A mobile tiny home learning center from the Colorado River Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) could soon be parked in Rifle, following a presentation to City Council during a June 4 work session.

“This is for kids who want to learn how to build things, it has updated vocational technology,” said city manager Patrick Waller. “Instead of a mechanics class, you go to this tiny home site and it has teachers for learning how construction works, framing, lots of stuff.”

The tiny home learning center is mobile and temporary in nature, so it can be moved easily. BOCES is exploring the possibility of placing it near the future Habitat for Humanity housing factory, which is planned for the Western Slope.

The city of Rifle is currently acting as a bond conduit to help Habitat for Humanity build the factory. Waller said the proximity of the learning center could create a promising partnership.

“As an idea, it sounds great, where the kids are learning to build right next to where they will be building homes for people to live in and around Rifle,” Waller said. “That’s not set in stone, but that would be interesting.”

The program would serve high school students and operate in coordination with the Garfield Re-2 School District.

“City staff was directed to bring them a lease to see if the council is good with it,” Waller said. “That would be the decision that council makes, when that lease is brought to them and if they approve it.”

The building will have a structure for shade and to keep snow and moisture off the building site, but it can move if the city needs to use the land for another purpose.

“We did discuss how the building would get electricity from the city,” Waller said. “There was some talk about donating it, since they would be teaching kids how to do important things, but this was just their presentation and nothing was decided.”