Planning commission to be presented with plan Wed. night

ALAMOSA — As Governor Jared Polis is taking action at the state level to spur and shape the development of housing projects to meet an identified shortage, the city of Alamosa is continuing to chart its own course in addressing the issue at a local level.

Wednesday night’s meeting of the city’s planning commission is considered a significant step forward on that path as they will be presented with the preliminary development plan for Tierra Azul, a 43-acre housing development that, when completed, will provide a diverse mixture of more than 400 residential units — some single-family, some multi-family, some for rent, some for sale and all built to meet a diversity of incomes. 

The development will be built in the area of 8th and Craft streets.

A housing needs assessment conducted by the city several years ago identified a looming need for big scope action as the shortage of housing, at that time, was estimated to be in the neighborhood of 515 houses.

It is a long-term project with a completion date projected to be about 25 years out. Nonetheless, beginning construction of 400 “residential units” in Alamosa would signal a game-changing step in meeting that goal. If approved, the preliminary development plan will be presented to the city council for their approval.

The city’s development services staff have been working on this project for more than three years, beginning with a January 2020 meeting with the Community Resources Housing Development Corporation (CRHDC) where, according to the preliminary development plan, they “identified areas where there were opportunities to be more efficient with their development.”

CRHDC is a nonprofit housing development corporation with a long history in Alamosa and has built approximately 16% of Alamosa’s housing stock in the 37 years they have been part of the community.

At that time, staff recommended that CRHDC collaborate with a professional designer to assist with the next phase, which resulted in CRHDC connecting with a “deeply experienced team and an entirely new development concept.”

The property was purchased in 2021 by CRHDC and annexed into the City in June 2022.

Staff has remained intricately involved with the project, working with CRHDC on a weekly basis since October of 2021 in developing a plan that conforms to relevant codes and meets the requirements of Public Works, Streets, Sanitation, and the Fire Department. After more than 50 different renditions and layouts, CRHDC is ready to seek the necessary approvals.

Additional details are available to view as attachments to this week’s city council agenda found at https://cityofalamosa.org/departments/city-council.  The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday night, March 29, and will be held in City Hall.