Free overflow skiing for Breckenridge Ski Resort will have a new home next season, and elected officials showed hesitancy about the idea. 

The construction of a new neighborhood on top of part of what has served as a free skier parking lot for years is driving the town to relocate it. Breckenridge Town Council fielded a proposal at a June 24 meeting to move parking to the McCain Parcel off of Colorado Highway 9 and Coyne Valley Road near the entrance of town, making it farther away from Breckenridge Ski Resort than the previous lot.

Officials showed hesitancy since the plan called for shrinking the number of parking spots and creating a parking lot in an area that has multiple uses and valuable natural space around it.

“This is just such a painful conversation for everyone, and it really is not easy to decide to put parking in this area,” Mayor Kelly Owens said. 

Town manager Shannon Haynes said what’s known as “Tract 7” on the McCain Parcel has been deemed the most viable location by staff. The town recently received the ability to use the land from the Summit School District after the town swapped the parcel for an agreement to create 35 ownership units in the Runway Neighborhood for district employees. 

The other lot on Airport Road could accommodate up to 1,000 cars in certain circumstances, but it typically fit 500. The proposed one will only be able to fit 500 spots, which is the minimum the Breckenridge Ski Resort is requested amid renegotiating the terms of the parking agreement with the town. 

Haynes said data showed the former lot on Airport Road parked over 500 cars on 14 days of the 2024-25 ski season and it parked 1,000 cars on two days, with the International Snow Sculpture Championship in late January accounting for some of the busiest days. 

She said while days exist where 500 to 1,000 cars need to be parked, those days are rare and it might not be worth “building a church (just) for Easter Sunday.” Town staff noted Breckenridge Ski Resort is working on an agreement with Colorado Mountain College to provide additional overflow parking of around 240 spaces. 

Officials discussed earlier at the June 24 meeting the value of the McCain Parcel as a recreation amenity, one that is “front country” as opposed to “back country,” making it accessible open space with unique view corridors. The land parcel also has storage for the town’s public works department and several community partners, housing, a nonprofit center, a water treatment plant, trails, a river and more. 

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Previously officials looked at another tract on McCain that could only fit 350 spaces.

“It’s a really complicated puzzle, and parking is important. … I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m OK with putting something on (Tract 7) to be a good partner with the ski area,” council member Todd Rankin said, noting Breckenridge Ski Resort’s request to keep 500 spots. 

Council member Carol Saade said she was in favor because there seemed to be no other viable options. Council member Dick Carleton said part of his approval stemmed from not wanting to relocate the public works and community partners storage site, which would have had to happen if the lot with 350 spots on McCain was chosen. Council members Marika Page and Steve Gerard held similar opinions. 

“This the gateway of town. This is what borders valuable open space in this beautiful river. I can’t be for it,” council member Jay Beckerman said. “I understand that that’s difficult because I don’t have another solution. … I just feel like we should aim higher.”

He wanted to see staff try to make another tract on McCain work that they said they evaluated and found unfeasible for that much parking. 

Staff presented parking on Tract 7 as a “temporary solution” in a staff memo and hinted at needing a longer-term one down the road. It will cost around $313,000 if the town decides to move the parking to this location. 

No official vote happened at the June 24 meeting.