The recessionary pressure is also being felt in the local housing market, said Gary Severson, direc­tor of the Northwest Colorado Council of Governments.
  In Summit County, the avail­able inventory of homes for sale has doubled from a year ago, while the number of sales has dropped by half, he said, citing recent data from the Summit Association of Realtors.
  Sales of properties under $1.5 million have been most affected, Severson said, adding that the top end of the market — homes priced above $2.5 million — is still strong. “It’s not just Summit County,” he said, explaining that the same trend is evident in mountain resort communities around the West.
  The local real estate community is optimistic that sales will rebound fast when the faltering economy finds some footing.
  The simple law of supply and demand suggests that, once people start buying homes again, the existing stock of properties in Sum­mit County will be purchased, since there isn’t as much competi­tion from new home construction, Severson said.
  Morrison Love said she expects the state legislature once again to consider laws affecting municipal growth.
  The business community, as represented by C3, supports local control and opposes attempts to put finite growth boundaries on towns, she said.
  That puts the organization gen­erally on the same page as the Col­orado Municipal League, said Penny, who also serves on that group’s board.
  But at the same time, the league recognizes a need for municipali­ties to work together to address regional growth issues, he said.