Nearly 25 years after the town acquired an approximately 128-acre parcel in the gateway to Breckenridge, officials are contemplating the goal of the property as proposed plans for it continue to evolve. 

The newest concept introduced involves making it the new home of free skier parking, but some officials are now wary of over developing the land. Breckenridge purchased the McCain property off of Coyne Valley Road and Colorado Highway 9 in 2000 and intended for a portion of it to be designated as open space.

Over the past decade, the town made significant investments on an environmentally sensitive portion of the parcel where the Blue River runs through it. 

While the western side of the parcel houses the river and other natural habitats, the eastern side is being eyed for around 350 spots of free skier parking. The current lot on Airport Road will need to be moved due to an upcoming development planned to feature around 140 units of workforce housing. Additionally, a road was recently constructed also on the eastern side of the property adjacent to Colorado Highway 9.

Concepts for a few trails and bike paths going through the property have been brought to the table through the years since officials have long had the goal of increasing connectivity for walkers and bikers through the town. The development’s impact on wildlife and traffic are being considered as the town considers next steps since other developments are going to increase traffic near the site.

“(I’m in favor of) not turning this into Disneyland. … I like the idea of some accessible, open space that isn’t riddled with paths,” open space advisory commissioner Bobbie Zanca said at a Nov. 18 combined meeting with the Breckenridge Town Council. 

The town hasn’t allowed much public access on the parcel, but officials are looking to create avenues to change that by late 2027, according to open space and trails manager Duke Barlow. Because the stretch of the Blue River running through the parcel was identified as a key wildlife migration corridor by Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife, officials have worked to keep people away. Particularly the western side of the river corridor is sensitive, so officials are hoping to encourage people to gravitate toward the eastern side. 

Officials discussed the concept of social trails and paths, which are not technically designated for recreation though people use them anyway. 

“Human nature is going to be for people to go where they want to go, and all these people in these housing areas (near the parcel) are going to want to go to the river,” council member Steve Gerard said. 

In 2021 officials considered a bike path along the west side of the parcel close to the river, but work was completed in 2022 on the river for the sake of its health. The work causes the area to intentionally overflow every three to five years, which doesn’t make the stretch ideal for a path. Town staff members recommended a path along the eastern side of the parcel as a better option. 

Open space advisory commissioner Nikki LaRochelle said access to the McCain parcel could be crucial from an equity and accessibility standpoint, noting it could be one of the only relatively flat open space areas in Breckenridge. Commissioner Krysten Joyce said, based on comments she has heard from the community, people will want to see some sort of field space in the area, suggesting something similar to Carter Park.

No decisions were made at the Nov. 18 meeting.