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SUMMIT COUNTY - The latest development proposal for Copper Mountain Resort's base area focuses on redistributing existing development rights instead of adding new density, said president and chief operating officer Gary Rodgers.
"It's a much-evolved, much-changed plan," Rodgers said, anticipating a Thursday review by the Ten Mile Planning Commission. "We've been in a state of flux since denial of the Comprehensive Development Strategy in 2003," Rodgers said. "It was a blessing in some ways," he said, explaining that the county's thumbs-down on a request for a significant upzoning gave the resort a chance to go back to the drawing board.
Copper again went to the Board of County Commissioners for work sessions last summer with a plan that still included several hundred units of new density. But based on the input and feedback received since then, Rodgers decided to go with a scaled-back version of the plan.
At issue is a major amendment to the resort's planned unit development (PUD), a type of mini-master plan that blueprints site-specific development. Based on the existing zoning, Copper has 591 units of density still to be built. As now planned, 170 units would be built as currently zoned. The resort wants to transfer 420 units within the resort, to locations where it makes sense, Rodgers said.
Much of the development would be focused on the core of the base area, with lower density projects in the outlying eastern and western neighborhoods.
The plan to add 218 units of density in the A-Lift area, for example, was controversial during the work sessions and hearings last summer. In the latest version, the resort wants to add only 12 single-family units in that area (in the development jargon of the PUD, that adds up to 30 "equivalent units" of density).
A new hotel on the site of the Chapel Lot is still a key part of the plan, Rodgers said, adding that the deal with the Hard Rock hotel chain has been cancelled. But a hotel on that site is crucial to the commercial core of the resort, where restaurants and shops rely on a steady flow of customers.
Overall, density was one of the "lightning rod" issues, Rodgers said.
Parking has also been a thorny issue as the resort worked through various development scenarios. The latest plan calls for maintaining 2,666 engineered spaces on private property. All new development will provide its own parking and pay parking is also planned within the resort.
Separately, Copper is seeking approval for a new parking area on National Forest land east of Highway 91.
The Corn Lot expansion was misinterpreted by some people, Rodgers said.
"Our goal is not to shift parking to public lands to facilitate development," he said.
If the resort gets county approval for the PUD amendment, the timing of the new developments is still up in the air. Much will depend on market conditions, Rodgers said. The resort wants to reserve the right to transfer some of the density between parcels in the central part of the base area, based on potential changes in demand.
"My personal priority is the Chapel Lot site. It's key to a lot of the things we've talked about," Rodgers said.
Also high on the list is a new civic area for Copper, including the Woodward sports training facility, a new fire station and a chapel, along with the existing athletic club.
The west end of the resort, known as the Union Creek Area, is also high on the list, including snowmaking in the T-Rex terrain pod, Rodgers said.
Overall, Rodgers said he wants to find a balance between growing Copper's destination business and acknowledging the resort's role as a Front Range and locals ski area at the same time - all while striving to maintain a vibrant and economically sustainable commercial core.
Details of the new PUD plan are online as a pdf document at: http://media.intrawest.com/copper/Public_Relations/Copper_PUD_june16.pdf.
<b>PUD Timeline</b>
2003 - PUD amendment with major upzoning denied by BOCC
2006 - Work sessions with BOCC on revised draft PUD amendment
Sept. 2007 - Latest PUD plan submitted to Ten Mile planning commission
Oct. 2007 - Submit PUD to Summit County planning department
Sept. 2007 to Dec. 2007 - formal review by planning commission and BOCC
Jan. 2008 to March 2008 - PUD approval from Summit County
<i>Bob Berwyn can be reached at (970) 331-5996, or at bberwyn@summitdaily.com.</i>
"It's a much-evolved, much-changed plan," Rodgers said, anticipating a Thursday review by the Ten Mile Planning Commission. "We've been in a state of flux since denial of the Comprehensive Development Strategy in 2003," Rodgers said. "It was a blessing in some ways," he said, explaining that the county's thumbs-down on a request for a significant upzoning gave the resort a chance to go back to the drawing board.
Copper again went to the Board of County Commissioners for work sessions last summer with a plan that still included several hundred units of new density. But based on the input and feedback received since then, Rodgers decided to go with a scaled-back version of the plan.
At issue is a major amendment to the resort's planned unit development (PUD), a type of mini-master plan that blueprints site-specific development. Based on the existing zoning, Copper has 591 units of density still to be built. As now planned, 170 units would be built as currently zoned. The resort wants to transfer 420 units within the resort, to locations where it makes sense, Rodgers said.
Much of the development would be focused on the core of the base area, with lower density projects in the outlying eastern and western neighborhoods.
The plan to add 218 units of density in the A-Lift area, for example, was controversial during the work sessions and hearings last summer. In the latest version, the resort wants to add only 12 single-family units in that area (in the development jargon of the PUD, that adds up to 30 "equivalent units" of density).
A new hotel on the site of the Chapel Lot is still a key part of the plan, Rodgers said, adding that the deal with the Hard Rock hotel chain has been cancelled. But a hotel on that site is crucial to the commercial core of the resort, where restaurants and shops rely on a steady flow of customers.
Overall, density was one of the "lightning rod" issues, Rodgers said.
Parking has also been a thorny issue as the resort worked through various development scenarios. The latest plan calls for maintaining 2,666 engineered spaces on private property. All new development will provide its own parking and pay parking is also planned within the resort.
Separately, Copper is seeking approval for a new parking area on National Forest land east of Highway 91.
The Corn Lot expansion was misinterpreted by some people, Rodgers said.
"Our goal is not to shift parking to public lands to facilitate development," he said.
If the resort gets county approval for the PUD amendment, the timing of the new developments is still up in the air. Much will depend on market conditions, Rodgers said. The resort wants to reserve the right to transfer some of the density between parcels in the central part of the base area, based on potential changes in demand.
"My personal priority is the Chapel Lot site. It's key to a lot of the things we've talked about," Rodgers said.
Also high on the list is a new civic area for Copper, including the Woodward sports training facility, a new fire station and a chapel, along with the existing athletic club.
The west end of the resort, known as the Union Creek Area, is also high on the list, including snowmaking in the T-Rex terrain pod, Rodgers said.
Overall, Rodgers said he wants to find a balance between growing Copper's destination business and acknowledging the resort's role as a Front Range and locals ski area at the same time - all while striving to maintain a vibrant and economically sustainable commercial core.
Details of the new PUD plan are online as a pdf document at: http://media.intrawest.com/copper/Public_Relations/Copper_PUD_june16.pdf.
<b>PUD Timeline</b>
2003 - PUD amendment with major upzoning denied by BOCC
2006 - Work sessions with BOCC on revised draft PUD amendment
Sept. 2007 - Latest PUD plan submitted to Ten Mile planning commission
Oct. 2007 - Submit PUD to Summit County planning department
Sept. 2007 to Dec. 2007 - formal review by planning commission and BOCC
Jan. 2008 to March 2008 - PUD approval from Summit County
<i>Bob Berwyn can be reached at (970) 331-5996, or at bberwyn@summitdaily.com.</i>
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