I've lived in rural mountain communities for over twenty years. Like Oak Creek, these communities were developed to support workers and families in the mining and timber industries. Over time, the coal resources were no longer plentiful; the virgin timber had been clear-cut, and these industries and thousands of residents moved on, leaving behind struggling local economies, unique mountain cultures, and wild and vast landscapes. But why did some folks decide to stay and plant generational roots rather than follow the industries that financially supported them? I know that's a loaded question, but I believe the answer is simple: the mountains and valleys called to them, just as the Allegheny Mountains called to me at nineteen when I left my childhood home in Champaign, Illinois.
I can't fault folks for wanting to visit and relocate to rural mountain landscapes like Oak Creek; I am one of them. I love skiing, hiking long-distance, and paddling lakes and rivers as a family. The close and ample access to public lands was one of the reasons we settled in South Routt. But this love that attracts folks like myself to this area is almost becoming our demise. Adventure travel and tourism have proven to revitalize struggling economies. Still, they can also lead to overdevelopment and population explosions that stress local infrastructure, public safety and services, and the overall quality of life in rural living. Oak Creek is in a unique position, though. We can learn from others' mistakes, and I hope we can agree preserving Oak Creek's local, small-town way of living is critically important to protect.
Affordable Housing
My husband and I purchased the building on Sharp Avenue, formerly known as the Community United Methodist Church of Oak Creek. We knew converting the former church into a family residence would be a lifelong commitment, but it's more than a renovation project; it's about preserving the sanctity of a space that many in our community hold near and dear to their hearts. But before buying the church, we were like so many, a one-income family with a small child trying to find a place to call home. Stories of new residents unable to relocate and long-standing residents forced to leave because there's no affordable housing available are all too familiar. Losing residents, for example, creates vacant positions in our school district, local restaurants, and town operations, which puts emotional and fiscal stressors on those involved. The lack of affordable housing is a necessity our community members and businesses shouldn't face. I fully support a multi-district workforce housing needs assessment and potential development of the Tramway property on County 25 and infill properties throughout town. A lesson I learned working as a Marketing Manager for a resort development company, Playground Destination Properties, is that building for second homeowners satisfies a buyer's wants; building workforce housing supports the needs and vitality of a community - I choose to support our community.
Parks & Recreation
I'm an entrepreneur at heart, and one of the things that attracted me to Oak Creek was its room for small business growth. As a certified Yoga Teacher and Therapist, I established South Routt Collective. I teach community yoga classes in Oak Creek, Yampa, and McCoy and offer private yoga instruction. Once construction is complete downstairs of our home, I'll expand class offerings focusing on creative arts, wellness, and an affordable rental space for the community. And with recreational participation on the rise in Oak Creek, whether through kids programming, the Mountain Park, or the banks of Oak Creek itself, its apparent access to recreation, childcare, and community parks is essential to our residents. It's only the beginning of recreational growth and programming in Oak Creek, and I would love to have the opportunity to help expand on it.
Economic Development
Economic development is crucial to support the well-being of Oak Creek. Current infrastructure projects include reconstructing Sheriff's Reservoir, and we are securing funding to update our water and sewer treatment plants. I know community members ask why we don't pave our roads; I've asked the same thing because I get exhausted from clearing layers of dust in our house. Still, first, we must address the degrading and leaking lines below the road surface; I want to know how many labor hours contribute to line repairs that town operations need to use elsewhere, how much water we lose to the water table, and how many homeowners experience house flooding because of broken lines. Our town has dramatically improved our infrastructure in the last ten years, but there's still work as a town board we need to accomplish.
We've also seen many improvements to our downtown. Since my family and I moved to Oak Creek 4.5 years ago, it's become a vibrant and walkable main street that's improving our residents' liveability and quality of life. Having a downtown full of thriving businesses and events benefits the community; the sales tax helps support our community's fiscal needs and, in addition, creates local jobs and allows our town to be self-sufficient. Much like our infrastructure, let's celebrate the accomplishments and recognize we still need to make improvements. I want an updated strategic plan that includes working with current property owners who own vacant downtown properties, planning for a potential rail stop, and utilizing our currently allocated funding to plant our town's Christmas tree and update the main street lighting. One improvement I'm excited to have helped execute is a new pedestrian crosswalk that CDOT will install in spring. With increased foot traffic downtown, I became concerned for pedestrian safety. A traffic study performed by CDOT proved increased traffic flow through Oak Creek, qualifying us for a crosswalk. This crosswalk will help create pedestrian visibility and slow drivers down on 131.
Public Safety
I'm proud to call Oak Creek home, and one of my favorite things about this town is developing genuine and trusting relationships with community members. The O.C. has the help-your-neighbor mentality; when of age, our kids go out to play without worrying about their safety, and my only concern is encountering predatorial wildlife when walking the dog at night. But times are changing; residents are expressing they don't feel as safe and secure in our community as they once used to. This feedback concerns me, and I'm listening. I'm also ready to seek solutions and work on rebuilding the trust through accountability, which needs to be improved in our town board and public safety.
