County planners review the project.

The Garfield County Planning and Zoning Commission spent several hours reviewing the Harvest Roaring Fork planned unit development during a Feb. 25 public hearing. The proposal would build a large mixed-use community on roughly 283 acres near the Cattle Creek intersection along Colorado Highway 82 between Glenwood Springs and Carbondale. The planning commission is slated to reconvene Wednesday for further discussion before making a recommendation to approve or deny the project to county commissioners.

County planning staff recommended approving a related request to revoke the existing River’s Edge planned unit development zoning on two parcels and return them to residential suburban zoning. However, staff recommended denying the Harvest Roaring Fork PUD itself, citing conflicts with the county’s comprehensive plan and several technical concerns.

Plans for the development include up to 1,500 housing units, including 150 deed-restricted affordable housing units required under Garfield County’s Land Use and Development Code. Developers also propose up to 300 additional deed-restricted workforce housing units reserved for people who work full time in Garfield, Pitkin or Eagle counties. The remaining homes — roughly 1,050 units — would be market-rate housing.

The development proposal also includes about 55,000 square feet of commercial space and a 120-room hotel, along with amenities such as parks, trails and community gathering spaces.

Developers say the project would create a walkable community designed to help address commuting pressures across the Roaring Fork Valley, where workers often travel long distances along Highway 82 to reach jobs in communities such as Aspen and Basalt.

In project documents submitted to Garfield County, developers cited several regional housing studies showing a widening gap between housing costs and what local workers can afford.

According to a 2022 report from the West Mountain Regional Housing Coalition referenced in the proposal, the Roaring Fork region had an estimated shortfall of about 4,000 housing units before the COVID-19 pandemic. Roughly 40% of households in Garfield and Pitkin counties were considered “cost-burdened,” meaning they spent more than 30% of their income on housing costs.

Despite the developer’s arguments, Garfield County planning staff raised several concerns about the proposal. One of the most significant issues is density. Staff analysis concluded the county’s comprehensive plan suggests a maximum of about 1,341 units on the property based on the future land-use map.

Staff also found the project does not fully align with several policies in the county’s comprehensive plan, including those related to wildlife habitat protection, transportation planning, water resources and conservation easements along the Roaring Fork River.

County planners also raised concerns about the project’s housing mitigation plan, saying the application does not clearly identify when affordable housing units would be constructed during each phase of development.

State News: Wildfire Resiliency Code Deadline Approaching.

Implementation of “Establishment Of A Wildfire Resiliency Code Board” (Senate Bill 23-166) continues to move forward, with a key milestone approaching this year. This 2023 law created the Wildfire Resiliency Code Board, which is responsible for adopting statewide model codes — such as hardening structures and improving defensible space around buildings — in order to reduce wildfire risk in Colorado’s wildland-urban interface (WUI). The board was required to adopt its initial statewide policy by July 1, 2025, and local governments within the WUI must thereafter adopt or enforce standards that meet or exceed those standards. Local governments were given until April 1, 2026, to adopt this code, and until July 1, 2026, to be in full compliance with it. While these standards may impact building practices, they will strengthen long-term stability in the WUI — which is an important factor insurers will consider when determining coverage availability and risk. Members are encouraged to join CAR’s Colorado Project Wildfire Forum to share updates from their locals regarding these changes. Please reach out to Carla at cblanc@coloradorealtors.com  with any questions on this or on how to attend the monthly Colorado Project Wildfire forums.

Increasing Housing Without Additional Costs to Taxpayers.

CAR strongly supports “Workforce Housing and Housing Tax Credit” (Senate Bill 1), a bill that gives county governments the flexibility they need to support local housing authority efforts. The bill is simple: it authorizes the use of property tax revenue in the general fund to help its local housing authority, sell real property for affordable housing development, and broadens the ownership of the middle-income housing tax credit. It stands in stark contrast to the slew of legislation that would increase taxes in a time when the statewide median sales price is $535,000. It passed without amendments or controversy on a vote of 12-0 in its House committee hearing and is well-positioned to pass through the House before reaching the Governor’s desk.

National News: Senate Moves to Advance 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act

As the Senate advances the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a comprehensive bipartisan package aimed at tackling the nation’s housing supply and affordability challenges head-on, the real estate industry anticipates results that will help American consumers who face high home prices and rents, limited inventory and a low supply of small starter homes.

For generations, homeownership has stood at the center of the “American dream.” Recent research confirms that belief remains strong: 85% of Americans still say owning a home is an essential part of that dream.

“NAR has consistently called for a comprehensive, bipartisan approach to address our nation’s housing supply crisis,” says Shannon McGahn, executive vice president and chief advocacy officer of the National Association of REALTORS®. “America faces a shortage of nearly 4.7 million homes, and affordability challenges continue to push homeownership further out of reach. The median age of a first-time buyer has climbed to 40, a clear sign that the system is not working for too many people across this country.”

NAR Advocacy in Action

In October 2025, the Senate passed the bipartisan Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream to Housing Act of 2025 (ROAD to Housing Act), legislation that represented a comprehensive federal response to housing challenges, targeting barriers that have made it increasingly difficult for families to achieve homeownership. NAR strongly supported the bill and urged the Senate to act.

On Dec. 3, 2025, NAR Immediate Past President Kevin Sears testified before the House Financial Services Committee in support of key housing reforms, many of which were later folded into the sweeping bipartisan package that passed the House with broad support last month.

“We urge Congress to advance policies that increase housing production and encourage rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of existing properties, and support innovation in construction methods and housing types. Many of these ideas have bipartisan support in both chambers, including provisions in the Senate’s recently passed ROAD to Housing Act,” Sears said in his testimony.

Now the Senate is combining both bills into the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, and NAR is urging the Senate to send it to the president’s desk.

“The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act represents the type of meaningful reform we have long advocated for,” McGahn adds. “It confronts barriers to housing at every level by helping communities plan and build for growth, streamlining federal processes that delay construction, modernizing financing options for manufactured and rural housing, improving access to credit and strengthening awareness of VA home loan benefits. These are practical steps that can help boost supply, lower costs and expand opportunity.”

Key Additions to the New Legislation Focus on Supply

At the heart of the legislation is a growing bipartisan consensus: The affordability crisis is fundamentally a supply problem. Without modernizing housing policy and removing barriers to construction, inventory will continue to lag behind demand.

By tackling housing barriers at every level of government, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act offers the kind of comprehensive approach needed to restore affordability and expand homeownership opportunities for more Americans, NAR says. The legislation equips communities with new tools and resources to plan for growth, streamlines federal processes that can slow housing development and strengthens financing options for manufactured and rural housing.

It also modernizes key federal programs, including the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, helping to broaden access to homeownership, improve access to credit for buyers and ensure veterans are better informed about and able to fully use their benefits through the VA Home Loan Program.

Bipartisan Momentum

Housing affordability is not a partisan issue, NAR says. Families in urban, suburban and rural communities alike are grappling with rising costs and limited inventory. The housing shortage will not be solved overnight.

But by tackling barriers at every level of government, expanding housing supply and creating new pathways to homeownership, the current legislation represents a meaningful step forward.