Real Estate & Home Guide
Owning property in Pagosa Springs may inspire you to think outside the box
Strong real estate sales across Pagosa Country have recently led to some unique and creative development projects proposed by property owners.
Those projects range from creating new business in the community to others helping to add to the inventory of much-needed workforce housing.
The Pagosa River Domes project includes 14 individual geodesic lodging domes to be constructed overlooking the San Juan River just east of town along U.S. 160.
The project was approved by the Pagosa Springs Town Council in July. One of the domes will be ADA accessible.
The project will also include a 1,500 square foot hospitality building equipped with a diner and also a railroad car for dining. Each dome will be approximately 426 square feet, built on wooden decks. Domes will have access to the Riverwalk trail when a trail extension is completed.
Exterior lighting for local projects is required to be night-sky compliant allowing for neighbors to be able to gaze at the stars free from light pollution. City dwellers are in awe of the breathtaking night sky views in Pagosa Country.
A first-of-its-kind project for Pagosa Country consisting of six duplexes or 12 container homes has been proposed for Majestic Drive. Across the United States, container housing is gaining in popularity. There is even a series on HGTV featuring unique modern homes built from shipping containers.
Another popular HGTV show features tiny homes. This year, the Pagosa Springs Town Council approved plans for Legacy Village, a tiny home village off of Alpha Drive near Walmart. The proposed village includes 50 or less tiny home lots, community gardens, fire pits with seating, grill and seating areas, a hammock area, hiking trail, storage and laundry areas and a must-have for most locals will be a dog park.
New rental cabins have also received approval for 151 South 5th St. in downtown Pagosa Springs. A unique feature of this property will be geothermal-heated parking and sidewalks, which means no shoveling snow. This property will also connect to the existing downtown Riverwalk trail.
The Pagosa Springs Planning Commission gave the green light to a density bonus request for the Pagosa Inn and Suites Residential Apartment Conversion, which would allow for converting a lodging facility into 98 rental apartments if approved by town council.
Some people have purchased unique Pagosa Country properties and added their own personal touches. One of the more popular homes listed on Airbnb is the Wonder Haus, which is a “passive solar home” with a star-gazing observation tower.
The Wonder Haus has been featured on the Netflix series “World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals” and prides itself on being “intentionally unconventional.”
The Gazette in Colorado Springs featured the vacation property and noted that “Conde Nast named it one of the best Airbnb stays in Colorado. The clothing retailer Anthropologie called about getting photos there for its fall catalog.”
The home’s designer and builder, Jim Milstein, informed The Pagosa Springs SUN, after the Gazette’s article was reprinted locally, that “Asterisk is the house’s true name. It is so called because its floor plan of six barrel vaults radiating from a common center resembles an asterisk.”
He also pointed The SUN to an NPR feature, which reads, “Listener Jim Milstein of Pagosa Springs, Colo., built a stone tower. When he strums the steel guard rails inside, the parts of the cylindrical structure vibrate, making the whole thing a musical instrument.”
Living in Pagosa Country’s picturesque mountain setting inspires many to think outside of the box and create new beginnings. Moving to the region might just inspire you to do the same.
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