Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to reflect that the Ouray County Regional Service Authority no longer pays for the software used by the medical provider housed in the building it maintains.

A developer’s proposal for nine acres of vacant land neighboring the RE/MAX building in Ridgway turned into a Planning Commission discussion on the best use for the parcel.

Adam Waldbaum, who is working with DDS Builders in Ohio, presented a concept plan for the property, including a three-story, 110-room hotel with a rooftop restaurant. If built according to this concept plan, it would become the largest hotel in the county.

The project would also include 30 townhomes — 20 for sale and 10 rented by the hotel. About 1.5 acres along Highway 550 would remain vacant for future commercial development and a pocket park would be available for public use. The proposed project would be bordered by Hunter Parkway on the south, Redcliff Drive on the east and U.S. Highway 550 on the west, and it would be built around the current RE/MAX building.

Waldbaum, who said his parents live in the area and who plans to build a house here, said he has been considering development possibilities on the site for a long time. The lot is considered one of the last large-scale commercial properties available in town, according to documents provided to the planning commission.

“We are open to anything,” Waldbaum told the Planning Commission on Feb. 19. “It’s tough because of the size and nature of the town. We made every attempt to listen to staff and give you the most of what you wanted for the site. … If we can find something that is economically viable and hits the majority of what you are looking for, we would have something to possibly accomplish.”

Commissioners praised Waldbaum for being open to revising the proposal, saying they think a 110-room hotel is too big for Ridgway and the surrounding area, citing concern for the proposed three-story buildings, and saying the town had other needs such as an urgent-care facility and a large grocery store.

Waldbaum said while he understands town officials want commercial development on the site, 20 for-sale townhomes would help cover the cost of the land and make the entire project financially viable.

After nearly an hour of discussion, no decisions were made, and Waldbaum said he would continue to consult with town leaders on a workable option.

The parcel is zoned General Commercial with a planned-unit development overlay approved in the 1990s, which town Senior Planner Angie Kemp said in her report it appeared to be not feasible due to market factors and a misalignment with the current town vision and goals.

According to her report, in 2024, the town conducted a land-use analysis last year “to understand the amount of commercial and industrial land available compared to anticipated future needs and financial sustainability. This analysis concluded while there is plenty of commercially and industrially zoned land to meet future demands, it would not be advisable to reduce the amount available through rezonings.”

In the last few years, developers have proposed commercial uses to attract tourists, a town center with community gathering spaces, and residential development on the site.

Town Clerk Pam Kraft suggested the town needed more storefronts for locals to have small businesses. She also said the proposed development could have a negative impact on the town’s water and wastewater systems, which would need to be taken into consideration.

Commissioners said the proposed hotel is out of scale with Ridgway and not the type of commercial development the town anticipated on the lot.

One commissioner suggested a three-story building with an urgent-care clinic on the first floor, health care providers’ offices on the second floor and residential on the third floor.

“I can’t say I have a lot of experience in knowing what population would generate the need for an urgent care (clinic),” Waldbaum said. “From our perspective, if we build that structure, what would the rent be? I don’t know if it’s viable.”

County taxpayers currently subsidize a family practice clinic through property taxes, called a regional service authority, to keep Cedar Point Health in the RSA-owned building in Ridgway. The taxes pay for infrastructure and the building, and also financed the medical software used by the provider until the practice changed ownership two years ago.

Waldbaum reiterated he wanted to work with town leaders to find a development plan that works for both the town and the developers.

“We really like this site and at some point, without a big box (store), what other kinds of smaller (commercial development) can we put there?” he asked. “We are trying to accommodate what the town wants. Can we come up with something that meets your criteria that also is commercially viable?”

Deb Hurley Brobst is a longtime, award-winning journalist. She can be reached at deb.hurley.brobst@gmail. com.