The board's July 31, 2026 memo says the proposed Declaration will be available for owner review and comment before a vote. No vote date has been officially noticed.
Beaver Mountain Estates Owners For Balanced STR Rules · South Fork, CO
Ban vs. Regulate

The same concerns. Two very different paths.

The concerns the board has raised — noise, parking, water and septic capacity, turnover — are real and worth addressing. Here's how each approach handles them.

Concern
Outright ban (Article IV)
Registration & rules
Noise / parties
Eliminates STRs entirely to remove the risk
Quiet hours, occupancy caps, enforcement deposit
Parking
N/A once STRs are banned
Listing must specify max cars; designated-drive rule
Water / septic capacity
Reduces load by removing STRs
Occupancy tied to bedroom count or verified sleeping capacity, paired with per-lot metering — see Water & Infrastructure
Accountability
N/A
Required local on-call contact, written lease, rental rider
Owner impact
Removes a legal, permitted use for every BME owner — including second-home owners who rely on it
Preserves the use while addressing specific problems
Legal risk to the HOA
Requires a declaration amendment under the official Article XX voting process; open to future court challenge or re-vote petitions
Lower risk — rules can be adopted and adjusted without a supermajority declaration amendment
Worth remembering

BME's own 2020 STR Committee proposed the rules-based approach

The August 2020 STR Committee findings memo presented registration plus supplemental rules as the alternative to an outright ban. Over three weeks, the committee talked to owners on all sides of the issue and reached no consensus. The memo nevertheless developed a detailed rules-based option—occupancy caps, night limits, quiet hours, parking standards, guest restrictions, and an enforcement deposit. In May 2025, another committee advanced a regulatory package designed to supplement rather than duplicate the County permit. Before a total ban is proposed, owners deserve the board's evidence-based explanation of why these BME-developed alternatives would be insufficient.

What a BME registration system could include

Drawn from Rio Grande County's permit conditions, BME's 2020 and 2025 committee work, and selected Colorado policy examples.

Owner registration

Every rental registered with the Association, with the Rio Grande County permit on file and a rental rider on the lease.

Occupancy caps

Maximum guests tied to bedroom count, keeping water and septic demand proportionate to what each home was built for.

Quiet hours

Clear, enforceable quiet hours — the same tool Telluride enforces around the clock.

Parking limits

Listings must state a maximum number of vehicles, with a designated-drive rule.

Local contact

An owner or property manager residing in Rio Grande County or a neighboring county—already required by the County—registered with BME for prompt complaint response.

Enforcement deposit

A deposit or fine schedule that gives the rules real teeth without a covenant amendment.

Agree that rules beat a ban?

Tell the board in writing before the vote — and make sure your ballot gets returned either way.

Get involved →
BME Owners for Balanced STR Rules

Prepared July 2026 by a group of Beaver Mountain Estates owners. Not an official BMEPOA communication and not legal advice.

Sources: BMEPOA board and annual meeting minutes (2020–2026), the board's July 31, 2026 memo, and 2020 STR Committee findings; Colorado Common Interest Ownership Act, C.R.S. § 38-33.3-217; Rio Grande County vacation-rental permit conditions and fee schedule. Verify current dates and amendment text against the board's official notice.