Who owns Vail?

Author: Titus, Stephen Source: Coloradobiz 88-91 27, no. 10 (Oct 2000): p. 88-91 Number: 62901882 Copyright: Copyright Colorado Business Oct 2000

Peter Jamar, a Vail Valley land-planning consultant, leans back in his office chair, exposing a sunny view of the Eagle river as it gurgles through a grove of cottonwood and aspen. On the conference table in front of Jamar lies a passel of topographical maps, filled with circles and arrows. A number of highlighted shapes stand out, marking the newest land development projects under way in the Vail area.

Across town, Brad Udall works out of a cubicle, more war-room than comfy office. Computers, papers and books cover every horizontal surface in the room, and maps of the Vail Valley paper the walls. As executive director of the Eagle Valley Land Trust, Udall works with a budget as cramped as his office, trying to wrangle land from the hands of developers and push it into trusts that will preserve what open space is left in the valley.

Jamar and Udall undoubtedly represent opposite ends of the development continuum. In another place or time, they might function as adversaries. In Vail, during its latest growth spurt, they are on the same team. Both want to produce attractive and sensible developments, ones that won't destroy the area's drawing card, its natural beauty.

Between East Vail and Eagle, very few building sites remain. The corridor is surrounded by millions of acres of national forest and Bureau of Land Management property, split down the middle by I-70.

Remaining undeveloped land in Vail suffers from what planners call "significant geological hazards," the danger of avalanches, rockslides or floods. Most projects in Vail focus on rebuilding or remodeling the Tyrolean structures that make up Vail Village and adjacent Lionshead. But "Down Valley," as Vailites call it, or "Up Valley," as residents of Gypsum refer to it, is the growth zone in this swelling tourist community. Developers are seizing all opportunities to plant their flags for projects between Avon and Eagle, ranging from what many hope will be a new city center for Avon to a 10,400-acre thoroughbred ranch.

"To date it's been a struggle," said Udall of his effort to put more land into conservation easements. "I think that it's clear, Eagle County has always looked upon growth favorably, but that's actually starting to change."

Udall is the son of the late Mo Udall, former Democratic congressman from Arizona and a former chairman of the House Resources Committee, whose bill protected more than 100 million acres of Alaskan wilderness. Brad's uncle, Stewart Udall, was Secretary of the Interior for eight years under presidents Kennedy and Johnson; and his brother Mark, is a U.S. representative for Colorado's 2nd Congressional District. Udall chose the Vail Valley for his own personal environmental concern. "I latched on to it because the area was the epitome of growth-related problems," he said. "It looked like a real challenge."

It has been. Both Udall and Jamar say that not all of the Valley's developers are looking to make a quick financial strike and sail on for the next shore. Two of the biggest projects in terms of impact and dollar value are city-core projects. The Village at Avon is planned for the former Avon STOLport (STOL is an aviation acronym for Short Take Off and Landing). The land includes 176 acres within the town limits and another 1,630 acres sprawling up the north hillside, all woven into a collection of trusts and limited liability companies. Swiss businessman Magnus Lindholm, who purchased the land almost 10 years ago, is manager of the project. Plans call for a village including retail space and recreational paths surrounded by residential construction. The developers are also paying for infrastructure improvements. "It's nice when a developer comes in and not only contributes to solving their own problems, but helps solve some of the existing questions," said Avon's assistant town manager, Larry Brooks. "That was the main concern that the Town of Avon had when it was going through the county process. We need to project into the future and know what the core of the town will be. It would be impossible to vastly improve what Avon has without that project."

Eagle's city-core project includes an urban-style neighborhood with houses backing to alleyways, all surrounding an Arnold Palmer golf course. "The nice thing about it is it's in the context of Eagle and towns throughout western Colorado rather than dropping in log cabins or Santa Fe-stucco," said jJ. Collins, director of marketing for Eagle Ranch, "That's not what Eagle is all about."

For years, Eagle was about farming and ranching, but those activities are all but extinct there now John Bourassa hopes to change that with his Diamond Star Ranch, a 10,400-acre spread he began 10 years ago as a conservation project. Bourassa and some investors raise quarter horses, thoroughbreds and cattle on the ranch, but with expenses going up, the group is planning to sell off mini-ranches of 37 or more acres, with building sites covering five acres or less. The rest of the land is part of a permanent trust operated by Diamond Star Ranch. "This is strictly a conservation-oriented, long-term ranch," Bourassa said. "When it's done, it will have fewer home sites than it did in 1890. It will be held in perpetuity as one of the last big working ranches in that area."

Udall says he's not trying to halt growth, but promoting responsible development with an eye toward preservation and long-term husbandry rather than sheer numbers of rooftops. Despite earthmovers and sky cranes becoming as common to the scenery as marmots and pine trees, Udall's job may be getting easier. "All these new people moving in are starting to see the impact of growth on their quality of life," he said. "I'm optimistic that things are starting to change and I think it's long overdue."

EDITORS NOTE: While other projects are planned for the Vail Valley, such as new hotels and a conference/community center in Vail, and a 1,000-plus acre development near Gypsum, the projects in this month's feature were chosen for their proximity to the resorts of Vail and Beaver Creek, their overall impact on the valley, and the willingness of developers to release information.