Glenwood Springs Campground Becomes 98-Home Development

Glenwood Springs —The gravel of Highway 6 crunches under tires as you pass the familiar, weathered signs of Ami’s Acres Campground, a fixture of the landscape west of Glenwood Springs since 1973. But for the folks who’ve watched the valley shift, that quiet RV park is about to become something else entirely. On Monday, Garfield County commissioners unanimously approved a rezoning request that will transform the roughly 25-acre property at 50235 Highway 6 and 24 into Mitchell Creek Community, a planned unit development (PUD) that will replace the campground with 98 new for-sale homes.

It’s a significant change for a spot that has long offered temporary rest to travelers, but the developers behind the project, Neils Cotter and Andrew Settle, argue it’s necessary. Represented by Douglas Pratte of The Land Studio Inc., they pitched the project not as a luxury enclave, but as a response to a specific gap in the market. During the meeting, Cotter told the commissioners that feedback from the community pointed toward a saturation of rental options, while ownership opportunities remained scarce. “What we heard from the people in the community was we don’t need any more rental housing,” Cotter said. “What we need is for-sale housing, ownership opportunities, and at price points that work for the people that live and work here.”

The proposed homes are designed to be accessible, primarily consisting of three- and four-bedroom units ranging from 1,150 to 2,600 square feet, with an average size of about 1,500 square feet. Ten of these units will be deed-restricted workforce housing, and all properties will be sold as fee-simple, meaning buyers will own both the structure and the land beneath it. When pressed on pricing, Cotter estimated that an average home could sell for between $575,000 and $650,000, though final figures haven’t been locked in. He emphasized the intent to avoid overbuilding: “We’re not trying to build these as ultra luxury homes,” he said. “They’ll be nice homes, but nothing too fancy.”

The path to approval wasn’t without friction. The Garfield County Planning and Zoning Commission had recommended approval back in August, but concerns lingered regarding debris-flow hazards, wildfire mitigation, pedestrian access, and the potential influx of short-term rentals. These issues resurfaced during Monday’s session, with commissioners seeking clarity on how the developers intend to manage them. Staff planner John Leybourne outlined the technical challenges, particularly the risk of debris flows from the hillside directly above the property. A conceptual analysis identified several proposed lots that could be vulnerable, prompting recommendations to remove or redesign them. Cotter noted that the team is still evaluating those specific parcels, suggesting they might adjust boundaries or incorporate additional attached homes to maintain the target count of 98 units.

As the dust settles on the rezoning vote, the physical reality of the site remains unchanged for now, but the legal framework has shifted. The campground’s quiet evenings are likely to give way to construction noise in the coming months. For neighbors in the valley, the question isn’t just about the new homes, but about how a rural corridor is being redefined by density. The hillside above the property stands silent, waiting to reveal whether its geological risks have been fully mapped. Until then, the only sign of change is the new zoning designation on the county records, a bureaucratic marker for a very tangible transformation of the landscape.