Thank You to Our Partners in Rifle
Thank you to the City of Rifle and the Rifle Community
Habitat for Humanity Roaring Fork Valley is grateful for all the recent community support we have received for the Wapiti Commons Affordable Housing Community of 20 new homes in South Rifle at Wapiti and Smith Streets. Wapiti Commons was inspired by a generous land donation of a parcel at Wapiti Park by Clay Crossland and Paul Adams. We are currently moving through the approval process and planning our groundbreaking in March of 2022. Habitat is no stranger to the Rifle and Silt communities, as we partnered with families, volunteers, land owners, and businesses to build a total of 21 homes since 2006. It is exciting for us to return to Rifle to build 20 more homes with families and older adults that live and work in the Rifle community.
We would particularly like to take this opportunity to recognize the Rifle City Council for their recent action granting fee waivers of $100,000 from their required impact development fees for the Wapiti Commons development. We appreciate this endorsement by the City, as their generous waiver acknowledges that affordable homes are an essential investment for the future contributing to long term economic vitality and quality of life of the Rifle community. Additionally, our recent unanimous approval from the Rifle P&Z was another step toward the feasibility of the development. Other initial partners have included Western Colorado Community College, Glenwood Springs Workforce Center, Western Colorado Community Foundation and the Western Garfield County Chamber of Commerce that we intend to work with when developing this new community.
Our commitment is to prioritize the sale of these 20 homes to Rifle working families and older adults earning 80% of the Garfield County Area Median Income. Our planned sales price for the approximately 1,700 SF townhomes (including garage) will start at $285,000. The three bedroom condos are also approximately 1,168 SF (with detached covered carport) and will start at $250,000. The older adult one bedroom ADA accessible condos are approximately 1,159 SF (including garage) and will start at $185,000. These homes are priced lower in comparison to other properties currently on the market, the key difference being the deed restriction upon sale which guarantees the long term affordability of the homes, while providing the homeowners the ability to earn equity.
This Habitat development will take more than approvals and endorsements for our success, we are eager to work with the community to find partner families, donors and volunteers which will allow us to complete the Wapiti Commons neighborhood by the end of 2023. Prioritizing families who work in Rifle and older adults who call Rifle home is our commitment to the community as we expressed throughout our development application process. It is important to us to invest in the Rifle community and support the valuable workforce of the local business and institutions and preserve the precious time that parents spend commuting, which directly impacts the quality of their home life.
Our homebuyer application process will start in the spring of 2022, but in the meantime stay connected with updates and open house announcements by visiting our website and sign up for our Wapiti Commons email list. Carolyn Meadowcroft, Habitat’s Homeowners Services and Community Outreach Director, is ready to assist anyone interested in the development, click here to contact her.
Best wishes for a joyful holiday season and peaceful New Year.
Gail Schwartz
President, Habitat for Humanity of the Roaring Fork Valley