Still think rural mountain residential development is OK? Read this article

[sterlinggirl]

Originally Posted by formercalifornian

Okay, Jazz, then here's your chance. What exactly should a newcomer to Colorado do for housing?

I saw a neighborhood in Winnepeg once that was a wonderful model for what we could do to reduce land use and sprawl here in the states. The houses in that neighborhood were 10-20% more expensive than comparable houses only a few blocks away.

The only difference was that instead of all the houses facing the street, they all faced inwards to a common central area. Instead of having a postage stamp backyard, you essentially had a park outside your front door, and it did a good job of making the place a community rather than a mere tract of suburban homes.

I think that building some small communities of this type would help to reduce the sprawl into the mountains while still giving the people who live there the opportunity to look out their window and see something resembling nature.

[formercalifornian]

Originally Posted by sterlinggirl

...instead of all the houses facing the street, they all faced inwards to a common central area. Instead of having a postage stamp backyard, you essentially had a park outside your front door, and it did a good job of making the place a community rather than a mere tract of suburban homes.

There is a similar neighborhood in the Willow Creek area of Centennial, although it is in the midst of standard suburbia. It tends to attract only older residents, mostly retirees, so it would not be a great set-up for a young family, but I agree that the concept is great.

[esya]

I am not sure if flat land rip up is any better--Montrose is a good example of lovely ranches being chopped up into 35 acre or less plots with a house on the middle of each. Once chopped up, it will never get back together again. It is not just Colorado, though, it's everywhere.

Land is king, and developers are the kings of king.