The Town of Hayden, population 1,643, is a small ranching community located in the Yampa Valley 25 miles west of the resort town of Steamboat Springs.

The community is surrounded by large working ranches and has a strong agricultural and mining history that continues to the present day. Residents have a unique sense of place and share a deep commitment to maintaining their rich cultural and environmental heritage. In recent years, however, Hayden, like many communities throughout western Colorado, has found itself at a crossroads. 

Residents sensed that their community was at risk and that the economic success of nearby Steamboat Springs was slowly turning their community into Steamboat’s satellite, rather than a viable community in its own right.  Moreover, a proposal to build a 2,000-home subdivision on 900 acres on the outskirts of the town center was seen by many as a direct threat to the town’s vision – as spelled out in its Comprehensive Plan – of “a community where people choose to live and work.  A friendly, small community of neighborhoods where people recognize each other, share a sense of community and ‘family-type’ relationships.”

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