As Breckenridge inches closer to determining a final price tag for what officials are calling its last workforce housing neighborhood, the town opened the floor for public opinion at a recent meeting.

Breckenridge both prepped to convey land, part of which previously served as free skier parking for Breckenridge Ski Resort, and held a town hearing for its Runway Neighborhood Project at an Aug. 26 meeting. 

First planned to house around 140 units — including single family homes, duplexes and townhouses — Breckenridge officials decided to only tackle an 81-unit project due to economic uncertainty and hold off on a second phase, for now.

Slated to be near Upper Blue Elementary School and other neighborhoods on Airport Road, a Breckenridge resident raised concerns about the impacts the development could have on the surrounding area. 

Resident Gail Marshall worried about the additional density the development will bring to an area of town she said has already undergone an increase in traffic. She worried about emergency services’ ability to respond to situations in the vicinity in a timely manner and wondered how an emergency evacuation plan for the road adjacent to Colorado Highway 9 would work if more residents and their cars were introduced to the area.  

She said the feel of the neighborhood she bought into over 20 years ago changed, and this will further fuel that. 

“I drive around units that have been built on North Airport Road, and it seems more urban than a small-town feel. … I just get concerned about overdevelopment,” she said. 

She also had concerns that moving free skier parking further from the resort to make room for the development will exacerbate the parking issue the town already has.

What will happen with the new free skier lot

Currently, the McCain Road parcel that’s near the Vista Verde development is being eyed to serve as free skier parking. In a land swap with Summit School District, the town acquired a 10-acre parcel to put the lot on called Tract 7, which is just south of Vista Verde.

Assistant public works director Matt Hulsey said the lot likely won’t start being prepared until October. Previously, free transit via shuttle was provided to bus people from the Airport Road lot, around 3 miles away from the Breckenridge Ski Resort, to the resort. Now, the free skier lot is around 5 miles away. 

Hulsey said the resort is responsible for the transit service they provide to skiers, and the town is there to support the process, but transit to the resort is not the town’s responsibility. Breckenridge Ski Resort senior communications manager Maxwell Winter said, just like in previous seasons, the resort will offer free continuous bus service from the free parking to the resort with similar service levels.

Where the Airport Road lot could accommodate up to 1,000 cars in certain circumstances, the new one will only be able to fit 500 spots.

Town staff members said in previous town council meetings that data shows the former lot on Airport Road parked over 500 cars on only 14 days of the 2024-25 ski season. The data said it parked 1,000 cars on two days. The International Snow Sculpture Championship in late January accounted for some of the busiest days. Staff members said Breckenridge Ski Resort is working on an agreement with Colorado Mountain College to provide additional overflow parking of around 240 spaces. 

Staff presented parking on Tract 7 as a “temporary solution” during prior meeting and hinted at maybe needing a longer-term solution down the road.

Next steps for nailing down a project budget

Also at the Aug. 26 meeting, town staff members walked council through how the conveyance of the land to developer Suzanne Allen Sabo with Neighborhood Crafters will work. The conveyance cannot happen until council preliminarily approves the project’s vertical budget, which town manager Shannon Haynes said would likely be presented to them at a Sept. 9 meeting. The council will then be asked to approve the conveyance, which does not constitute final approval for the budget or vertical construction of Phase I. 

Council won’t be asked to approve a final budget until January, but a staff memo from the Aug. 26 meeting indicates the town’s subsidy for Phase 1 of the Runway Development will be around $34 million. 

Housing manager Laurie Best said the reason the conveyance is happening ahead of a final approved budget is to give the developer more negotiating power with lenders as the controller of the land. Council member Dick Carleton wanted to ensure there would be no encumbrances on the land and the town would be able to get the land back if need be. Town staff members said no encumbrances would be allowed.