On Aug. 22, developers started building Water House on Main Street in Breckenridge a $70 million condo complex with 55 luxury units, which are close to Quicksilver lift at the base of Peak 9.
Developers dubbed the interior design and furnishings, by Ranch House Design, as the highest quality in Breckenridge. Oz Architecture in Boulder designed the buildings, which will include a pool, 7 hot tubs, parking underground and a valet to carry skis.
The town of Breckenridge wanted townhome development, but it might be getting 60,000 square feet of storage units, instead.
Kurt Ave and Kirk Mickelsen think it’s more profitable to build storage on 4 acres they own on Highway 9, across from 7-Eleven. If they built townhomes, more than half would have to be affordable housing, according to town guidelines. So, in essence, the town’s stringent affordable housing demands on new developers are shooting both parties in the foot, and Ave and Mickelsen have decided not to play the game.
The county approved the Super Storage in 2007, despite the town’s concerns. Ave and Mickelsen plan to start construction by mid-fall. They say ther’s a demand for the units.
In November, the Summit County will ask for a property tax increase of approximately $11 for each $100,000 of property value, meaning a $600,000 home would have an extra $66 added to its tax bill.
The county wants to raise $5.9 million a year to create a fund for wildfire prevention, as well as to protect open spaces and expand affordable housing programs.
Part of the county’s reasoning is that fuel costs, materials for roads and health insurance for employees is skyrocketing. If approved, the new tax increase would start in 2010, end in 2022, and replace a mill levy that currently brings in approximately $3 million a year for open space. The county hasn’t asked for a tax increase since 1992.
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Robert Sasick, from northern Colorado, owns a 10-acre mining claim, located about 1,500 feet from a proposed lift on Peak 6 and 300 feet from a Peak 7 run.
It’s zoned as backcountry, which means someone could buy it, but the biggest house that could be built on it would be 1,200 square feet. Plus, the Forest Service would have to give special permission to access a home there.
Still, Sasick is marketing it. A local real estate agent says the land is basically worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it. Sasick doesn’t say how much he wants, but it’s beyond the budget to buy it for open space. Meanwhile, Vail Resorts says its not interested, though it did make an offer the owner refused several years ago. He’s owned the land since 1962 and isn’t in any hurry to sell.
The privately owned land wouldn’t affect Vail Resort’s Peak 6 development.
Colorado made headlines when legislation stating employers must allow working mothers to breastfeed passed.
Sen. Dan Gibbs supported it, saying that it helps babies’ health, with so many working mothers in Summit County.
Summit Prevention Alliance is providing grants up to $500 for local businesses to help accommodate breastfeeding, by creating private rooms or providing refrigerators for milk. It’s not acceptable for bathroom stalls to be mothers’ only option.
Meanwhile, Lake Dillon Preschool made progress for children by completing its $115,000 playground, after fundraising for seven years. It provides fall zones that are bouncy, as well as safer fences.
Courtesy of real estate Summit County
Not only is Frisco’s Main Street going to look better, but it has also led to a historic high sale in real estate.
Mike Hilbert, a developer in Denver, bought the dated Frisco Mall for $3.16 million a record. He also purchased the adjoining lots, between Fourth and Fifth Avenues on Main Street, for $1.4 million.
He wants to upgrade facades on the building and may add condos (proposed sales price: $400,000-$700,000) above the commercial space, as many developers are doing on Main Street. But scarce parking and overall cost may foil his plans.
The businesses in the space Hilbert purchased plan on staying, since sales are good there.
Copper Mountain wants to develop its base area more, but the county commissioners are slowing progress by not deciding one way or the other. Another hearing will be held at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at Mountain Plaza at Copper.
Commissioners are mainly concerned that there won’t be enough parking after Copper Mountain develops 420 more units. Resort officials said Copper might talk about building a parking structure in the future to solve the problem. Questions over how development would affect recpath construction from Copper toward Fremont Pass also raised concerns.
If you’ve never taken the short hike up to the Old Dillon Reservoir, located off of the Dam Road, you may have missed out, because the town of Dillon is draining it. Within a day, the lake went down a foot.
But if you fish, it’s a great time to catch and keep the fish.
Dead pine trees add to an already compromised dam; if the trees fall (thus uprooting), it will weaken the dam’s capacity to hold water. A break would flood Interstate 70 and companies in Silverthorne. The lake spans 10 acres.
Drained water will go back into the Salt Lick Creek, and the process will occur over the next month.
Like the closing of the Dam Road in early July, the news came abruptly and required immediate action after a regularly scheduled inspection.
But the reservoir won’t be gone for long next year, they’ll start building a new dam to hold water again, and they’ll restock it with fish.
Students in Summit County have always done well on the state’s assessment tests, and
last school year was no exception; they scored above average, though they did score lower when compared to their 2007 scores.
But, third-grade students who speak Spanish most of them as a first language didn’t do as well. At Dillon Valley Elementary School, 78% scored less than the average, which was 70%. Silverthorne third graders did poorly as well.
Fifth graders did better; in Dillon Valley, 65% scored average or higher. The scores also showed much improvement in fourth graders, which officials say is evidence that the schools teaching systems are working.
As a result, the state’s Department of Education is conducting a pilot program in the Summit School District for three years to help Hispanic students achieve better results. The district will receive between $200,000 and $300,000 a year to put into new academic programs.
For many years, Copper Mountain has approached county commissioners with redevelopment plans, only to be sent back to the drawing board. Now, it’s back at the table again.
Copper will ask the county for permission to redevelop its base area. The new plan calls for several hundred new units. Tuesday, July 29 at 1:30 p.m. at the county courthouse, a public hearing will be held.
Copper wants to build a new hotel, get rid of parking on Copper Road, add open space and restore wetlands. Officials plan to use money generated from new development to improve trials and wetlands at Copper. Some Copper residents are concerned about their mountain views being blocked by new buildings.
For more information, visit www.co.summit.co.us/Planning/index.htm and click current planning.
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