The Steamboat Pilot & Today

I would like to see small and locally owned stores throughout Steamboat and to keep the small town feel of our town. Chain stores are just unattractive and take away from the charm of living here.

That said, if the store were here already, would I visit it now and then? probably yes. It would help my budget. Once there it would be hard not to fall to the temptation of saving a buck. As an experience though, shopping there will not add to my quality of life, as compared with the personable experience of interacting with business owners and supporting small business.

People concerned with how hard it is for the local middle class to survive in Steamboat should not be trying to help with a “$1 store”. That does not help the financially struggling local in a significant manner at all and as a side effect brings ugly-ness and a loss of identity to our town.

What we need is housing for the middle class, those of us who don't qualify for “affordable” housing, yet can't afford to buy a house for our families.

If we had housing that was reasonably priced, local families would have some money left in our budgets so as to support our local businesses, instead of having to run out of town to Silverthorn or Denver to get lower prices, as part of the constant struggle to make ends meet.

A $1 shop in Steamboat might save me a few dollars, but I'd rather not have it here in my town.

The difference it would make in my budget would be so small, it would not be worth it. Let's spend our time and energy in mitigating the real problem, attainable housing.

Keep big impersonal business out of our lives.