The Bayfield board of trustees took a fresh look at housing issues this week, but finding solutions might be like “opening a can of worms,” said Mayor Ashleigh Tarkington.

With growth on the horizon, La Plata County communities are looking at their housing resources, finding affordability and availability issues. Bayfield faces a similar situation, according to a housing study released in December. Addressing housing issues seemed like a complicated “what comes first” puzzle to Tarkington.

“I think everyone is kind of stumped,” she said.

In Bayfield, the majority of housing units, 80%, consist of single-family homes, with just a few townhomes or multifamily units, according to the study conducted by Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc.

In fact, Bayfield is nearing completion of a new development, Clove Meadows 7, which will offer 54 lots for more single-family homes in a high-density subdivision, Town Manager Katie Sickles said.

But the median home value in Bayfield was $318,347. Meanwhile, the area’s median income in 2019 was $66,142.

“It’s not affordable. People that work here can’t live here,” Sickles said.

Rental units in town are rare, and renters were more burdened by housing costs than homeowners, which is similar to county and state trends, according to the study.

About 41% of Bayfield acreage is also tax-exempt, mostly used by churches and schools. That can create some challenges because there is less property available for other uses. But at the same time, the town has good schools, and that draws people, Sickles said.

“This is a very young town. There’s a lot of very young families here, and I think that’s to do with our good school system,” Sickles said.

One solution, incentivizing development, might conflict with resource limitations, Tarkington said.

The town staff members and trustees are trying to understand the capacity limits of Bayfield’s water infrastructure and treatment plant, especially considering the town’s future growth. Trustees are scheduled to hear a presentation about the topic during their next board meeting, Jan. 19.

She also wanted to see the results of the town’s drought study, which is in progress, when considering housing issues.

“I think if a builder came in with a plan and could follow through on it, in a heartbeat, those things would be rented out,” Tarkington said. “It’s just a matter of, can we put them on our water system? Can we handle that?”

Trustee Josh Joswick wanted more information about tools that would help the town prioritize projects and incentives for development.

“It’s kind of up to the developer to build the kind of homes they want,” he said. “We need to make sure we’re aware of whatever incentives there are for the creation of affordable housing.”

Town trustees and staff members were still working out next steps Wednesday after hearing the study presentation during the trustee meeting Tuesday.

“I’m still putting my hands around multifamily housing and how the town can participate,” Sickles said.

Joswick said economic development needed to be considered. Tarkington, focused on limited resources, said the board needed to weigh other development options, like industries, businesses or a hotel, in addition to housing.

Broadband is another priority: People have been working from home more during the coronavirus pandemic, opening up remote work opportunities, she said.

“(Affordable housing) just opens up a whole can of worms on so many levels,” Tarkington said. “People aren’t going to want to move here and work from home, or businesses to relocate here, if they have crappy internet. It’s a vicious cycle of ‘What comes first?’”

smullane@durangoherald.com