An emergency ordinance halting all land use applications in the town of Fraser’s business zone district failed to pass at an Oct. 29 special meeting. 

The ordinance failed by one vote, with five board members voting in favor and two members voting against it. Trustees Adam Cwiklin and Kaydee Fisher cast the decisive opposing votes.

The special meeting was called over mounting concerns about new land use applications in the town’s business district zone, according to Fraser Town Planner Garrett Scott. The six-month moratorium would have put a pause on new developments in the zone, which encompasses prominent downtown real estate along U.S. Highway 40, from the St. Louis Landing housing site to the East Grand Fire Station.

According to Scott and Assistant Town Planner Alan Sielaff, the moratorium would be in place as the town drafts its comprehensive plan, allowing town staff to gather feedback on current developments and reassess community needs before new projects move forward. 

Currently, the business district zone allows multi and single-family dwellings. The town’s new comprehensive plan could change the zoning rules in the business district to require commercial or mixed-use establishments, limiting new residential units. Many Colorado municipalities have a requirement for a certain amount of commercial properties within a business district, Scott said, and a similar requirement in Fraser would fall in line with the trend.

According to town officials, updating the business district’s code to include more commercial requirements could help protect Fraser’s long-term revenue and economic stability, broadening its tax base. Trustee Lewis Gregory, who supported the moratorium, cautioned that if more land is rezoned or developed primarily for housing, Fraser could lose valuable commercial space.

“This is really hypothetical, but what happens if Safeway or Murdoch’s left Fraser? We wouldn’t have anything … it would be disastrous,” he said.

At the meeting, real estate developers and Grand Park Colorado associates spoke out against the moratorium and town staff’s proposed commercial requirement, arguing that the town’s need for housing outweighed the need for additional commercial space.

“We have a housing crisis,” said Clark Lipscomb, manager of Grand Park. “As a business owner, I know that the number one thing we need are employees, and we need a diverse inventory of housing, and that’s what our company is trying to deliver.”

Grand Park is planning several housing developments in Fraser’s business business district, including the Ascent Condominiums, which will convert the X Sports building into 25 new residential units. The plan was approved by the town on April 2. In August, they submitted a sketch plan for a total of 372 more residential units at Meyer Lots one and two, located at the corner of County Road 72 and Elk Creek Drive. The plan also includes 6000 square feet of commercial space.

On Oct. 27, town staff received site plan submissions for the two lots. According to town code, staff members have up to five business days to determine whether an application is complete, and as of Oct. 29, the site plans had not yet been approved. If the proposed emergency moratorium had been enacted, all progress on Meyer Lots one and two would have been paused for six months.

Fraser Mayor Brian Cerkvenik said the town currently has a “tremendous amount of residential development on the books,” and the moratorium would help officials spend the next six months working with the community to figure out whether to prioritize commercial space or housing projects. 

However, members of the public said their priorities were already clear — housing shortages should take precedent. 

“The biggest problem we have is stable housing,” said Kevin Cook, a local service industry worker. Despite spending working in the Fraser Valley and spending the majority of his time there, he bought property in Clear Creek County because it was more affordable, he said.

The St. Louis Landing project, located in the business district zone, is currently Fraser’s only designated affordable housing development, under the federal standard that housing costs should not exceed 30% of a resident’s gross income.

“This moratorium is not preventing affordable housing,” Gregory said, noting that Grand Park’s proposed housing developments offer market-rate prices. 

After a 5-2 vote, the emergency moratorium ordinance will not take effect, and developers will push forward on planning and executing additional residential developments to the downtown area.

Fraser town staff now expect to publish a draft of their comprehensive plan by the end of next week. After review by town planners, the document will open for public comment from November through December. Staff will review feedback and make updates before a final adoption anticipated in February 2026, according to Scott.