Breckenridge Town Council’s statement that the soul of Breckenridge is in crisis is stunning. Nothing could be more cynical than this statement.

The fact is, the council has exempted large corporations such as Breckenridge Grand Vacations (owned by the local Millisor and Dudick families) and Vail Resorts at the expense of small, family-owned rentals. The optics of this are suspect, as the exemption is for properties that must have a centralized phone reservation system, front office and on-site security — basically all the new, high-end developments that council has approved over the past 10 years. So in essence, it seems the council members are allowing these corporations to own the mountain.

Limiting licenses infringes on the property rights of small owners and gives no consideration to the effect on the value of these properties.

Further, if the council’s motivation is to preserve the character of Breckenridge, why is it allowing the construction of an additional large-scale property on Peak 8? If the council wishes to reduce traffic and have fewer tourists visit Breckenridge, this is not the message they are sending. To be sure, if affordable housing is the council’s concern, then there are other means of accomplishing this, and they should consider delinking short-term rentals from affordable housing.

With these soulless corporate projects, the council is creating an artificial community such as Vail. If you are seeking a true community, then why punish the privately owned condos? Isn’t the spirit of Breckenridge truly the history of small entrepreneurs and business owners that have built the town for the past 150 years?

We are homeowners in the Highlands and plan on making Breckenridge our primary home next year.