By Shannon Lukens.
A meeting about Brown Ranch is Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 26, and the public is invited.
This is the fifth and final meeting of Phase One of the year-long community solutions process with the Brown Ranch Community Solutions Deliberation and Stewardship Team (DST). That’s a randomly selected group of 40 community members representing different perspectives.
A recommendation will be made on how or whether the conversation on Brown Ranch should continue on to Phase Two. It is not a final decision on whether Brown Ranch should be annexed or developed. That rests first with City Council and ultimately with Steamboat Springs voters.
The meeting is from 3:30-7 p.m. in Olympian Hall at Howelsen Hill.
Press Release from City of Steamboat Springs; Aug. 21, 2025.
Brown Ranch Deliberation and Stewardship Team Meeting Marks End of Phase One
Phase One Report To Be Presented to City Council During September 9 Work Session
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO-August 21, 2025-The Brown Ranch Community Solutions Deliberation and Stewardship Team (DST) will hold its final meeting of the first phase of the project on Tuesday, August 26, from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Olympian Hall, 845 Howelsen Pkwy. The public is invited to observe in person.
This fifth session marks the close of Phase One of the year-long community solutions process, led by Community Builders and the Civic Canopy in partnership with the City of Steamboat Springs and the Yampa Valley Housing Authority (YVHA).
“The primary goal of the work in Phase One was to develop a shared understanding of the needs, opportunities, trade-offs and strategies for meeting affordable housing needs in Steamboat Springs, with Brown Ranch as a piece of a much larger puzzle,” said Brad Calvert, principal planner for the City of Steamboat Springs.
At the August 26 meeting, the 40-member DST — a randomly selected group of community members representing diverse perspectives — will make a recommendation about whether and how the current community conversation should continue into Phase Two. The DST will also clarify and solidify areas where they see common ground, as well as noting important issues and questions that require additional attention in the next phase. The DST recommendation, along with a Phase One report, will be presented at the City Council’s September 9 work session.
“The DST recommendation is not about whether members support Brown Ranch or not; but should the community continue the current exploration of Brown Ranch as one potential solution,” said Bill Fulton, executive director of The Civic Canopy. “Looking toward next steps, any process that is designed in phases should pause at the end of one before proceeding to the next to make sure it is still on course. That is the intent behind the August DST meeting.”
Organizers emphasized what this recommendation represents: a chance to recognize progress made, determine whether to continue and decide how the work should move forward. It is not a final decision on whether Brown Ranch should be annexed or developed. That authority rests first with City Council and ultimately with Steamboat Springs voters.
Since July 2024, the project has logged over 1,200 hours of community conversations, engaged hundreds of residents, conducted dozens of one-on-one interviews, held nearly 30 small group discussions with organizations ranging from the Winter Sports Club to the Latinx Alliance, and convened two public workshops.
If the Steamboat Springs City Council decides to move into Phase Two, the process will dive deeper into exploring how to make Brown Ranch a community-supported and viable solution.
For more information and updates, visit engagesteamboat.net/brown-ranch-community-solutions-project.