The Town of Basalt proudly received two statewide awards recognizing the Midland Streetscape Project for its planning and improvements to Historic Downtown Basalt’s infrastructure. The awards were given by the Colorado Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) and the Colorado Chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA), which both host annual awards programs to recognize public projects for their impacts on their respective communities.
APA recognized the Midland Streetscape Project with the Resilience, Sustainability and Environmental Design Award on Oct. 23. The project was featured in APA’s digital magazine, Planning Matters, which praised Midland’s integration of infrastructure improvements with special programs (like the Summer Concert Series) designed to ease construction impacts and kickstart historic Basalt’s revival into a lively, accessible community asset. In the words of the APA, the new Midland “[Honors] Basalt’s historic, quaint and small-town character while also modernizing infrastructure and accessibility.”
APWA awarded the Midland Streetscape Project with the Sustainability award in the Small Community category on Oct. 21. This award highlighted the project’s improvements to Basalt’s stormwater, electric and communications infrastructure, which makes the area both safer and more resilient.
“The most significant improvements of the Midland Streetscape Project are what was constructed underground, as opposed to what we currently see at street level,” Basalt Engineer Catherine Christoff said in a newsflash released by the Town of Basalt last week.
The APA and the APWA both featured Midland in their respective newsletters and publications and presented their Awards to the Town of Basalt at their annual meetings.
These are not the first awards the Midland Streetscape Project has received. Last April, community-building nonprofit Downtown Colorado gave the project its 2025 Excellence Award for Best Place in its Small Community division.
Town approves housing plans
During this week’s meeting, Basalt Town Council approved an ordinance and a resolution to increase the pool of available market-rate and affordable housing units outside of Willits.
The first ordinance was for the construction of five residential units above a Silich Construction warehouse and cabinet making shop on 230 Park Avenue in Basalt Industrial Park. The applicant, AWATEA LLC, proposed constructing a second story on top of the existing building which would host two studio units, two one-bedroom units and one three-bedroom unit. The two studio units are planned to be category two deed-restricted housing. The applicant also proposed a publicly accessible open space area so that potential residents can have a taste of greenery instead of the bare asphalt presently filling the site.
With recommendations from Roaring Fork Fire Rescue, Basalt Planning and Zoning Commission and the Basalt Affordable Community Housing Commission, the council unanimously approved the application upon a second reading so the applicant can pursue the necessary planning reviews for construction.
The second site for additional housing is the Town-owned parcel at Sopris Meadows, located between the Willits Rugby Field and the Lakeside Townhomes on the west side of Highway 82.
A plan to construct 14 affordable housing units on the site was originally designed in January, but after a work session later that month, during which councilors expressed a desire to take as much advantage of the parcel as possible, the number of units was increased to 16.
Z-Group Architecture and Connect One Design created the sketch plans for the development in partnership with the Town of Basalt.
The income categories of the units and whether or not they will be for rent or sale are factors yet to be determined and will depend on the final funding requirements of the project.
Council unanimously approved the preliminary PUD application, pushing the planning process along and slowly paving the way for more affordable housing options in the area.