This week, the Town of Basalt kicked off its first Town Council meeting of the year with an annual report from Basalt Affordable Community Housing (BACH), providing both a review of last year’s work and a preview of affordable housing projects coming to Basalt this year.
Currently, BACH is at work on four different projects. The first is the construction of a duplex on a town-owned parcel of land at Stott’s Mill, located adjacent to Basalt High School. The duplex, consisting of two three-bedroom units, is anticipated to be completed this coming summer, and is intended to help recruit and retain town employees.
The Town of Basalt approved a design-build contract with construction firm RA Nelson and planning firm Caddis in October of 2024. The Stott’s Mill duplex will cost an estimated $2.05 million to construct.
Moving onto Willits, BACH is currently working through a sketch plan approval process for a 14-unit development on a half-acre parcel of land adjacent to the rugby field on East Valley Road.
The design team for this project is led by Z-Group Architecture and Connect One Design. Z-Group’s other local projects include the River Lofts beside Basalt River Park, and Connect One’s most well known project is Basalt River Park itself. Habitat for Humanity is also supporting the design team, providing its expertise in affordable housing development.
Currently, all 14 units are planned to be deed-restricted, 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom and roughly 950 square feet. Income categories for the unit have yet to be finalized.
Due to the graded nature of the parcel and how height regulations are measured in Basalt, BACH and the design team opted to have two fewer units on the second floor than the first to remain within building standards. However, in the meeting, Councilor Ryan Slack urged the team to maximize the number of possible units.
“This is our chance to do it and not skimp,” Slack argued.
Councilor Angela Anderson expressed reservations about being more lenient on building regulations based on the development type. “It does matter how it looks to the neighborhood if we say yes to the Town for a height variance, but push back on other developments about something similar,” she said.
Mayor David Knight closed the discussion by stating he shared the sentiment that space should be maximized, and that it would be best to see an alternate design. “There is a public benefit and that’s generally what we provide variances for … but we always know that [the two-less unit plan] is in the back pocket for whatever reason,” said Knight.
The project is still in its early planning phases and, should the sketch plan be approved this spring, development of the final construction plan — as well as that plan’s approval process — would continue through the end of 2025.
Just up the street in Willits, BACH is in the public outreach phase for the design of a housing and community space on a 2.3 acre parcel across from TACAW.
In 2023, BACH received direction from the Town Council to consider a community space on the site. While the parcel is too small for a full recreation center, BACH is in the early stages of reaching out to youth and student focus groups to see what local teens want out of a more limited space. Planning director Michelle Thibeault highlighted that one of the top responses from their focus groups was a space for homework and tutoring.
BACH continues to gather input on community needs for the project, which once compiled will inform a conceptual site plan. The planning process for this space will also continue through 2025.
BACH’s fourth project this year will be the implementation of new affordable housing strategies. BACH recently closed a request for proposals for a possible contractor to assist in policy development and is in the midst of a selection process. The contractor would primarily assist in the development of a deed restriction incentive program, and BACH hopes to use this program for buydowns this spring and summer.