Silverthorne Town Manager Ryan Hyland told officials Jan. 22 the town and community has landed on a new police facility location following what he described to be an unprecedentedly smooth site selection process. 

Three sites for what town staff members say will likely be a $15 million facility were on the table for both officials and the community to consider for the last several weeks. Hyland said the decision was nearly unanimous to move the station to the north end of town in between Silverthorne Elementary School and the soon-to-be finished new Summit Fire & EMS station. 

“I think the uneventful part of that is everybody agreeing on one site,” Hyland said of the process of choosing the facility’s location. “I don’t know that that ever happens.” 

He said community members who attended a Jan. 9 open house and those who emailed public comments overwhelmingly said a site deemed “Cottonwood South” was the best fit. In public comments emailed to the Silverthorne Town Council, residents showed favor for the site for reasons including that it is minimally used and there’s enough land for the facility to expand. 

Other proposed locations included a site further south on the other side of Silverthorne Elementary and the Smith Ranch neighborhood, which could have taken the possibility of a long discussed grocery store off the table.

“In the current local climate of controversial local development … it could feel quite deceptive to have a local government ‘promise’ one type of development I.e. grocery store, only to have the rug pulled out from under the local community and see a police station/government buildings added in their place,” Silverthorne resident Tanner Franti wrote via email to local officials. 

Residents also appreciated its proximity to the fire station, according to public comment emails.

At a Dec. 11 meeting Silverthorne officials expressed hesitation over the Smith Ranch option because of the potential nixing of the grocery store and how close the police facility would be to a dense residential area. 

A few residents expressed concerns regarding the Cottonwood South site because they currently use it as their landing spot for parasailing. Hyland said the town is working with these residents to find a new landing spot. 

Officials questioned Hyland about the implications of moving the facility away from a central area of Silverthorne at the Dec. 11 meeting. He said Silverthorne staff members were exploring different town-owned sites to house some sort of police presence in the core of town.

Voters made the construction of a new police station possible by approving a 2% hike in lodging tax in April, moving it up to 8%, which created adequate funds for the town to tackle the project.

The idea has floated among officials for years prior to this, who said they knew a day would come where the town’s relatively small police station attached to town hall wouldn’t be able to properly serve the community.

Population growth in Silverthorne has nearly tripled in the past two decades, and the town has more room to grow from both a residential and commercial standpoint. Traffic through its key roadways has increased alongside skiing’s growing popularity, given Silverthorne’s location as a point to get from major ski areas in the High Country to the Front Range.

Additionally, the town’s Police Chief Alice Cary fully staffed the department in 2024, further accentuating the need for a larger facility.

She told officials Dec. 11 the department needs more space to secure evidence and conduct interviews with victims and suspects. She also announced plans to offer educational programs to the community out of the new space.

Silverthorne will move forward with the planning of a new facility off of Colorado Highway 9 now that officials and the community agree on a site. No further details about a timeline were shared at the Jan. 22 meeting.