where do teachers (and other "regular" folk) live in Telluride? (Montrose: real estate, rentals)

[O'Dell]

With all the talk about trustafarians and non-local wealthy people, the fact remains that small resort towns can only exist thanks to the work of those who teach, work at the restaurants, run small businesses, and the like. Where do people like that live in towns like Telluride?

Thanks for thoughtful answers.

[bluescreen73]

I don't have direct experience with Telluride, but I do with Steamboat Springs. The commuter towns around Steamboat house most of the people who work there but can't afford to live there. People routinely commute to Steamboat from Hayden, Craig, Yampa, and Oak Creek.

I imagine Telluride is no different.

[DOUBLE H]

The only feasible town that I could think of that is a sizable area is Norwood, which is 45 miles west of Telluride on state hwy 52. Placerville and Sawpit are 20 miles or so west, but are very small towns. I would be surprised if there are rentals there at all that weren't priced through the roof, but I could be mistaken.

Another 25 miles or so west of Norwood is the Naturita/Nucla area, where rentals are certainly more reasonable. There has been activity there recently with the government superfund cleanup projects, although the last time I went through there was a couple months ago, and didn't see a lot happening.

The differences between that area and Telluride would merit a thread on city-data all its own! Some ski and hotel workers have been known to make that commute, though. Commuting to Ridgeway from Telluride is the same distance as Telluride to Norwood, about 45 miles. Going over Lizard Head Pass to Rico and Dolores is not an option.

My guess is a fair amount of teachers are renting out one of those trophy homes and all pitching in. Readers, any info that can help out O'Dell?

[DOUBLE H]

Sorry about the mistake- the state road is 145 from Telluride to Nucla/Naturita.

[jazzlover]

Ridiculous as it is, there are a lot of people who commute from Montrose to work in Telluride (around 70 miles one way, over Dallas Divide--no picnic sometimes in the winter). My time and safety is much too valuable to take on that kind of commute as a regular routine, but there are people who do it. When fuel was pushing $4.00/gal. last summer, I doubt most of them were netting much of an income, either. There is also plenty of turnover in those jobs, as people figure out--going broke has a way of doing this--that they just can't make it financially living the "Paradise Syndrome." There always seems to be another chump ready to take their place, though. And so the cycle goes, year after year, decade after decade. I've watched it in western Colorado for going on 40 years now.

[DOUBLE H]

A quick note on winter traveling through there. 141 can be just as dicey as Lizard Head Pass heading south to Dolores or Dallas Divide east to Ridgway. Norwood Hill is treacherous, a 7% grade, and 3 miles long till you top off on top near the old saw mill. It is a tough climb.

[O'Dell]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

There is also plenty of turnover in those jobs, as people figure out--going broke has a way of doing this--that they just can't make it financially living the "Paradise Syndrome." There always seems to be another chump ready to take their place, though. And so the cycle goes, year after year, decade after decade. I've watched it in western Colorado for going on 40 years now.

I agree it sounds unsustainable to have an entire class (actually classes, since we're talking about the people who wash dishes as well as those who work white collar/teaching/post office etc. jobs) commute 50 miles one way to work. So if you've seen this going on for 40 years, and if local town councils are aware of the detrimental effects of high turnover in positions where longevity is important -- i.e. teaching -- why don't they do something about it? Why don't they have local ordinances helping full-time residents with incentives to live locally? Why don't they create large numbers of subsidized housing?

[Coloradoan]

Some resort areas do have subsidized housing available for teachers. Last fall Aspen successfully passed a bond issue and they are now in the process of building dozens of homes in the Woody Creek area for teachers.

Here is a related link concerning teacher housing in both Aspen and Telluride:

Education News Colorado | Pricey mountain distircts adding teacher housing (http://ednewscolorado.org/other-news/pricey-mountain-distircts-adding-teacher-housing.html - broken link)

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by O'Dell

I agree it sounds unsustainable to have an entire class (actually classes, since we're talking about the people who wash dishes as well as those who work white collar/teaching/post office etc. jobs) commute 50 miles one way to work. So if you've seen this going on for 40 years, and if local town councils are aware of the detrimental effects of high turnover in positions where longevity is important -- i.e. teaching -- why don't they do something about it? Why don't they have local ordinances helping full-time residents with incentives to live locally? Why don't they create large numbers of subsidized housing?

Short answer: Many resort areas do have some "affordable housing" options--but "affordable" can still mean $200K+ to buy a condo. There isn't that much of it because of a simple fact: politically, at both the local and state level, the developers pretty much own the process. They don't want to cut chunks out of prime development real estate for affordable housing development and the governmental entities either don't have or don't want to spend taxpayer money to pay market price for it. And, as long as that supply of commuting "chumps" who are trying to live the Paradise Syndrome is available, they don't figure that they have to. By the way, a lot of the lowest paying jobs in the resorts are now held by immigrants, legal or otherwise, who--unlike their American counterparts--are willing to cram themselves 6-8 into a 1-bedroom condo.

[Shuffler]

Originally Posted by O'Dell

I agree it sounds unsustainable to have an entire class (actually classes, since we're talking about the people who wash dishes as well as those who work white collar/teaching/post office etc. jobs) commute 50 miles one way to work. So if you've seen this going on for 40 years, and if local town councils are aware of the detrimental effects of high turnover in positions where longevity is important -- i.e. teaching -- why don't they do something about it? Why don't they have local ordinances helping full-time residents with incentives to live locally? Why don't they create large numbers of subsidized housing?

There's no reason to do so....they'd make no money. With no financial incentives to do anything but appeal to the sensibilities of the mega-rich and their ilk, elected officials are content to sit back and let average folks fall by the wayside through attrition, since there is a neverending supply of starry-eyed newbs in line to step up and give it a go.