The project joins six others developers are planning in one of the largest-ever development proposals approved by Breckenridge officials
The last-minute addition to one of Breckenridge's largest developments was pushed forward to a final review by planning officials as they continue to hash through a seven-parcel project slated to change numerous areas of town.
The Breckenridge Planning Commission dissected plans presented at a Feb. 4 meeting by developer Breckenridge Grand Vacations for a workforce housing project officials dubbed "Entrada." Now, the design concept is subject to a final review before heading to a vote at Breckenridge Town Council, which will be one of the last steps before breaking ground.
Originally a six-parcel development, the East Peak 8/Gold Rush Lot grew after town council members pushed the developer to split their singular proposal for workforce housing in two projects. Breckenridge Grand Vacations had to provide affordable housing for the workforce as a condition of introducing this major development. The developer presented the council with a plan to provide more housing than what was required by building 90 units on Park Avenue. Council urged the developer to move some of the housing to the Entrada Lot, citing safety concerns about having 90 units in a highly trafficked area of town.
Officials had to annex the Entrada parcel into Breckenridge since it was technically outside of town limits, and now the developer is moving forward with building 40 workforce housing units on the corner of Colorado Highway 9 and Huron Road.
The language in the annexation agreement prompted commissioner Mark Leas to raise concerns about the future of the 40 deed-restricted units on Entrada.
"The annexation agreement contains language that would allow the owners to apply to the town for permission to turn some or all of the units into condominium units in the future, if there's no prescriptive language in the document stipulating how that would work," Leas said, worrying about the possibility of the developer opting to "condominiumize" the units.
Breckenridge Planning Manager Chris Kulick clarified the units will have to be deed-restricted in perpetuity and they can never be sold at market-rate pricing, while noting there was no maximum rent-cap imposed in the development agreement.
Leas still had concerns regarding how a purchase could bring homeowners association fees into the picture and impact rent pricing.
Breckenridge Grand Vacations representative Graham Frank said the developer sought to create a "robust" deed restriction that takes into account the potential sale of the building and looks to preserve affordability of the units.
"That deed restriction will run with each unit, and our intention was ... to provide front-of-house management (for the Imperial Hotel on Parcel 4 of the East Peak8/Gold Rush Lot development) housing that potentially people could buy right to take that stepping stone into the market," Frank said.
Staff members said while the Entrada workforce housing isn't solely for Imperial Hotel employees, they have the opportunity to live there.
Other planning commissioners had no major concerns about the design.
"I think it's making the best (use) of a space, and I'm glad, in this case, that the Town Council let (the developer) go to three stories," Planning Commissioner Allen Frechter said.
Town council granted the developer additional height since the building will appear to be two- to two-and-a-half stories tall instead of three because of the way the site is situated.
The concept passed unanimously, with Leas also voting to approve it despite also voicing disapproval for the building's aesthetics.
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