The big topic as of late has been condo development in the Estes Valley, so for Valentines Day we had some heart felt questions that we believe need to be answered on behalf of the entire community.
Why are developers allowed to install grossly inadequate infrastructure in these condo developed areas?
Buyer beware!
Town staff reviews all planned developments. The purpose for this plan review is to assure that the infrastructure that a developer is proposing meets town standards. The roads should be adequate to allow for emergency access; a standard width for snow removal, curbs and gutters, sidewalks, the base under the pavement, type and thickness of asphalt should be very exact before the town accepts the roadways into the town inventory. Once accepted these roads within town limits become public roads maintained by the town. This is where things get funky in Estes Park.
Developers inside the town limits have been allowed to install narrow substandard streets void of curbs, gutters, sidewalks, adequate base, and unknown asphalt quality. We can only speculate about the inadequacies of underground utilities, with all the sewage back ups and frozen services around town, only the lord knows what developers get away with, that’s a discussion for a future day this argument is about road ways.
Minimal roads are allowed to be installed, there are condo developments thrown up in the past few years where it is impossible to get more than one vehicle at a time along that road let alone an emergency vehicle. In addition the town is not required to maintain the roads or plow out the streets. It is expensive to build proper roads, curbs, gutters and sidewalks so why are these developers allowed to put in cheap inadequate streets? They certainly did not pass their savings along to the condo buyers.
This is the kicker, when you own one of these condos around town; you pay your property taxes at the same level as any home in Estes Park. This property tax, you would assume goes toward maintaining the streets, plowing the snow in front of your house, fixing potholes, repairing the sewer lines water lines etc.. You would be very wrong, the developer created a “home owners association”, requiring you to pay “home owners association fees”. These additional fees are used to maintain the roads. Lucky you, you get to pay twice, property taxes and home owners association fees. The developer padded his profit margin. The town gets additional property tax money to add to the cash flow without adding to their liabilities and you get to pay twice!
So who is the town planner serving, the developer or the citizen of Estes Park?
