Carbondale, Colorado

Demonstration Site: Blair Ranch Commons The Carbondale Affordable Housing Corporation (CAHC), in the Valley area near Aspen, aims to provide resort-area employees with affordable housing close to jobs. The chosen site will hold 85 flats and duplexes arranged in townhouses clustered around open space, and will include a daycare center for 30 to 40 children. Now assisting in design development, PATH is involved in all stages of the project from preliminary design to energy testing. CAHC has enlisted 10 businesses and schools to sponsor the project, which will also address the area's shortage of skilled labor. This demonstration project provides an excellent opportunity to apply technologies addressing cool-climate energy efficiency in modular multiple dwellings, as well as construction in high wind and snow hazard areas. The project was approved for construction by Carbondale's Board of Trustees on November 30,1999, and construction is expected to start in early 2000. The Carbondale demonstration is likely to be seen as a model for other communities for multi-employer sponsored housing. It is anticipated that the developer will apply for Energy Star certification and HUD mortgage financing.