Frisco construction projects close two blocks of Main Street

#Frisco, Colorado.

Summit Daily News Link

With construction workers tearing up old pavement, section by section, two blocks of Frisco’s Main Street will be closed to vehicles until the end of October, as part of the town’s Step Up Main Street project.

Construction for phase three of the project, stretching from the Madison Avenue intersection to the Second Avenue intersection, will be conducted in a similar manner to previous phases. Workers will start and move from the outside-in, repaving sidewalks and adding new street lamps before tackling the road.

Frisco Marketing and Communications Director Vanessa Agee said most of the sidewalks should be poured by the end of the week.

“There’s an understanding that we need to get the sidewalks done, so the businesses have pedestrian access,” she said. “They’re on time right now, which is great.”

As with the rest of the project, the construction will feature new, brick sidewalk pavers, custom street lamps, an improved drainage system and a lowered street, which will help minimize icy roads in the winter. The street was last improved in 1982 — more than three decades ago.

Xcel Energy will simultaneously be working to replace a natural gas pipeline throughout the town. While the project is separate from Step Up Main Street, construction will overlap, with work currently taking place on Madison Avenue between the intersection of Granite Street and Main Street. The work is set to be completed by the end of October.

While Frisco also has until the end of October to finish Main Street construction, town manager Bill Efting said he hoped to see work wrap up earlier.

“Our goal is to get it done as fast as we can before the winter weather gets here,” he said. “It’s two blocks instead of three, and the weather is one of the factors we’re paying close attention to. We’re having a dry fall, so hopefully we can get in and out and finish the project.”

Agee added that the contractor, Columbine Concrete, had two phases of experience behind them at this point. Despite last spring’s continuous snowfall, they were able to complete the project two weeks ahead of schedule. In addition, fewer businesses should be impacted by this portion of construction, as part of the area includes town government offices and the Frisco Historic Park.

“The majority of the folks I talked to were excited about the project,” Efting said. “We’re communicating, and that’s what counts.”

Following this fall’s project, estimated at $1.28 million, just one phase remains: Phase four of construction will take place in spring 2016, with work stretching form Second Avenue to Fourth Avenue.

For more information, call the construction hotline at 970-668-0836, x9.

Courtesy of the Summit Daily News.

Hike Summit: A guide to Mt. Royal and Peak One near Frisco

#Breckenridge, Colorado.

Kim Fenske / Special to the Daily

Summit Daily News Link

Climbing Mount Royal (10,502 feet) to reach the summits of Mount Victoria (11,775 feet) and Peak One (12,933) is a popular and convenient day hike for visitors to Frisco. Although the two-mile hike up Mount Royal is a relatively easy ascent of only 1,300 feet, be forewarned that the trail is on a steep incline over slippery terrain for much of this distance.

On the route, do not depart from well-established trails (there are several side trails along the way), and avoid descending onto the cliffs on the north and west faces of Mount Royal. Many hikers have been rescued from technical routes on the slopes of Mount Royal after being cliffed-out on deceptively easy descents. If early-season snow has fallen, be prepared to wear crampons or micro-spikes to maintain a grip on the slippery inclined plane.

Mount Victoria is a moderately difficult summit to reach, with a good trail leading to the exposed ridge a few feet above tree line, found only 2,700 vertical feet above the trailhead three miles away. The views of the Blue River Valley, Ptarmigan Wilderness and Eagles Nest Wilderness from the summit are very rewarding compensation for the effort.

The longer, nearly 10-mile round-trip hike to the summit of Peak One is a much more strenuous climb of 3,800 feet, with terrain that includes loose rock on very steep slopes. Ascending easy 14ers in the area — such as Quandary, Grays and Torreys peaks — is safer and less dangerous than attempting to gain the summit of Peak One.

From the Peaks Trail parking area at 9,100 feet, head west on an unmarked trail and turn left at the first trail junction to wrap around the east face of Mount Royal. After another fifteen minutes, about a half-mile from the trailhead, bear right and ascend west, crossing two creeks before meeting the Masontown Trail (U.S Forest Service #9077). Continue west up the Masontown Trail until you find the tailings piles marking the old mining town at the junction with the Mount Royal Trail (U.S. Forest Service #1) at 1 mile and 9,490 feet.

Masontown was an ill-fated mining community centered on an ore-processing mill, established in 1866 on the avalanche pathway in the eastern gulch of Mount Royal. By 1872, the site included a boardinghouse, cabins and milling facilities. A railway reached the base of Mount Royal by 1882, allowing for easy transportation of gold and silver ores to Denver. By the turn of the century, Masontown, like most mining operations in Summit County, was a ghost town. In 1912, a deep, unstable snowpack slid off of Mount Royal, burying Masontown. Today, all that remains of Masontown are a few bricks and mine tailings covered with young aspen trees, which rise up quickly after avalanches sweep mountain slopes bare.

Beyond Masontown, follow the straight, steep incline on the Mount Royal Trail west to the junction, where the trail divides at 10,250 feet. Bear right for the Mount Royal overlook and turn left to the summit of Mount Victoria. From the top of Mount Royal, find excellent access for viewing the south end of the Gore Range. Heading south on the climb to Mount Victoria, the trail passes the remains of a mining cabin with walls still stacked seven logs high.

After three total hours of climbing, the trail winds to the top of Mount Victoria, with great views of Buffalo Mountain, Red Peak and Uneva Peak to the northwest, Peak One to the south, and the Frisco community beside Dillon Reservoir to the northeast.

During the descent from the summits, the Mount Royal Trail can be taken from Masontown. Along the way, there is a turn-off to the trail heading east to the Peaks Trail parking area. Alternatively, the Mount Royal Trail continues down to the recreation path, where turning right on the recreation path leads back to the parking circle.

HOW TO GET THERE

Take Exit 206 from Interstate 70 to the west end of Main Street and drive east to Second Avenue. Turn right (heading south) and continue to the intersection with South Cabin Green Trail. Proceed carefully cross the paved, non-motorized recreation path and park in the circle beyond the “Zach’s Place” bench. A connecting trail to the Mount Royal Trail departs west from the parking area, rising to join either of two optional trails that wrap southeast around Mount Royal.

Map: Trails Illustrated, Vail, Frisco, Dillon, 108. Latitude 40° Summit County Colorado Trails.

Author Kim Fenske has written extensively on hiking trails throughout Colorado. His writing includes, “Greatest Hikes in Central Colorado: Summit and Eagle Counties,” and “Hiking Colorado: Holy Cross Wilderness,” available from Amazon Kindle Books.

Courtesy of the Summit Daily News.

Breckenridge Film Festival hosts Colorado Filmmakers Forum

#Breckenridge, Colorado.

Courtesy Breckenridge Film Festival

Summit Daily News Link

On Sunday, Sept. 20, the Breckenridge Film Festival is hosting the Colorado Filmmakers Forum. Colorado directors Alexandre Philippe, Mitch Dickman, Sean Jourdan and Academy Award winner Daniel Junge, along with Colorado actor John Ashton, gather to discuss the benefits and limitations of filmmaking in Colorado. The event is 3–5 p.m. at the Breckenridge Town Hall Theater, and will be moderated by Colorado Film commissioner Donald Zuckerman. The Summit Daily caught up with Zuckerman before the forum to talk about filmmaking in Colorado. Zuckerman, also a movie producer himself, came to Denver four years ago from L.A. after Gov. Hickenlooper appointed him film commissioner.

Summit Daily News: What are some of the topics you will be focusing on in the forum?

Donald Zuckerman: I think the main topic is why Colorado. … The whole idea is it’s a panel about Colorado filmmakers — why did you pick Colorado, and what do you have next, and are you going to try to make that in Colorado — why here? We have an incentive program that’s way better than it was a few years ago, but we still don’t have incredible funding, we are almost out of money now and our year just started July 1.

SDN: Tell me a little more about the incentive program.

DZ: We have an incentive program to encourage people to film in Colorado, so we encourage people from out of state to film here, and we encourage people who are already here even more to film here.

If you’re making a really low-budget film, which some of these filmmakers on the panel have done, you’re probably going to make it wherever you live. It’s not about incentives, it’s how can I make a film with almost no budget, and the easiest way to do that is if nobody has to travel anywhere and you can rely on your contacts and friends and people you know. And when you get into bigger budgets, it’s very much about the incentive programs in various states or countries, and that’s what people focus on.

SDN: What are the benefits to being a filmmaker in Colorado compared to more conventional filmmaking cities?

DZ: There are a number of benefits. First of all, we have a lot of almost virgin territory, because although about 300 movies were made here from the beginning of cinema, til seven or eight years ago there came a time when incentives were almost everywhere and we didn’t have a good incentive program, so for a five-year period before I got here, nobody was coming. So if I was a director or cinematographer, and wanted to shoot a movie, ideally you’d find locations that are unique or that people haven’t seen a lot. There’s nothing in New Mexico that hasn’t been shot, I’ve made some movies there myself. …

Because the citizenry is not used to seeing a lot of filmmaking, it’s very exciting to them, so they are generous with their real estate, their properties. … We have all these great locations, we can pull off anything but an ocean, and today we can CGI an ocean. … Filmmakers get a lot of bang for their buck here, and we have a lot of very talented people who are crew, and a lot of student filmmakers, well over a thousand student filmmakers who want to work on films and are willing to intern.

SDN: What are the drawbacks of being a filmmaker in Colorado?

DZ: We need more film here to have a more robust crew base, if we had two or three movies come at the same time, it would be a problem. Certainly three would be a problem, even three small movies. If the really big movies like “The Hateful Eight” (directed by Quentin Tarantino, filmed near Telluride) are required to hire 50 percent local, when you have a crew of 300 it’s not that easy, because people like Quentin Tarantino are used to working with the best of the best, but they were able to do it here and they were happy. If they made a lot more movies here, we could handle three movies, four movies, five movies at a time, which you can do in New Mexico or Louisiana, or Toronto, or Vancouver or L.A., where we can do 20 movies at a time. So that’s a little bit of a drawback but it’s not something that will keep people away because there are enough qualified people.

SDN: What are your goals with the forum, what would you like people to take away from the discussion?

DZ: I’m hoping they’ll take away that Colorado is a wonderful place to make movies. Most of the people at the forum probably live here, so they already know it’s a great place to live, but they need to hear that it’s also a great place to work.

Courtesy of the Summit Daily News.

CDOT minimizes risks with new avalanche mitigation system

#Breckenridge, Colorado.

Elise Reuter / ereuter@summitdaily.com

Summit Daily News Link

Workers drilled on the side of a steep slope, just over the edge of one of several chutes collectively known as the “Seven Sisters,” the most active avalanche area that crosses a Colorado highway. The site would connect a gas line to one of 11 devices known as “exploders” facing the east side of Loveland Pass, generating a burst at the push of a laptop button to mitigate large avalanches that often block U.S. Highway 6.

“The problems start right here. This is the big slide,” said John Crowder of Parsons Construction. “There are seven slides here.”

Since June, the Colorado Department of Transportation has worked to install a new avalanche system near Loveland Pass and Berthoud Pass, two avalanche-prone areas near major roadways. Crews hurried to install a remotely triggered avalanche system, Gazex, that uses a mixture of compressed gas and oxygen to start a controlled slide.

“CDOT’s desire is to move away from the use of explosives,” said Ray Mumford, a former avalanche control trainer for CDOT. “It’s safer.”

In previous years, CDOT would use a cannon to shoot mortars at the avalanche areas, which would detonate upon contact. However, the method had its risks, as a mortar detonated while still in the launcher last year, injuring two workers, not to mention the dangerous task of hiking up the pass in the winter to retrieve rounds that, for one reason or another, failed to detonate.

In addition, the method could take hundreds and hundreds of rounds, depending on the snow conditions that year. Two years ago, Crowder said, 1,500 rounds were shot at the avalanche chutes during a particularly brutal winter. On average, 40 to 50 avalanche missions are conducted in the area every year.

CONTROLLED COMBUSTION

With the new system, Mumford said, a worker would be able to trigger the avalanches remotely from a laptop, combining a compressed mixture of propane and oxygen in a curved tube to create a fiery explosion resulting in a large shockwave, travelling at 1,750 meters per second.

“There’s a lot off power when those go off, so you have to have these huge concrete bases bolted into the bedrock,” said David Eller, CDOT Region Three transportation director.

The gas tanks are stored in control shelters, with four dotting the slope just east of the Loveland Ski Area. The plan is to store enough gas to last an entire winter, requiring no travelling to the top, which is nestled just above tree line. To form the concrete bases, the still-wet mixutre is transported by air, and then poured into a frame from the helicopter.

“We’ve been two years on this, if not more. It’s been quite a puzzle to put together,” said Grant Anderson, a project engineer with CDOT.

The new system would also allow workers to trigger slides regardless of the weather conditions. Mumford said the increased control should both reduce and shorten Loveland Pass closures, allowing trucks bearing hazardous material to pass through without holding up Interstate 70 traffic. When HAZMAT trucks have no choice but to travel through the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel, regular vehicular traffic is closed off an hour at a time.

The Loveland Pass project will cost $980,000 to install $1.5 million of equipment, including a total of four control shelters and 11 exploders. At Berthoud Pass, connecting Winter Park to I-70, instillation will cost $655,000 for two control shelters and five exploders, with the help of a $225,000 local partnership with Grand County.

Mumford said he hoped to see both systems working by mid-October, with plans to carry exploders near the top of Loveland Pass in the following week or two.

Courtesy of the Summit Daily News.

Breckenridge Film Festival in full swing

#Breckenridge, Colorado.

Special  to the Summit Daily News

Summit Daily News Link

Alexandre Philippe loves pop culture.

He loves it so much, in fact, that he spent nearly four years working on a documentary film about the Star Wars fandom, called “The People vs. George Lucas.” The film received a lot of attention both nationally and internationally, after premiering at the South by Southwest film festival in Austin, Texas.

Philippe, who is based out of Denver, has made a number of other films, including a more recent documentary called “Doc of the Dead,” about the rise of zombies in the pop culture landscape.

While Philippe won’t physically be at theBreckenridge Film Festival — he’ll be in Los Angeles shooting his latest project, a documentary on the infamous shower scene in“Psycho” — he will likely be available for a Q&A session after the showings of his films.

The Summit Daily News caught up with Philippe for a little Q&A before the festival, and geeked out about Star Wars, zombies and why they matter.

Summit Daily News: Why is pop culture so important?

Alexandre Philippe: I think we really need to pay attention to pop culture, and not just pay attention to it but preserve it. And we also need to learn from it, to take a page from it, because if you look at even Denver Comic Con or San Diego Comic Con, and you look at these essentially different cultures — there are people into Zelda or Star Trek or Harry Potter or whatever the case may be — and they co-exist in a very fun constructive sort of way, and you look at the state of our politics today,(laughs), you look at the kind of language and tactics that the candidates are resorting to and the divisiveness that we get, whether it’s politics or religion or social issues, whatever we deem important, it’s all about dividing us. And I think if we’re going to move forward in a coherent way as human beings, we need to look at what we have in common as well, as humans. And there’s nothing wrong with a little fun, and making fun of each other in a playful way, and making fun of ourselves in a fun way. Those are attributes of pop culture that I respect deeply and it really troubles me that we don’t give it the respect that it deserves.

SDN: Let’s talk Star Wars. When did the idea for the concept of “The People vs. George Lucas” come into being?

AP: Oh my gosh, that project really started back in roughly 2007, I think. … If you’re a Star Wars fan, you know instinctively those kind of interesting relationships fans have with George Lucas. … I had the title in mind for years and years and when I brought it up to my director of photography one day — he’s a huge Star Wars fan — … and he immediately said, “We gotta do this.” That began the journey. It was really an intense, almost four-year project. We conducted — ourselves — 126 interviews, I think, around the world. We had … fans submit footage to us, with over 630 hours of footage. I mean, it was a beast, you know. But a lot of fun to make, and it was a big success. It premiered at South by Southwest. … It was great, it’s been really great, having the Star Wars fans really embrace that film, you know. It’s become part of the discussion.

SDN: So it was the title that sparked the idea for you?

AP: Yeah. There’s really nothing in the world of fandom like Star Wars fandom, and there’s nothing that compares, in terms of this very interesting sort of dynamic between George Lucas and his fans. In popular culture there’s nothing like it and I felt like it needed to be explored and to look at both sides of course, but also really ask the question that when something as extraordinary popular and important as Star Wars is out there, and people around the world embrace it, to what extent does that piece of work still exclusively belong to its maker, or does it also belong to all of us? And that’s a very tricky question to answer to a certain extent, and what I think makes this very interesting is the fact that George changed the original trilogy numerous times, and kept saying he wasn’t going to release the original cut that we’d seen in theaters, and it raised lots of interesting questions. That’s what I really had fun digging into.

SDN: What do you hope audiences take away from the film?

AP: I think it depends on whether you’re a Star Wars fan or not. … You always try to make the film that would be accessible to people who had never even watched Star Wars, and I’m really proud of the fact that I’ve actually had many people come up to me after the screenings that were not Star Wars fans and had never seen Star Wars that said, “Oh my gosh that was so much fun.”

But what I hope people would get out of it is, again, I think that for people to think about this idea of what is a work of art, and can we make the argument that a work of art that has been embraced by us as a culture belongs to all of us? I think there’s definitely some questions that go beyond just Star Wars, beyond just George Lucas, obviously, in the film itself, but one thing I try to do in every single one of my documentaries is make sure that they’re very fast-paced and entertaining and a good ride, and I think that’s always the best way to get the attention of people who are watching it.

SDN: So even a documentary should have a plot, so to speak, and forward movement.

AP: I always very tightly structure my films. My background is actually in dramatic writing, so I really came into this field as a storyteller, and that’s always paramount to me, is telling a good solid story, with a point of view and something to say.

…

I’ve always looked at that film as a love story between George and the fans. It was this perfect idyllic love that became pretty dysfunctional, and that came back around. … I think again, what he’s given us is tremendous; I don’t think fans have any right to complain, considering what he’s given us, but I also think it’s good for George to have let go and enable other people to do some cool things with his creation. … So I mean, you know, the film is obviously not an attack — quite the contrary, I think it’s a very loving film, and I don’t think you can make a film about George Lucas if you don’t have that love. If you don’t have that respect for what he’s created, then I think the film would have tanked.

…

I definitely look at that sort of nerd or fan anger as much critically as well, you know. There are fans who go way too far in that anger, but that’s also part of the documentary, is looking at both sides of the story.

SDN: What is your favorite Star Wars film?

AP: It has to be “The Empire Strikes Back.” It’s really the greatest, and it’s, I think, the most accomplished film. And to me, I really look at the first trilogy as one big movie, and of course it has a number of flaws, but they’re very endearing flaws and I think, it really is my childhood you know, I can’t separate it from that. I will always, always love those movies.

SDN: Moving on to zombies — at what point did zombies enter pop culture?

AP: Zombies obviously have been part of underground culture, a very strong one, certainly since“Night of the Living Dead.” But they really start coming to the forefront quite recently, and you know, when you talk to zombie experts, and zombie scholars, whatever you want to call them, there is an argument to be made that 9/11 is what really changed everything. Because there’s this idea suddenly that the apocalypse was brought to our doorstep and that’s where you really start seeing the emergence of the fast zombie, which really brings in the metaphor of our fears are greater now, we need a faster zombie, you know.

But it’s no surprise that in the years of the period post 9/11 you start seeing some of the key zombie works, like — the Walking Dead comics came out, you have “Shaun of the Dead,” you have “The Zombie Survival Guide,” you have of course “28 Days Later,” and I think these four works coming out within a couple of years of each other really cemented zombies in popular culture.

Shortly after that you have the first zombie walk in Toronto that grew year after year, very quickly, and started leading to other zombie walks and zombie runs and zombie fashion shows, you name it. There was this kind of accelerated process that leads us to where we are now, which is — zombies are everywhere.

SDN: What is your favorite zombie movie?

AP: I would have to give you something other than the classic answer, (which) definitely has to be “Night of the Living Dead.” … One film that I’ve always liked is a Canadian zombie film called “Fido,”which is really smart and beautifully made. … It’s a really clever, really fun film.

SDN: Do zombies still have a future, or have we exhausted the subject?

AP: No, I think, like everything, I think the sign of a healthy genre is when numerous talented people try a bunch of different things with the genre, and as long as that happens, there’s going to be a very healthy future for zombie films.

Like recently, the Norwegian film “Dead Snow 2” that came out, I thought was even way better than“Dead Snow.” …. The sequel is what the first one should have been. It’s like finally, they found their voice, … and they completely nailed it; it’s a really great flick.

So as long as you see that kind of stuff happening, as long as it’s not the same old, same old slow shambling zombie, shot in the head whatever after a while…. and interesting enough, this is what the zombie purists are complaining about, this idea that if it’s fast, it’s not really a zombie. If it doesn’t eat guts, it’s not really a zombie. And the moment you start putting yourself in that box, the genre has these very restrictive rules, that’s when you kill it. And I think that people need to try different things. Some of it works, some of it doesn’t work, and that’s the way it is. I think that as long as people do that, we’ll see lots of zombie films out there, and novels and comic books.

SDN: What does your zombie documentary focus on?

AP: It’s very specifically looking at how zombies went from the underground to the mainstream in a short time. It’s looking at the state of the rise of zombies in popular culture. And in order to do that, of course, we go back to the origins of the zombie, and all the way to pretty much present day right now.

But it’s also, there’s a bunch of fictional scenes and recreations, some crazy stuff going on in this film. Because it’s a zombie documentary, I also like to play with the idea of questioning what you’re watching, is it real or is it not? There’s a number of segments where you’ll watch it, and go is this real is this not real? So yeah, I had a little fun with it.

SDN: What’s the next zombie? Werewolves maybe?

AP: If I knew what the next new monster creation was going to be, then I’d write that thing, I’d make that thing right now (laughs). It’s exceedingly rare to have a monster become not just iconic but just to really create an entire genre, you know, and that’s why we have so few of them.

What’s interesting about the zombie is it really came out of cinema, as opposed to the other monsters that really came out of literature. Of course I’m talking about very specifically the modern zombie, which is the Romero zombie. There were zombies before that but a very different kind. I think right now, for better or worse, I think we’re kind of stuck with the zombies for a while.

I would imagine that the vampires are going to have their upper hand again at some point, I’m not seeing werewolves though. I mean, werewolves have always been around but they’ve never really captured the zeitgeist in the same way.

SDN: I wonder why?

AP: I just don’t think they resonate in the same way, because they’re too, well, if you look at the zombie for instance, the zombie you can certainly say “zombies are us.” They’re kind of a blank slate. If you’re working with a zombie movie, you’re working with a blank canvas — you can make a zombie movie about politics, you can make a zombie movie about consumerism, you can make a zombie movie about terrorism, about anything. It’s difficult to do that with a character that turns into a wolf every full moon, it’s very restrictive I think.

SDN: So it’s the strict genre rules that kill it?

AP: To a certain extent. Again, werewolves have given us a number of really fun great films as well, but I don’t think it’s as versatile a monster as the zombies are, or the vampires. Vampires are very versatile as well. … So I think these two, for the foreseeable future, are going to be our sort of key screen monsters for a long long time to come. Eventually I’m sure somebody will come up with something that will capture the zeitgeist and that will be the (new) phenomena.

SDN: Is there anything you would like to add?

AP: I’m always honored to be asked to show my films and certainly (it’s) a big honor to get to show them again in Colorado. I hope that many people who haven’t had a chance to catch those films on the circuit or on Netflix or elsewhere will get a chance to watch them on the big screen and have fun. I’m just very sorry I won’t be there in person, but I’ll be there in spirit.

Courtesy of the Summit Daily News.

Blue River voters reject Ruby Placer annexation

#Blue River, Colorado.

Courtesy of Mara Sheldon

Summit Daily News Link

Blue River voters on Tuesday roundly rejected a proposed annexation of the controversial Ruby Placer development. Supporters of the annexation say the “no”-vote will be an economic hit for the tiny town south of Breckenridge; opponents of the development say the election was a win for transparent government and mountain-community values.

Michelle Eddy, Blue River town administrator, said the unofficial vote was 209 against and 97 in support. The official numbers should be available by Thursday, she said.

Ruby Placer land is located on the east side of Colorado Highway 9, next to the Lodge by the Blue and Quandary Condos. Conversations about the development began in 2013.

Progress on Ruby Placer was delayed several times, as community members objected to the town council’s use of emergency ordinances to adjust zoning and annex the property.

The first of two emergency ordinances to annex the 48-acre Ruby Placer parcel was approved in July 2014, but was invalidated a few months later in September after an injunction was filed in Summit County District Court.

“People found out well into the game and got upset.”Mitch WeissBlue River resident

In March 2015, the council passed a second emergency ordinance to annex the parcel, but a petition drive compelled the council to drop the ordinance or allow residents to vote on the issue.

Blue River resident Mitch Weiss said tensions began when residents got wind that the town council attempted to pass the annexation as an emergency ordinance.

“People found out well into the game and got upset,” he said.

Danny Teodoru, legal counsel for project developers Cabin Properties, LLC and Carl A. Schmidt Living Trust, said an emergency ordinance was sought to avoid further project delays.

Mara Sheldon, a representative for the developer, said that the vote this week ultimately hurts Blue River financially.

“The residents of Blue River lost $100,000 in new deed transfer tax,” she said.

She also noted the town would have received numerous perks from the proposed development, such as a community center, parks, trails and a pond.

“Unfortunately, the residents of Blue River lost these benefits,” she said.

Blue River Mayor Lindsay Backas called the results of the vote unfortunate: “I think people had bad information and voted accordingly.”

Contrary to what opponents claimed, she said the public’s input was solicited.

“We had 15 open forums,” she said.

The mayor also noted there was a website and Facebook page specific to the issue.

The money lost in deed transfer taxes was earmarked for infrastructure improvements, most specifically roads, she said. “It will take longer to reach our goals.”

With the town’s annual operating budget locked in at $900,000, the deed transfer tax would have made for a significant increase.

Backas pointed out the town council didn’t create the proposal.

“The builder came to us; we didn’t recruit them,” she said.

She said the town council believed the development would benefit Blue River.

“The board got nothing except a year and a half of getting screamed at,” she said.

Both Sheldon and Backas said despite the “no”-vote, the area will still be developed.

Sheldon also disputed concerns over the density levels in the development.

“They were never going to build 68 units,” she said. “This was always going to be low density.”

With the plot remaining county land, future development would likely differ from the current plan. As the land is zoned, the county recognizes a maximum of 23 units of denisty on the 48.2-acre plot.

Courtesy of the Summit Daily News.

Summit County, Utah meets Summit County, Colorado

#Summit County, Colorado.

Summit Daily News Link

Hey, Summit County, I’d like you to meet ... Summit County.

A group of 75 elected officials, government staff, business leaders and other interested residents from Park City and Summit County, Utah visited Breckenridge and Summit County, Colorado on Thursday and Friday, Sept. 10-11, to learn, network and bond.

The group, which traveled more than 400 miles by bus on Wednesday, was organized by Myles Rademan, who spent 25 years working for Park City and was information director for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.

He started his annual city tours while living in Crested Butte 43 years ago and has been coordinating them for Park City residents for the last 29 years.

“I always felt that it was invaluable, especially in resort towns, which are kind of little bubbles,” he said.

“To me, it’s all about the relationships.”Myles RademanTour organizer

The connection helps people in the visited and visiting communities realize that they may not have the best solutions or all the answers and that they are not alone in their challenges, he said. More than 100 people wanted to join the trip, and he had to turn some away.

The last time he brought a Park City group to Breckenridge was 20 years ago or more, and interest in Breckenridge and the Colorado High Country spiked after Vail Resorts purchase of Park City was finalized last year.

“That’s one of the main reasons we’re here,” he said.

Breckenidge Mayor John Warner spoke to the group about the town’s recent agreement with Vail Resorts over a lift-ticket tax ballot question to fund parking and transit improvements.

“We have issues like that, too,” Rademan said, noting the dynamic between a billion-dollar corporation and a small town. “We’re all facing similar problems.”

The two towns have much in common. Park City is larger than Breckenridge, but Breckenridge receives more skier days. Park City also has a national historic district, Rademan said.

Besides historic preservation, parking and transit, the group heard from Breckenridge town staff about open space and trails, housing and childcare and economic development and marketing. Thursday stops included Breckenridge Town Hall, Cucumber Gulch, the town’s new arts district and library and an affordable housing project.

On Friday, Vail Resorts leaders, including CEO Rob Katz, spoke to the group at Breckenridge Ski Resort and Keystone Resort. Then the group visited Eagle County on Saturday before driving home and participating in a two-hour debriefing Sunday.

“To me, it’s all about the relationships,” Rademan said.

The Park City group always bonds during the annual trip. Plus, with 75 people energized with new ideas, they are taken much more seriously when they return than if only a few people had attended a conference, he said.

Rademan said he’s surprised with how few communities do similar tours, but Breckenridge folks have visited Park City over the years.

Peter Grosshuesch, community development director for the town of Breckenridge, said the Colorado people participating glean value from the visit as well.

“These things are usually pretty good for both communities,” he said. “There’s a good exchange of ideas, and there’s a lot of one-on-one contacts.”

Courtesy of the Summit Daily News.

Pets available for adoption at the Summit County Animal Shelter

#Summit County, Colorado.

Pets available for adoption at the Summit County Animal Shelter.

Spitz Magoo/Michael Yearout Photography

Summit Daily News Link

Contact the Summit County Animal Shelter at 970-668-3230.

CATS:

REILLEY, 16 years, Tonkinese, seal point, neutered male

BAILEY, 16 years, Tonkinese, seal point, neutered male

TYLER, 8 years, Domestic Mediumhair mix, orng tabby, neutered male

SPOOKY, 9 years, Maine Coon, bl tabby and brown, spayed female

LUKA, 5 years, Domestic Shorthair mix, gray and white, spayed female

TODD, 5 months, Domestic Shorthair mix, black, neutered male

MORRIS, 2 years, Domestic Shorthair mix, apricot, neutered male

MOWGLI, 4 years, Siamese mix, seal point and white, neutered male

BAXTER, 10 years, Domestic Shorthair mix, brown tabby and other, neutered male

POOKIE, 10 years, Domestic Shorthair mix, tortie, spayed female

HARLEY, 1 year, Domestic Shorthair mix, seal point, spayed female

COCO, 6 years, Domestic Shorthair mix, calico and tortie point, spayed female

TUCKER, 3 years, Domestic Mediumhair mix, black and white, neutered male

SPITZ MAGOO, 7 months, Domestic Shorthair mix, brown tabby and white, neutered male

ROCCO, 7 months, Domestic Shorthair mix, orng tabby, neutered male

DOGS:

PRINCESS, 6 months, Chihuahua - Long Haired mix, tan, spayed female

WEBSTER, 2 years, Labrador Retriever and Border Collie mix, black and white, neutered male

OLAF, 1 year 5 months, Australian Cattle Dog and St Bernard - Smooth Coated mix, white and brown, neutered male

SEREPHINE, 7 years, Labrador Retriever mix, black and white, spayed female

HONEY, 2 years, Pit Bull Terrier, brindle, spayed female

BESSIE, 6 years, Boxer mix, brindle, spayed female

BRIXTON, 1 year 6 months, Labrador Retriever and Dalmatian mix, white and black, neutered male

EMILY, 1 year 3 months, American Staffordshire Terrier mix, white and brown, spayed female

OTIS, 11 months, Welsh Corgi - Pembroke and German Shepherd Dog mix, black, neutered male

ZIGGY, 7 months, Pit Bull Terrier and Dalmatian mix, white and black, spayed female

PACER, 7 months, Labrador Retriever mix, black, neutered male

HOSS, 3 years, Labrador Retriever mix, black and white, neutered male

BUD, 10 months, Pit Bull Terrier mix, brindle and white, neutered male

HARLEY, 2 years, Labrador Retriever mix, chocolate and white, neutered male

Courtesy of the Summit Daily News.