FAQs

Yes, this 20.4-acre site is zoned Residential Suburban Medium Density (RSM). This zoning is designed for moderate-density development in or near community centers where transit and utilities exist, and by-right allows for single-family, duplex, and multi-family homes, as well as small convenience commercial uses.  

EJ Crossing is not designed to bring new people to the valley. It is designed to house people who already live and work here. The Roaring Fork Valley is short thousands of homes for its existing workforce. Retiring workers who are housing secure are retiring in place, making it increasingly difficult for employers to recruit and retain employees given the high prices of free-market housing. Without new workforce housing, employers, schools, healthcare providers, emergency services, and local businesses will continue to face staffing challenges. The cost of inaction is longer commutes, higher turnover, and continued pressure on community services. 

The landowner, Crawford Properties, has owned this property for decades and has a long history of supporting workforce housing and community benefits throughout the Roaring Fork Valley. They always intended this site to become workforce housing and wish to work with Aspen One because of its commitment to that vision. The property is zoned Residential Suburban Medium Density (RSM), allowing up to 163 residential units or more, by right. Whether developed by Aspen One or another owner, this land is planned and zoned for housing. 

EJ Crossing will be unlike any other project in the valley. It will be the biggest private employer-driven investment in workhouse housing ever undertaken in the Roaring Fork Valley. There will be no market-rate housing, no vacant/second homes, and no short-term rentals (STRs). 

All 163 units are restricted to employees of Roaring Fork Valley employers, and continued employer participation is secured through a first right of purchase. Twenty-one units carry a deed restriction held by Eagle County, with rents price-capped for households earning 80%–100% of Area Median Income (AMI). The remaining 142 are restricted to local workforce occupancy but are not additionally restricted by income, serving households from below 80% AMI up to  250% AMI or more, the level at which a family or employee in this valley can finally buy on the open market.

As the valley’s largest private employer, Aspen One will lead development of the property and a large portion of the units will be made available to Aspen One employees and their families. Additional units will be made available to other community partners struggling to house their own employees. Those conversations are ongoing and may include public entities such as fire, school, recreation, and hospital districts, as well as other private employers and small businesses. EJ Crossing will indeed be a 100% workforce project and ultimately embody a healthy cross section of what makes our valley so vibrant.

Units at EJ Crossing are tied to valley employers, so the path  runs through your employer. If you would like to live here, encourage your employer to get in touch. Individuals are welcome to reach out as well, at teams@eljebelcrossing.com, so we can gauge demand as the project takes shape. An official waitlist has not been created yet.

As required by the Eagle County land use approvals process, the project has been reviewed by all service providers, including water and sewer via the Mid-Valley Metro District (MVMD), fire and EMS, the Roaring Fork School District (RFSD), electricity, and communications. All providers have confirmed sufficient capacity to serve this project. Specifically, MVMD has developed this site in their master plan, and no off-site infrastructure upgrades will be required for the processing plant, plus water and sewer lines are in place up to the property line. 

The Basalt schools, part of the RFSD, recently recorded their lowest combined enrollment in 14 years, not a sign of too many students but rather that they are rapidly losing students. This will result in the loss of 7 teachers in the 2026-27 school year. EJ Crossing doesn’t create the problem; it will start to solve it, bringing back much-needed students to the district while also helping to house teachers, nurses, coaches, EMS workers and more. 

This project represents a 6.6% increase in trips at the Wendy’s light, and the project’s trips can be accommodated without compromising public safety. There are existing issues at this light during morning peak traffic, where the southbound through and southbound left (turning upvalley) are Level of Service (LOS) F. Like school grades, an A is good and an F is failing. The intersection itself is NOT failing. Only one turning movement, at one peak period during the morning is failing. All other movements at the intersection, at other times of day, operate at LOS C. With the project, the intersection continues to operate at LOS C/D during all times of day except morning peak, which continues to operate at LOS F.

The southbound left operates at LOS F both today and with the project’s traffic volumes. This is because CDOT prioritizes Highway 82 through-traffic, a practice it will continue and one the project cannot reasonably influence.

Moving the workforce that now commutes long distances up and down the valley closer to transit and closer to their jobs may be the only opportunity the community has to reverse the current trends, reduce trips on Highway 82, and influence how CDOT manages wait times. Again, EJ Crossing has the opportunity to do the unprecedented and start to make the issues better!

The traffic study shows the southbound El Jebel Road vehicle queue at the peak a.m., which is the worst queuing scenario, still will not back up into the Shadowrock Drive roundabout. 

Northbound and southbound left turns from Valley Rd and JW Drive are already at Level of Service (LOS) F today, which is a pre-existing condition not attributable to EJ Crossing.  

CDOT is considering a three-quarter or right-in/right-out restriction, which would restore acceptable operations and improve safety. Aspen One supports facilitating a conversation with CDOT to implement these safety upgrades. 

No. EJ Crossing houses people who already live and work in this valley, so it does not add population; it relocates it closer to where the jobs, transit, and services already are.

Infill development is the process of building on vacant, abandoned, or underutilized parcels of land within established, already-developed areas. Smart growth is building inward and putting housing close to transit, jobs, and existing infrastructure. EJ Crossing is the textbook definition of infill development and smart growth. Instead of pushing new construction outward into open spaces (urban sprawl), it maximizes existing infrastructure and increases housing density. A project like EJ Crossing brings the existing workforce closer to where they work, reducing vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas emissions.  

YES, it will! The Roaring Fork Valley is not collapsing. It is eroding — quietly, steadily, one family at a time. A teacher leaves. A nurse commutes from Rifle. A paramedic takes a job in Grand Junction where they can buy a house. A family pulls their kids from Basalt Elementary and moves to Glenwood. None of it makes the news. All of it makes the valley a little less lively, a little less safe, a little less itself. EJ Crossing is not a disruption to the community; it is the community deciding to stop the erosion. It is designed to have a meaningful, positive impact on daily life in the Roaring Fork Valley. Here is what that impact looks like: 

• The ski patrol member who currently drives from Glenwood gets 30 minutes more sleep before heading to the mountain.
• The Basalt teacher who has been looking for a place to live can finally commit to staying in the district.
• The ER nurse at Valley View who has been commuting from Rifle is now a neighbor, not a long-distance commuter.
• The family that would have left the valley, whose kids would have left the Roaring Fork School District, stays.
• Crown Mountain Park gets more year-round users. Local restaurants and shops get a more stable customer base. The El Jebel commercial corridor gets vitality. 

Multi-family medium-density uses less than half the water of a large single-family home. On average, single-family homes consume 200-350 gallons of water per day and the average multi-family home only 80-120 gallons per day. Additionally, the landscape will incorporate minimal irrigated lawn space, xeric plants, and non-irrigated groundcover.  

Water: The Mid-Valley Metropolitan District (MVMD) provides water service and has confirmed it has sufficient capacity to serve the proposed residential units. Utilities were sized for this development when the site was originally platted — water and sewer stubs are already at the property boundaries. No off-site upgrades are required. Tap fees of $10,000–$14,000 per unit will be paid to MVMD. The project also incorporates water-conserving fixtures, smart irrigation, raw water irrigation where available, and xeric landscaping to minimize demand. Multi-family medium-density uses less than half the water of a large single-family home. On average, single-family homes consume 200-350 gallons of water per day and the average multi-family home only 80-120 gallons per day. 

Sanitation: Sanitary sewer service is provided by MVMD, which has confirmed capacity. Standard tap fees and service agreements will offset any demand increases. As this site was always slated for medium-density and multi-family development, sewer stubs are already at the property boundaries. Stormwater will be managed through on-site detention, vegetated swales, and best management practices that meet or exceed Eagle County and CDPHE standards. 

Power: Electric service is provided by Holy Cross Energy, which already serves the area and can extend service to the site without off-site upgrades. The project is 100% electric and is expected to be powered by 100% renewable energy by 2030 in cooperation with Holy Cross Energy’s clean energy transition goals. No new generation capacity or grid infrastructure upgrades are required. EJ Crossing is also excited to be exploring on-site renewables, serving as a model for sustainable neighborhood development. 

The property lies within the Roaring Fork School District, which has been formally consulted and has confirmed adequate capacity to serve the project. School impact fees will be paid as required, and the development will generate ongoing property tax revenue for the district.

The more important point, though, is where enrollment is actually headed. Enrollment in Basalt schools is declining, not growing — the district’s most recent figures show a drop well above the statewide average, and Basalt schools have reached their lowest enrollment in more than a decade. The district’s own superintendent has identified the cause: housing affordability. Families who work here can no longer afford to live here, so they leave, and their children leave the schools with them.

EJ Crossing does not burden the school district. It addresses the root cause of its enrollment decline by keeping working families in the valley.

The property is also located within the Childcare District, the Colorado Mountain College District, and the Crown Mountain Recreation District. Property taxes generated by the new housing will contribute to the childcare, recreation, and education services these districts provide — benefiting existing residents as well as future EJ Crossing households.

Traffic is typically the first objection raised against any new development. The concerns are real and deserve serious answers. The project’s traffic study, prepared by Kimley-Horn, a nationally recognized traffic engineering firm, confirms that the Level of Service (LOS) on surrounding roadways remains acceptable following development, or is appropriately mitigated by the development plan. Critically, the application notes that many anticipated trips are from individuals already traveling in the area, primarily on Highway 82, who may now have the opportunity to reduce their commute length or take transit. EJ Crossing primarily shifts existing cars and buses closer to work, services, and shops rather than adding entirely new vehicles to the regional network. 

The site has multiple access points with primary access via JW Drive, a public right-of-way connecting to Highway 82, and a secondary emergency access via Jaci Lane and Gillespie Drive. The design has been reviewed against Eagle County engineering standards. The application specifically confirms that legal access is in place and will not interfere with access to any neighboring private parcels. 

Additionally, the entire premise of workforce housing is to reduce commuting distances. Today, the workers who would live at EJ Crossing are driving into the valley from Glenwood Springs, Rifle, and beyond — adding miles to their daily commutes and contributing to congestion on Highway 82 at every choke point from Glenwood to Basalt. Placing those workers within walking distance of RFTA’s BRT station reduces, not increases, the cumulative vehicle miles traveled in the region. The project is transit-oriented by design, with direct pedestrian and bicycle connections to RFTA stops.  

The project will likely be built in stages but is not anticipating elongated phasing. So, once under construction, the project is expected to be fully occupied within approximately three years. 

EJ Crossing meets all dimensional standards of the Eagle County subdivision code. The project is located within the Residential Suburban Medium Density (RSM) zone district, which explicitly permits this type of development. No variance (a development term for an exception) for density, lot coverage, floor area ratio, building height, permeable space, or any other dimensional standards is being sought. The proposed density of 8.0 dwelling units per acre falls squarely within the Town of Basalt’s Medium Density Residential planning range of 6 to 11.9 units per acre, and is generally consistent with the Eagle County Mid Valley Area Community Plan’s designation which discusses 7 units per acre in medium-density residential areas and the possibility of bonuses for workforce housing projects. It is also worth noting that the adjacent El Jebel Mobile Home Park, a well-established, respected community, contains approximately 300 to 350 units on a comparable footprint, at a density comparable to or exceeding EJ Crossing. Additionally, worth noting is the Sopris View Aspen One housing on the south side of Highway 82 and adjacent to Crown Mountain Park, which is 11 units/acre as well. The density at EJ Crossing is not novel; rather, it is consistent with what already exists in the immediate neighborhoods. 

The site has been comprehensively evaluated for natural hazard risk and found to be low-risk across every category. It is not in a floodplain, not in an avalanche or rockfall zone, not on steep slopes, and is designated as a Low Wildfire Hazard Area. A full geotechnical study by Kumar & Associates confirms the site is suitable for residential use. All buildings will incorporate non-combustible exterior materials, defensible space, and current wildfire-resilient construction standards. 

The research says no. A ten-year study by Trulia examined the twenty least affordable housing markets in the country and found that affordable housing built during that span had no effect on nearby home values. A large-scale study by NYU’s Furman Center reached a similar conclusion, finding that property values near new affordable developments did not drop when those developments opened, and showed steady growth relative to the rest of the neighborhood in the years afterward. The variables that matter most are design quality and management, not the presence of workforce housing itself.

EJ Crossing is built around both. Aspen One will own and professionally manage the property, while lower-scale townhomes, setbacks, berms, and landscaping provide buffers for neighboring homes.

EJ Crossing is also privately funded, with no new taxes or special assessments for neighbors. And a strong local workforce supports the businesses, schools, services, and amenities that make the mid-valley a desirable place to live.

Absolutely. The site is zoned Residential Suburban Medium Density, which would permit free-market residential development at comparable densities. The same 163-unit multifamily project could theoretically be built at market-rate prices $1M – $2M a unit, or rents between $3,000–$8,000+ per month, consistent with prevailing market rents in Blue Lake, Willits, Tree Farm, and Shadowrock. However, the landowner is committed to working with a partner like Aspen One, which believes in the vision of a 100% workforce housing project on the site. 

If EJ Crossing is not approved, the valley does not stay the same – it gets worse. The consequences of inaction are predictable. Workers who would have lived at EJ Crossing continue commuting from Glenwood, Rifle, and beyond — adding to Highway 82 traffic, not reducing it. Schools continue losing enrollment as working families leave for communities where they can afford to live. Declining enrollment means declining revenue, which means declining programs and staff. Healthcare providers continue struggling to recruit and retain nurses, therapists, and support staff who cannot afford to live in the valley they serve. Emergency services continue competing for paramedics and firefighters who choose departments in communities where they can buy a home. Local businesses continue operating at reduced capacity, unable to fill positions, shortening hours and reducing services. Aspen One’s ability to operate the ski mountains, the economic engine of the entire Roaring Fork Valley, is directly threatened. Without qualified employees who can live in the valley, the ability to open and operate these facilities is under threat. The 20-acre site sits vacant, generating no tax revenue, no community benefit, and no housing until a future developer proposes free-market development at densities and price points far less accessible to the community. 

Every season without new workforce housing is another season of erosion – of community, of stability, and of the quality of life that makes the Roaring Fork Valley the place we know and love. 

The housing on the north and west edges of the property includes fencing and berms. Those buildings are also no more than two stories and of similar scale to our neighbors.

The project also includes a significant berm along Highway 82 to screen the new homes from automobile travel. This berm is of similar scale to those seen on the south side of the Highway and at projects further downvalley such as Blue Lake and Cerise Ranch. This investment in the landform and landscape will serve to mitigate sound and views of the Highway for both new residents of EJ Crossing as well as existing homeowners in Blue Lake. The berm will also screen the new homes from those travelling the Highway 82 corridor, keeping a consistent landscape all along the corridor.  

A Construction Management Plan will be developed and included with final construction plans approved with Eagle County. This plan will include all construction mitigation including noise, dust, staging, and phasing. Aspen One is also looking at ways to reduce overall construction time including off-site construction techniques which can reduce the time it takes to build the buildings themselves by half. 

EJ Crossing is a by-right project and is adhering to all significant development standards such as building height, floor area, setbacks, impermeable surfaces, and open space requirements. 

There are six Variance from Improvements Standards (VIS) requests in the application to Eagle County. They are as follows:  

1. Roadway Classification for Internal Streets

CODE: Eagle County Engineering Criteria Manual Section 8.4.E.2 classifies Internal Urban Residential Roads with fewer than 750 daily vehicle trips as local roads. Above 750 trips, they are classified as collectors, requiring an approximately 30-foot-wide roadway.

REQUEST: Classify EJ Crossing’s internal streets as local roads and allow a 26-foot roadway.

WHY: Although EJ Crossing will generate more than 750 daily trips, its streets function as local roads. They serve only homes within the private development and carry no through traffic or traffic from surrounding neighborhoods.

A 30-foot collector roadway would create a wider travel area that encourages higher speeds. The project’s traffic engineer concluded that the narrower 26-foot section is safer and better suited to a residential neighborhood, while also reducing pavement and stormwater runoff. The Fire Department has reviewed the roadway widths, turning radii and parking layout and identified no concerns.

2. Level of Service (LOS) at Highway 82 Intersections 

CODE: Eagle County code requires roads to operate at LOS C and intersections at LOS D. Southbound left (turning upvalley) operates at LOS F during peak morning traffic now regardless of the project. 

REQUEST: Allow this much-needed workforce housing project to move forward despite pre-existing conditions at the intersection — which CDOT manages for the benefit of the entire region, and which shouldn’t be reworked to accommodate a single project. 

WHY : The intersection is NOT failing. The intersection operates at LOS C today and LOS C/D with project traffic in 2028. The upvalley turn during the morning is the ONLY movement that operates at LOS F because CDOT prioritizes the up and down valley movements. The traffic analysis confirms that the project adds 6.6% of traffic to the El Jebel Road leg and the project’s trips can be accommodated without compromising public safety. 

3. Number of Units on a Dead-End Road 

CODE: Limits a dead-end road to serving 25 units. 

REQUEST: The plan is requesting 28 units on the dead-end road at the west end of the property — three more than the standard 

WHY : This is a modest deviation (28 vs. 25). We have met with the Fire District to review the site plan, and they have accepted the proposed design — confirming that emergency access and life-safety needs are fully met despite the small increase in units.

4. Right-of-Way Dedication 

CODE: Requires a 50-foot public right-of-way (ROW) for residential streets. 

REQUEST: Provide access and utility easements in place of a dedicated 50-foot public ROW 

WHY : EJX meets all dimensional road design standards but the roads will be privately owned and maintained, so a dedicated public ROW is unnecessary. Because the HOA, not the County, maintains the streets, taxpayers bear no upkeep, plowing, or repair costs. Easements provide the same access, utility, and emergency function. 

5. Road Drainage Design: Inverted Crown 

CODE: County standards require urban residential roads to slope from the center toward the edges.

REQUEST: Allow the internal streets to slope toward the center, where stormwater would be collected and drained.

WHY: This design provides the flat, 26-foot access width the Fire Department requires and manages stormwater more efficiently, using about half as many drainage structures — which lowers long-term maintenance costs. It also narrows the perceived driving lane, helping slow traffic in a low-speed residential neighborhood.

ADDITIONAL CONTEXT: These streets are classified as urban residential only because the County requested parallel parking. Absent that requirement, they would fall under rural residential standards, which already permit center-draining roads.

6. Parking Space Size

CODE: Eagle County Engineering Criteria Manual Section 7.2 sets the standard parking space at 10 feet by 20 feet.

REQUEST: Provide 175 spaces at 9 feet by 19 feet. The project includes 432 off-street spaces in total, so 40% are smaller than the County standard and 60% meet or exceed it.

WHY: Trimming a portion of the surface stalls reduces pavement and impervious surface across the site, which lowers stormwater runoff and frees land for landscaping and open space instead of asphalt. It also reduces what the HOA has to maintain and repair over time. The 9-by-19 dimension is commonly used in comparable residential developments in this area and continues to provide functional, adequate off-street parking for residents and visitors.

See below for the parking space size breakdown. 

EJ Crossing hopes to break ground in mid to late 2027. 

Employer restricted housing does have its limits and often ties housing to an employee’s job. Many affordable housing programs throughout the valley are continuing to evolve how this tie is considered and whether there are ways to help families remain in housing even while changing jobs. Aspen One is a vocal participant in and financial supporter of  programs like the West Mountain Regional Housing Coalition’s Good Deeds program which helps employees purchase homes not tied to employment. Projects like EJ Crossing may be able to contribute to solutions as well and Aspen One continues the dialog to find ways to support this effort.

Aspen One is engaging valley employers now, while the project is being planned and approved. The site is subdivided into 17 parcels specifically so that employers of different sizes can participate, from districts needing a handful of units to larger employers needing more. Organizations interested in housing their workforce at EJ Crossing can reach the team at teams@eljebelcrossing.com.