HomeMy WebLinkAboutNick and Katie Abrams_10-FEB-26Subject: Harvest Roaring Fork Development
Name: Nick Abrams
Email: naabrams@gmail.com
Phone Number: 5105936465
Message: Commissioner Will,
As local residents, producers, hunters, and conservationists, we are writing to express our
opposition to the Harvest Roaring Fork Development. While we support more limited
development specifically to support workforce, teachers, and public safety community
members, this proposal is an urban city shoehorned into a rural corridor.
My opposition is supported by the following specific findings:
Traffic & Safety Gridlock: The developer’s own traffic study estimates over 11,900 new daily
vehicle trips—a 50% increase on Highway 82. The proposed "Michigan U-Turns" and two
new traffic lights will create a permanent bottleneck. For those of us reliant on Highway 82
as a primary wildfire evacuation route, this level of density is a life-safety risk.
Wildlife Crisis: This site is one of the last remaining winter habitats for a herd of
approximately 120–150 elk in the lower valley. As a conservationist, we know that this range
is already impact by 82 and that it will be further fragmented by 1,500 units and a 120-room
hotel, these herds will be displaced with nowhere else to go.
School & Infrastructure Strain: Adding an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 new residents without a
dedicated school site or expansion plan will overwhelm the Roaring Fork School District.
Furthermore, only 10% of units are price-capped "mitigation units"; the rest are "market-
rate workforce" units (projected up to $1.5M), which fails to truly serve our most essential
service workers.
Incompatible Density: The proposed density of nearly 8 units per acre (on developable
land) is unprecedented for this area.
I urge you to uphold the integrity of the Garfield County Comprehensive Plan and reject this
proposal. GarCo's rural character, agricultural heritage, and environmental resources are
what makes this a special place for us to live, produce, and raise our family and we do not
want to see these values jeopardized.
Thank you for your consideration,
Nick and Katie Abrams
Missouri Heights