The Town of Westcliffe took another step towards facilÂitating affordable workforce housing in Custer County with the approval of Resolution 1-2025 at the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees (BOT) on June 17. Resolution 1-2025 commits the Town of Westcliffe to put up $5,000 as part of a matching fund for a Local Planning Capacity grant from the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), which will, if granted, go to Custer County Community Development (CCCD), a nonprofit organization spun off from the countyâs Economic Development Corporation.
Taken together with the discussion at the June 4 meetÂing of the Westcliffe Planning Commission of rezoning within town subdivisions to facilitate the development of multi-family housing, this action signals the townâs willÂingness to acknowledge the need for new housing options for the Valley.
Using this Local Capacity Grant, the CCCD will work with the countyâs Workforce Housing Committee (WHC) in the eventual capacity of a housing authority to develop workÂforce housing projects for the county that qualify for PropoÂsition 123 funding from the state. Both Westcliffe and Silver Cliff are eligible to receive funding for such projects. Silver Cliff and the County have also committed funds as a match for the Local Planning Capacity grant; Silver Cliff has comÂmitted $5,000 and the county has committed $10,000. All three local governments have also collaborated on funding for a Housing Needs Assessment for the Valley, a necessary first step in securing funding for workforce housing projects.
Barry Keene, facilitator for the WHC, made a presentaÂtion before the BOTâs vote, explaining that the grant would go towards hiring consultants and other help to make sure that the CCCD would be ready to assume stewardship of whatever properties get developed in the towns and county as affordable workforce housing; since one of the stumbling blocks in development of such housing hitherto has been the reluctance of local government to assume ownership of these projects. The first such project to be developed will most probably be on 12 county-owned lots in Silver Cliff.
Mayor Paul Wenke called for a motion to approve ResÂolution 1-2025, which was seconded. During discussion, Trustee Randy Wilhelm questioned whether Westcliffe should be the lead on this grant proposal, saying that he thought Silver Cliff or the county should be the lead on it instead of Westcliffe. âFrom what I understand, itâs a timing issue,â said Trustee Christy Patterson. Keene agreed, saying that the grant deadline had come up before he was able to get approval from the Town of Silver Cliff: âBut the bigger picture is that this is not just a Silver Cliff thing, itâs countyÂwide â who is the initial sponsor is really irrelevant. Also, the county is not eligible for Prop 123 funds.â
âI still donât think Westcliffe should be involved,â WilÂhelm replied. Nevertheless, the motion passed with Wilhelm and Art Nordyke voting Nay.
In other business, the BOT considered and approved new signage for Bluff Park, an Eagle Scoutâs proposal to beautify the veteranâs arch at Memorial Park, a quit claim deed for Andy Mast to resolve a lot line dispute for his property at 3rd and Main, and a Facade Grant award to Sugarlump. Also on the agenda were the IT report and a public hearing to approve a zoning change from Highway Commercial to SinÂgle-Family Housing for a lot in Shadow Ridge. Both these items were tabled until the July meeting.
Finally, the BOT discussed tree planting in Memorial Park and the need for rubber mulching to update playground equipment to current safety standards.
â Elliot Jackson
Photo Cutline: Map shows the part of Westcliffe being considered for rezoning and to bring in water and sewer services.
