RED-HOT RED LODGE
Montana Mountain Town Slated For a Multimillion-Dollar Makeover
By Headwaters News, 7-31-07
Red Lodge has about 2,500 year-round residents, but the mountain town on Montana’s scenic Beartooth Highway is growing by leaps and bounds.
The Billings Gazette has published a series of articles about growth in the town, detailing the millions of dollars of new building projects, including the addition of 600 new homes.
Construction of a new critical-care hospital, and a new senior center on the hospital campus, along with a new high school is all slated to commence within the next year. Efforts are under way to raise the funds necessary to build a tournament-sized gym and a high-quality auditorium to give Red Lodge the opportunity to host sporting events and to give local musicians and students a venue for concerts and plays.
The Red Lodge Nature Center has begun raising the $8 million it needs for its new facility, and the Carbon County Historical Society is also planning a multimillion-dollar renovation of the building it purchased a few years ago which now houses the Historical Society’ Museum.
All that construction means many more workers will be coming to town, and as in other Rocky Mountain West communities, those workers won’t have many options when it comes to housing. Even with the addition of 600 homes, the price of those homes may be out of reach of many of the workers, with the median price of a home already at $235,000.
The Billings Gazette reports today that affordable housing is already a problem in the resort town, with business owners complaining that potential employees become discouraged by the lack of housing and move on.
One restaurateur is doing what some ski resorts are doing in Colorado: Buying up housing units specifically for his employees. Peter Christ, who needs seasonal employees for the Bridge Creek Back Country Kitchen and Wine Bar he’s run for 10 years, decided to buy two small houses and a duplex to rent to his employees.
While Christ acknowledged that the rental investments don’t really “pencil out,” he said he had to do it to keep qualified help.
Affordable housing is not a new issue, since the Red Lodge Area Economic Development Corp. made it one of its goal in its economic development plan developed in 2004, and discussions on allowing more dense development within the historic boundaries of the town, renovating upper floors of downtown buildings for residential use, and converting the old hospital building to affordable housing units once the new hospital is built.
But some residents aren’t waiting for their employers or their local officials to tackle their housing problem.
When a developer bought the 8 acres on which a 30-unit mobile home park on the north end of town was located, the residents--many of whom have lower-paying jobs in Red Lodge--decided to come up with a solution on their own.
Since the developer wanted just the highway frontage land, he agreed to sell the mobile-home park to the residents.
The residents formed a nonprofit organization, obtained local, state and federal grants, including a $500,000 federal affordable housing grant, and bought the land, with the help of a loan. Residents pay rent to the association, which is using those funds to pay off the loan.
[End of article]It's great that the mobile home park residents were able to buy out the owner and not have to move. Unfortunately, too many 'smart growth' plans end up focusing on aesthetics (property values) and trailer courts--especially already existing ones are not a part of the those plans.
It is also interesting to note that the owner of Bridge Creek restaurant in Red Lodge, Peter Christ, claims to be interested in the welfare of his employees. Two legislative sessions ago Mr. Christ personally and passionately lobbied the legislature against passing any minimum wage laws whatsoever.
I am a former resident of Red Lodge Creek. That's right, no one refers to it any other way if your a native. I could throw in "Lower" Red Lodge Creek to be a bit more specific, but the point is, I grew up in the area and graduated high school in Red Lodge.
I actually remember when there wasn't a ski run and the town was a pleasant little burg where the local farmers and ranchers did their business. The pea cannery was a big employer. It was of course also full of tourists in the summer being so close to Yellowstone.
Then more and more outside influence came to town and there was a ski run. In the winter on weekends Billings invaded, development at Cooney Reservoir also played a role. My Dad used to farm that ground around there. It's a big campground now. The locals are gone for the most part.
The town is turning into another Vale or Jacksonhole. No one can afford to live there and the attitudes are big city. It's sad.
Much of my family and all of my husband's family are from RL and our parents and aunts and uncles all still live there. Yes it is changing and growing...as is everything including Missoula (where we live now). I think understanding change and weighing in on decisions is crucial and Red Lodgians don't always do this....they instead complain about the Californians invading when it is the same Californians who are the bread a butter of their livelihood. A progressive attitude shift is much needed. It will grow and there will be growing pains. So, elect some folks who are forward thinking and realistic; folks who have the town's vitality, culture and economic development in mind.
I don't think it is Vail or Jackson yet....there is still time to prevent a boring community where you are either being served or serving (I was a server in Jackson for a while....yuck). RL still has a middle class and lots of charm. The good ol' boy club has gotta go.
I'm a Red Lodge resident. Recently we traveled on vacation to another tourist town. We were impressed with the friendliness of the people, far more friendly than the people we encounter in the shops and market of Red Lodge. Red Lodge has good points, many good points, but it can be a town with a lot of attitude, a didainful attitude that comes across openly a lot of the time. But if this is mentioned, horrors, that's plumb sacriligious. Red Lodge could learn a lot about genuine friendliness toward the people who contribute to the town's livelihood.
As for the good old boy system, it's not going anywhere anytime soon. It's firmly entrenched in the city and county as well. This year the city will enjoy a mayor's race for the first time in history between two women. But one thoroughly represents the old way of doing things. The other one combines good sense with progressive thinking. I'm not betting on the latter that's for sure, though I'm voting for her.
It will be interesting to see how things develop here in the years to come.
I also disagree with Jean in Montana. I moved from Sun Valley two years ago. I am a former US Ski Team member. Anyone who believes Red Lodge is becoming another Vail or Jackson Hole is ignorant both of the nature of progress (in general) and of Vail and Jackson Hole (and other world-class resorts). The writer, who needs to "get out" more often and more extensively. has clearly passed minimal time in large resorts and is unaware of the rate of change in every mountain town in the US. Although it is an extremely fun ski mountain (I love it), Red Lodge Mountain is not of the size and caliber that would ever permit it to be in the league of Vail or still very different than the "I am entitled to your worship" city-dwellers that comprise the majority of world class resorts.
Comment By traildog, 8-02-07I would have to say, without an apparent hint of irony, that Mr. Graham has displayed the arrogance as well as attitude the long(er) time locals often complain about. The point isn't that RL will be a world class resort with people in fur ski outfits parading around town, the point is, that if you are not a gear-head, ski-bum, paid in adrenaline kind of person, or a new property owner you will have tough time living in Red Lodge. What folks lament, and maybe don't say outright, and I'm not going to pretend to speak for anyone, are the changes of the town. As late as 1980, RL had 5 hardware stores, 4 clothing stores (not t-shirt shops or high end boutiques), 2 grocery stores, 2 butcher shops, 2 drug stores, etc.
The town had few full-time realtors and was dominated by backward-looking redneck good-ol' boys. Now the town has more realty offices than bars or churches and is dominated by prophet-driven worshippers of the mythic free market, who are mostly worried about their property values, and could really care less about the people who do the work. This attitude exists not only in transplanted Californians or Georgians, but also in the fourth generation "local" property owners who started making millions in the real estate game.
Change is inevitable, but "progress" as outlined in previous posts is not. The good ol boy network only changes as well: just different boys (or girls) with different sources of power.
Traildog feels like some others that, because "he was here first," his lineage somehow grants him an inate priviledge to determine how the town should remain. That, truly, is the pathetic irony, because like a few "interesting" parochials, he hopes to erect a dam against progress. History and common sense make it obvious to the most naieve observer that the dam will break and an uncontrolled flood will ensue. Simple common sense dictates a rational approach to development. Common sense is not so common. Emotion and hysteria errors are common.
Comment By Disgusted, 8-02-07To lack of commonsenseman, can you explain to me why you want to move somewhere if you want to change it to be like where you came from? Why not stay where you already have the things you want and let folks in red Lodge and elsewhere continue to live the life they obviously like. You may call it progress, I don't. I call it always wanting something different, then wanting to change it.
Comment By traildog, 8-02-07Commonsenseman obviously has a reading disability--which is unfortunate for someone with so damn much common sense. No where in my post do I claim what CSMan claims I have claimed. Try reading it again, CSman, this time more slowly, and see if you can get at the point of my somewhat rambling discourse.
Comment By CSM, 8-02-07Simply let the readers decide.
Comment By traildog, 8-02-07I should also add that I do not live in Red Lodge.
Comment By Bill Friendly, 8-02-07Sigh, it does seem to be true that a lot of well-meaning people who have moved here in the last 5-10 years are trying to make Red Lodge look like the places they came from. For instance we now have over-the-top "historic lighting" that lights up mainstreet like a runway. We now have huge hanging planters sporting masses of petunias and there are plans to hang metal sculptures by a local artist on them. While I don't have anything against flowers and artists, I do wonder what's coming next to change the flavor of the town until we have succeeded in making it cute. Oh, I know, there's a plan to widen the streets. And when they do, they have to move the new lighting that went in a year ago.
It seems fair to lament the overgrowth of the realty offices. It really is sad some of the great old bars are gone. And the locals will always call the IGA (now the Beartooth Market) the I Gouge All. The Gazette articles should have listed all things we miss here and lament seeing arrive.
I do agree the town is not yet a Vail or Aspen, not even close, not yet. The ski area here is practically belly up. The skiing would never support the kind of trade those resorts bring in.
hahaha, and I completely agree that the good ole boy network doesn't go away, it just changes faces. The same is true in national government.
Yup. On the whole, I'd say traildog nailed it.
I am finding this quite late on August 7. Bill Friendly, I so agree with you. And for the most part, Traildog. I am from RL. My family still resides there, most of them anyway. The IGA-oh how I know what you mean! LOL. I am in Florida now-not too happy about that, but that is where DH job takes us for the moment. I would love to raise my children in RL; I am not quite so negative about the people there-but I do agree with you, many need to learn the term and usage of "friendly". I hope RL never becomes a Jackson or Vail, and you are SO correct that the ski industry could never support RL, however, I am not sure about the belly up part either....! Anyways-good advice for all to read, let's hope they do! Miss you RL!! Oh, let's hope that new mayor is the "progressive" lady-I know her and she would be a fantastic mayor!
Comment By JeanInMontana, 8-09-07Traildog you stated very well what I made a poor attempt at. Thanks. People used to do their business in Red Lodge and buy their clothes, groceries, hardware, etc. They don't any more, they can't there is no place to get those things and not be robbed, so to speak. They go to Billings now. An entire way of life is nearly gone. Ranchers can't make a living ranching so they sell out to people from other places with money.
The world is changing, no way to stop it. There are too many people and too little thought. There is way to much me, me, me attitude and no thinking about what our actions may mean to another or our own future.
Steven Joseph Graham, you have helped to make my point much more than you did to discredit or make me look ignorant. It's that snotty ass punk attitude you display so well that makes me sad. You have no idea what I'm talking about and yet your ready to spout all you know about some ski run. So you lived in Sun Valley. BFD. Calling Vail or Jackson Hole progress is ignorant. And no I have never spent much time in Vail or Jackson Hole. I don't want to.
I have watched what has happened in the Gallatin and Paradise Valleys in the last twenty years, but you wouldn't know about that either.
I hope for the people who still live there someone with some direction does get to be mayor. I know all to well the good ol' boy network also. It will be a tough race and then she will need more than just her ideas to make a difference. Good luck.