Vacation Rental Density Caps
By Candace Jones
The County’s Short-Term Rental Task Force is taking another year to ponder density caps. The Commissioners should not wait.
Everyone acknowledges Archuleta has dense clusters of STRs. That’s not good for the local economy.
The Region 9 Economic Development District of SW Colorado recently reported its Economic Snapshot 2022. Archuleta is one of five Region 9 counties.
The Snapshot identifies the region’s “base industries.” Tourism is one base industry. “Households” are a bigger base industry here. The Snapshot describes the “households” industry as people “who spend money earned elsewhere (commuters), or at a different point in time (retirees).” In Archuleta, households supported 40% of jobs in 2020 compared to 31% supported by tourism.
People who retire to Archuleta for quiet mountain-town life are a significant economic driver. Ignoring quality of life in Archuleta’s residential areas undermines our local economy.
The tourism and household industries can coexist. To achieve balance between homes and STRs, county government should act on density caps. Community is neighbor helping neighbor. For that, we need neighborhoods where people can get to know each other for more than a week or two.
Agree? Email your Commissioners or attend their meetings.
Read the full letter published in The SUN April 13, 2023County Commission Delays STR Action