Voices of the Valley looks toward future

Housing availability outlook bleak

For the past several months, Voices of the Valley (VOV) has been going through a transitional period, according to KayCee Alameda, the VOV coordinator and project manager for Sonoran Institute.

VOV was formed in 2010 to facilitate community dialogue, Alameda said. During that time it was a collaboration of non-profit organizations. The program is now operated through a group of volunteer residents who live in the Platte Valley.

The mission statement is as follows: “Voices of the Valley is a transparent public forum respectful of all points of view. Open to community members and other interested parties, it fosters the widest possible public engagement in learning, collaboration and discourse about economic, social and ecological factors shaping the future of the Upper North Platte Valley.”

The mission statement was adopted in January.

Alameda said VOV is not an advocacy group and members are not for or against energy development. VOV is interested in responsible growth in the Platte Valley.

VOV is keeping its finger on the pulse of what is happening around the county that may affect the Platte Valley.

“We are looking at energy development processes that may affect (the Valley),” Alameda said. The companies currently include Power Company of Wyoming, a wind farm company; DKRW Advanced Fuels, a coal-to-liquefaction company and Continental Divide-Creston, a company planning to add 8,000 wells to the already 4,000 existing wells in a field west of Rawlins.

Alameda said there are several other projects in the planning stages including pipelines, transmission lines and small wind farms.

“We are not focused on one single development,” Alameda said. “We are more focused on ‘Does the Upper North Platte Valley have the room to accommodate these developments as far as housing.’”

What VOV is finding is a whole lot of no, Alameda said.

VOV hired Lee Nellis, a planning development consultant, to compile information to create a gravity model of housing available in the areas that are likely to house incoming workers.

As of the March 2013 report, Nellis reported there would be a shortage of 116 housing units in the region and a shortage of 263 housing units in the Carbon /Sweetwater Counties.

Nellis reported to VOV the model is still being refined.

Alameda said that the model covers operational workforce and not construction workforce.

Nellis looked at amenities to determine where people would choose to live included daycare, schools, recreation variety of shopping, travel time and crime to name a few, Alameda said.

The concerns of adequate housing go beyond employment, Alameda said. A housing shortage could impact tourism as workers fill up the hotels and there is no place for tourists to stay when they visit.

Nellis has been studying the impacts in Sublette County, Alameda said, as the Jonah field had a huge affect on Pinedale and Big Piney.

VOV’s job is to educate the public to develop wisely, Alameda said.

The group started with the Carbon County Commissioners Feb. 26. Tuesday VOV will present to the Saratoga Planning Commission, March 14 to the Riverside and Encampment Councils and March 19 to the Saratoga Council.

“We will start with these decision makers and then start having public meetings,” Alameda said.

Currently, VOV has 45 members, with 25-30 actively involved. People who are interested in learning more about VOV can call Alameda a 307-710-8646 or email her at [email protected].

 

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