Public furor halts Aspen's efforts to preserve post-WWII buildings. Lipsher shows, with some good charts, how the lack of affordable housing in Colorado's mountain resorts has led to serious problems in transportation, child care, health care and education, as well as the direct housing problem. The Glenwood Post, Sept. 12, 2000. Bill Lamont of the American Planning Association went into the lion's den at the Club 20 fall meeting to debate Chris Paulson of Citizens for Responsible Reform, on the November ballot initiative Amendment 24, which would, depending on whom you listen to, either take the people out of the local growth planning process, or put them more in it. Aspen may be a light year ahead of everyone else in addressing the affordable housing problem, but its problems are way out in front too.
New ordinance sets lofty environmental goals.
Good jobs abound in Western Colorado unless you want to live here too, in a house. Affordability has spread well beyond the resort towns. In late 1999 the Department of Agriculture conducted a study on the appeal of all 2,260 non-metropolitan counties in the mainland United States. Lake County was ranked fourth. A county could secure a high rating in the index by having a large amount of water, a temperate climate and, most importantly to Lake County, interesting topography.