In latest hearing for the proposed West End development in Edwards, public sounds off
Supporters cite need, opponents worry about traffic, parking and the building's size
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Community members turned out in force for Monday’s Eagle County Board of Commissioners hearing on the proposed West End project in Edwards. Opponents slightly outnumbered supporters, but not by much.
The commissioners closed public comment on the proposal and set Sept. 9 for their deliberations.
Opponents continued to focus on the size of the rental project, proposed by East West Partners, which would put 275 studio, one- and two-bedroom units into one building just west of the Gashouse restaurant. Others questioned the amount of traffic the project would generate, and the impact that traffic would have on the roundabout at the intersection of the Edwards spur road and U.S. Highway 6.
Edwards resident Brad Smith said he was “alarmed” by the number of variances from county regulations being sought by the developer. Smith added that “275 units on 4.5 acres seems wildly inappropriate.”
Those comments were echoed by several other residents.
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Resident Kevin Clare called the proposal “a case of gross overreach,” citing the structure’s 65-foot height and its relative lack of parking.
Kara Heide, the former executive director of the Eagle Valley Land Trust, worried that putting that many units — and potentially hundreds of pets — adjacent to the Eagle River Preserve open space could be a disaster for that property.
Heide recommended that no dogs at all be allowed in the West End, saying that it could be a “nightmare to manage” otherwise.
On the other hand, several residents spoke of the immediate need for relief from the valley’s housing shortage.
Resident Michael Hood said he believes the valley is in “desperate need of all housing opportunities,” adding that West End would create a “vibrant, modern” place for locals to live.
Eagle County needs more housing, Hood said, and the only way to get it “is to approve more projects like this.”
While several opponents cited the number of variances from county regulations being sought in the proposal, Craig Cohn said that isn’t unusual.
Cohn is Vail Health’s chief real estate development officer and senior vice president. He’s also a member of the Eagle County Housing Task Force, a volunteer group that works to encourage the creation of more housing in the valley.
Cohn told the commissioners that “variances are part of (the land use approval) process.” Cohn added that variances don’t reflect the quality of a project, and should be “immaterial” to whether or not a project is approved.
Cohn added that Vail Health would ultimately master lease several West End units, as it does elsewhere. And, he added, that Vail Health often provides housing subsidies for employees. A project such as the West End would free up housing inventory for others in the community, he added.
Cohn noted that the West End is being built without government subsidies, and that “self-funded projects won’t continue if we don’t pass this one.”
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Resident Pat Peeples tried to take a middle path in her comments, saying that residents on both sides had provided “great input.”
Peeples noted that the valley needs housing, but “it’s got to be housing done right … in alignment with what made this valley great.” The current proposal, she said, “isn’t quite good enough … Let’s make it a little better than it needs to be.”
The Eagle County Board of Commissioners will hold the next hearing on the proposed West End housing project on Monday, Sept. 9.
