County Planning Commission to hear Mountain Village’s community housing rezone application for Alexander Property in Ilium Valley

On Thursday, July 13, the San Miguel County Planning Commission will consider the Town of Mountain Village’s community housing rezone application for the Alexander Property in Ilium Valley.

The application is scheduled to be heard by the commission shortly after 9 a.m. on July 13. The meeting will be a hybrid with both an in-person option at 333 West Colorado Avenue and a remote Zoom option.

The Town is currently under a purchase and sale agreement to acquire 56.3 acres of land in Ilium Valley in unincorporated San Miguel County with the intent to build community housing.

The parcel, which is commonly referred to as the Alexander Property, is currently zoned as forestry/agriculture, and the Town of Mountain Village is seeking to rezone the property to a Community Housing Zone District.

“Ilium Valley and this property specifically have been identified in the San Miguel County Master Development Plan as suitable for additional affordable housing so long as services can be provided,” said Mountain Village Assistant Town Manager Michelle Haynes.

Since entering the purchase and sale agreement in the summer of 2022, the Town of Mountain Village has worked with an array of consultants to conduct a number of feasibility studies to confirm that the property is capable of supporting meaningful community housing, while also assessing the Town’s ability to provide water and wastewater services, construct other infrastructure and address traffic impacts.

“The Mountain Village Town Council is committed to addressing the regional housing crisis, looking both within our community and outside the Mountain Village boundaries,” Haynes said. “With its proximity to both Mountain Village and Telluride and existing residential and mixed-use properties in Ilium Valley, this property is the right size and in the right location for us to invest in building additional housing for the community. It is a smart way for the Town to make strides on much-needed additional housing.”

The Town’s rezone application may be reviewed online at townofmountainvillage.com/ilium.

Public comments may be sent to . The meeting agenda and remote Zoom log-in information are available on San Miguel County’s website.

The application under consideration by the planning commission is not an application for development, but rather a first step in the process. If the property is successfully rezoned, the Town will file a comprehensive development application with San Miguel County.

“As we move through the review and approval process with the County, we intend to seek regional partners to create a compatible and meaningful local housing development for the region,” Haynes said. “We look forward to continued ongoing dialogue with community members and possible partners now and moving forward to achieve this end.”