Ski Resort Workers Discover Doors Closing at Colorado Trailer Parks

The Casillas family owns a two-bedroom trailer bought with wages earned by washing dishes at the Keystone ski resort.

But they didn’t know where they will be living after May.

The owners of River Bar West trailer park, where the Casillas family rents space for $490 a month, opted to close instead of make improvements mandated as part of a program to upgrade the town’s image.

Most trailers already have been moved out of the park and into a dump because they are so old. The Casillas family has nowhere to relocate their home.

“If we leave, the government is not going to give us anything,” said Alberto Casillas, 19. “We’re going to lose it. Just like if we crashed and we lost a car because we didn’t have insurance.”

Located about 70 miles west of Denver at an elevation of 8,730 feet, Silverthorne was founded as a mining town. In 1953, Clayton Hill bought the mining companies’ land and turned it into subdivisions for construction workers building the Dillon Dam.

Many of the trailers in Silverthorne, which became a town in 1967, were brought in to house those workers as well as the people who later built the Eisenhower Tunnel through the Continental Divide.

When that work was done, the trailers were recycled into affordable housing for workers in restaurants, motels and nearby ski resorts. The town gradually became best known for a collection of 70 upscale outlet stores, including J. Crew and Le Creuset.

Eventually residents began complaining about the state of the trailer parks, which dot the main street next to the Blue River. At one point there were 11 parks, most with trailers dating back at least 20 years.

Nine years ago, town officials imposed stricter rules for trailer parks, such as paved roads, underground utilities and more space between the trailers. The final deadline is Aug. 1.

Many owners have decided to close their parks instead of making the costly improvements, leaving just 29 of the 153 trailers that existed before the rules were established.

The Casillases’ park has already begun closing; only families with children in school are allowed to stay until May 24. Silver Spring, the largest of the few remaining parks, must get rid of seven trailers to comply.

Senior town planner Michael A. Johnson said the town did not want to eliminate trailer parks but wanted to improve conditions.

Some of the oldest trailers posed public health problems, he said, recalling one trailer whose water supply consisted of a garden hose hooked up to a spigot.

Both Johnson and Silver Spring co-owner Phil Consella said they were surprised that more businesses did not push to keep the parks open since so many service workers depend on them.

Wages are relatively high, but most apartments cost about $1,000 per month and require first and last month’s rent and a deposit, unlike trailer parks.

Johnson expects many trailer residents will move to more affordable Kremmling or Leadville, about 45 minutes away, which are becoming Summit County’s bedroom communities.

Consella decided to stay open to continue making the mortgage payments on the property. He thinks it was fair for Silverthorne to make all trailer parks comply with the new standards.

Joyce Sultz, who works in Silverthorne, said she sympathizes with both the residents and owners of trailer parks.

Ever since she moved her trailer to a park between Frisco and Breckenridge three years ago, Sultz said she has heard rumors that it would be closed to make way for condominiums.

“It’s like they’re taking a break away from us,” she said.

Other Colorado communities are feeling the same crunch. Trailer parks in Steamboat Springs are full. In nearby Hayden, town officials may buy land to open a trailer park to provide affordable housing. By owning it instead of leaving an absentee landlord to do the job, town leaders believe they will be able to ensure the park is not overcrowded and is well maintained.

At the River Bar East trailer park in Silverthorne, just across the road from the park where the Casillas family lives, a developer plans to spend $8 million to build luxury condominiums, shops and offices.

Tired of all the blowing dust outside her family’s trailer, 12-year-old Daniela Casillas is looking forward to moving to an apartment. She said she knows her parents are worried about how much money they will have to spend on rent. The cheapest three-bedroom apartment they have found in the area costs $1,200 per month.

They were hoping to get a government-subsidized apartment in town for $850 per month. Even though their income fluctuates with the seasons, so far they have been told they earn too much.