Bayfield is moving ahead with the town’s affordable housing development, called Cinnamon Heights, even as a few community members call for the project to stop.
Across La Plata County, attainable housing stock is low and prices are sky-high. In response, Bayfield embarked on a plan to buy 30 lots, for a total of $710,000, and turn them into new townhomes with deed restrictions to maintain affordable living options in the town.
About three community members have submitted statements opposing the development, citing concerns about the government’s role in the project, transparency and funding. The town board, feeling the majority of the community supports the project, pushed back against those concerns in a work session Monday.
“Nobody is listening to the community, and that’s who you are supposed to represent,” said Lori Lazzeri, a Bayfield community member who opposes the project. “I’m just appalled that this small town of Bayfield, that I want to be a part of, is not looking out for the whole community.”
Lazzeri said the town’s involvement adds a layer of cost to the project and expressed concern that the town would go bankrupt or have to raise taxes to pay for the project. She said there has been a lack of transparency and the town board did not have the experience to complete the development project. She cited two other Bayfield area community members who felt the same way, although they did not speak at the work session.
“Sell this land, and let the market work it out,” she said. “Builders will come ... and they will do it the right way.”
Trustee Brenna Morlan said she has heard support for the project from others in the community through her work in the banking industry and with the town chamber of commerce, local Rotary chapter, library and other organizations.
“I have not heard anyone else say this is a bad idea,” Morlan said. “Everyone I talk to is saying, ‘Great job. I’m glad you’re doing this.’ I’m taking the majority (opinion). I take the majority every time.”
The town plans to designate about 25 to 28 of the future townhomes as deed-restricted and priced around $275,000.
That’s lower than rising home ownership prices. For 2020, the median-priced townhome in Bayfield was $331,500, according to the Durango Area Association of Realtors. Homes in a nearby subdivision, Clover Meadows, have been selling for about $400,000, according to the town.
Renters are also struggling to meet rising housing costs. Rent for a two-bedroom unit in Bayfield is $1,190 each month, which requires a yearly income of $47,600, according to a HomesFund presentation at the meeting.
A 2021 housing study said affordable housing will be an increasing issue for Bayfield if housing stock is not increased, said Mayor Pro Tem Kristin Dallison during the work session.
In response to rumors that Town Manager Katie Sickles bullied the board into pursuing the project, the Bayfield town board said Sickles only carried out the board’s direction.
“That’s completely false,” said Mayor Ashleigh Tarkington. “We’re free-thinkers, and for people to say that we’re not, that one kind of hurts as well.”
Regarding concerns about transparency, Tarkington said the town followed state requirements for posting meetings and minutes and got the word out on social media.
“At the end of the day, our job up here is to solve problems and to address the concerns of the citizens of Bayfield,” Tarkington said. “If you’re from Forest Lakes, we love to hear your comments, but at the end of the day, you’re not our constituents.”
Several trustees reminded attendees of the board’s qualifications in banking, building and planning – emphasizing they can rely on partnerships and advisers to fill in any gaps in expertise for the project.
The town board recently approved $85,000 to complete site planning and engineering work on the Cinnamon Heights lots.
As the town moves forward with the project, the town will have to face other complications, such as heightened construction costs and securing grant funding, according to representatives from HomesFund and TBK Bank.
The townhomes will have to match existing codes, architectural requirements and other plans for the existing neighborhood. The main difference will be that some of the homes will be deed-restricted, the board members said.
“The deed restrictions are put in place to help protect the economics of the area,” Morlan said. “We’re not trying to put people into those properties that are intending to make (a profit) off of it. We’re putting people in those properties that intend to live and be part of this community.”
smullane@durangoherald.com
