I am writing this letter as a concerned citizen about the impending decision pertaining to annexation of the Brown Ranch development. I urge you to exercise extreme prudence and consider alternatives to a full-scale annexation of the project at this time.

While I feel that the Yampa Valley Housing Authority has done a very good job addressing the shortage of affordable housing with many recent and planned projects, I believe it more prudent to proceed with this development in a phased manner that will allow an opportunity for periodic evaluation of outcomes and to make modifications as appropriate. While I fully support earmarking 75% of the short-term rental tax to the Yampa Valley Housing Authority, I see no need for a rush to put it before the voters in November.

As has been pointed out publicly, there is a huge capital gap associated with this project that will occur within the next 10 years that no one has yet figured out how to address. In my opinion, a decision to fully commit to this huge project currently amounts to poor public policy for the good of our community.

Gary Pon
Steamboat Springs