The town of Oak Creek is moving ahead with steps to determine the scope and cost of building infrastructure for the Tramway Park subdivision.

Plans for the proposed development began in 2014 when the town acquired 9.44 acres along County Road 25 in the town’s southwestern corner.

Located at 24120 C.R. 25, Tramway Park would include about 33 housing units located on roughly 8.5 acres, with a mix of townhouses and detached small single-family homes — or tiny homes. 

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Earlier iterations of the subdivision included a public park, an amphitheater and space for an RV park and tent camping.

A primary purpose of the town’s initial property acquisition was to expand the existing public works complex, but there remains more than 8 acres of unused land.

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The Oak Creek 2015 Comprehensive Plan directed town officials to “investigate all available means to implement housing initiatives.” 

The preliminary engineering work for the subdivision was commissioned in 2017, detailed in a 37-page Tramway Park Preliminary Master Plan.

According to a Oak Creek Housing Needs Assessment published on Jan. 8, “Oak Creek has no active rental listings on the market.”

The assessment recommends planning for the “annual development of seven to 11 rental units. This proactive approach would help stabilize the rental market, accommodate potential population increases, and provide a diverse range of housing options.”

While much of Colorado has experienced growth in recent years, Oak Creek’s population remained essentially the same over the past five years. “This trend is largely due to lower household sizes and an aging population,” according to the assessment. 

The town’s population dropped from 863 to 859 residents between 2018 and 2023, while the county grew 3%, from 24,314 residents to 25,064. 

The median age of Oak Creek residents increased over that same time period from 36.5 to 45.2 years and “the percentage of households with children under age 6 went from 44% to 9.7%.”

“The town’s population is aging, with a decreasing number of young people choosing to stay in the area,” reads the assessment’s key takeaway. “This demographic shift may result in workforce shortages and could limit the community’s growth potential unless proactive measures are taken to attract younger residents.”

Of 496 total housing units in Oak Creek, about 12.3% are vacant, 67.3% are owner-occupied and 32.7% are renter-occupied, according to the analysis. 

Average home value in Oak Creek increased 105.3% from $157,400 in 2017 to $323,100 in 2022. 

With a projected need over the next five years of between 39 and 64 housing units (both rentals and for-purchase homes), Oak Creek Interim Town Administrator Mary Alice Page-Allen said at the Feb. 27 meeting the development of Tramway Park could “make a huge difference for the community.”

The town recently began the process of creating an updated 2025 Comprehensive Plan. 

Referring to funds shared with the South Routt School District and the town of Yampa that are designated for studying housing opportunities and infrastructure needs on land owned by the towns and school district, the Oak Creek board of Trustees on Feb. 27 agreed to use a portion of the fund’s remaining $49,500 to solicit an infrastructure engineering plan for Tramway Park.

Page-Allen noted there are a number of issues that would need to be addressed regarding the land, including cleanup of an old wastewater building and structural issues on County Road 25, which saw a landslide in 2011.

According to the 2017 analysis of the road, “The slope failure is likely the result of a combination of factors including groundwater/subsurface runoff perched over clay-stone bedrock surface and steep topography. The existing downhill slope of C.R. 25 is currently in an unstable configuration and reconstruction is necessary to provide long-term stability.”

Page-Allen also emphasized the need to explore different options for funding construction of the proposed subdivision — including looking for a private developer with whom to partner.