November 2003 |
| Breckenridge
News Breckenridge Mayor Sam Mamula has been quoted as saying, “We believe this master plan represents a solid framework for a cooperative partnership to achieve the goals of the Breckenridge Ski Resort and the community. The Breckenridge Ski Resort continues to be a leader and a good corporate member of the community with its commitments to parking, density reductions, preservation of open space and the environment in the critically sensitive habitat of Cucumber Gulch, and support of childcare and skier service improvements.” These comments were in reference to the Master Plan for the ski area that maps out a successful future of growth and improvement that is probably unmatched in the industry. The Town of Breckenridge and The Breckenridge Ski Resort worked closely to commit to a variety of public benefits including dedicating fifty acres of open space in the Cucumber Gulch, reducing density in the planned Peaks 7 & 8 developments by 25%, designating an acre of land for a transportation center currently under construction, limiting commercial space to 15,000 square feet, permanently providing 2500 parking spaces and donating $200,000 to improving local child care. The town and ski area will partner on several projects including a preventative management area in Cucumber Gulch as well as construction of a $16 million dollar gondola and a $4 million ski-way to take people to and from Peak 8 and town, thus alleviating traffic on Ski Hill Road. The resort will also build 60,000 square feet of new skier services facilities at Peak 8, an area that has been neglected for thirty years by multiple past owners of The Breckenridge Ski Resort. For those of us that have been around long enough to remember those other owners, we are grateful to Vail Resorts for their stewardship and investment in the long-term economic health of Breckenridge. More information on everything going on this summer is at: http://thealtitudenews.com/Schedule.html, as well as: http://www.bestoftherockies.com. |
| SKIING
NEWS…ARE YOU READY? Three ski areas are now open, Loveland was the first in late October, A-Basin followed shortly after and Copper Mountain began running the lifts on November 1 st . Other opening dates are as follows: ~Breckenridge; November 14 th ~Keystone; November 14 th ~Vail; November 21 st ~Beaver Creek; November 22 nd ~Ski Cooper; November 27 One of the best deals in the history of skiing is the partnership of Vail Resorts and Frontier Airlines. For the meager amount of $2999, only slightly more than some resort’s season pass, you can have unlimited flights and unlimited skiing at Vail’s six mountains. Another pass will allow skiers to fly three times and ski Vail's Summit County resorts for $1,100. More details can be found at: Snow.Com ! Keystone Resort is undergoing a major transformation, the Snake River Planning Commission has approved a proposed youth-oriented ski-training center at the resort's tennis facility; there will be a new terrain park, with its own lift, 51 rails and a half-pipe; four new concept restaurants and nightclubs will revitalize nightlife and night skiing will return to five nights a week. Last time reminder, t he Fifth Grade Passport program is in full swing for the 2003-2004 season. The Passport provides fifth grade students with three lift tickets to EACH of the 23 Ski Country USA member resorts. Plus a $49 Graduate Pass is available to last year’s Fifth Grade Passport holders. Snowboarders ranked Breckenridge Ski Resort as America's No. 3 snowboarding destination, according to the readers of Transworld Snowboarding magazine. |
| WHY
I LIVE HERE… October 11 th was “Make a Difference Day” in Summit County and over 400 volunteers showed up to do just that by pitching in to help out 29 local non-profit organizations. These happy volunteers helped these organizations finish projects that otherwise may never have been completed. For example; more than a mile of dangerous and unnecessary barbed wire fence was removed near the high school, the recycling center got a garden built, the Timberline Adult Day Care got their kitchen painted, two cords of wood were split for the BOEC and a porch got painted at Advocates for Victims of Assault. People in Summit County are known for their desire to help out and “Make a Difference Day” is just this month’s example. Olympics. The competition is intense and the hockey is top-notch. Plan to attend next year’s event. |
| SCHOOL
NEWS… The Summit School Board has approved the final budget for 2003/2004 and we are in really good shape. While many school districts are having to cut back our budget has increased 2.4%. Additionally 89% of the budget goes directly to educational services, much higher than similar districts in the country. This is made possible by a mill levy passed back in 2001 that allows most of the maintenance and improvements to facilities to be taken out of a separate account. The levy also provides $250 per student for computer software, technical vocational programs and teacher development. One of the neat programs that comes out of our healthy financial situation is the “Supergrad” program that allows Summit High students to take college classes and earn credits while still in high school. Currently 136 students are enrolled and may earn up to 24 credits at no additional cost. The classes are paid for by the school district and taught by Colorado Mountain College. A 24-credit head start can mean big savings when the time comes to move up to college. The experience also means additional maturity in being able to handle the demands they will have to meet. Students are expected to complete work on time and on their own and that means organizing their time, not waiting for the last minute and getting a parent’s assistance. The kids involved give the program rave reviews and respond to the demands placed on them. They are said to possess the ability to form an opinion of their own and then defend it against critique. |
| TRAVEL
TIPS… TRY THE GENTLER SIDE OF SKIING You’ve heard of Nordic Skiing but have you ever tried it? Instead of bashing the moguls you glide along while enjoying the peace and quiet of nature. It’s nearly impossible to get hurt and it’s extremely healthy. It is touted as the best all around exercise, working almost every muscle in your body, most importantly your heart. Gene and Terese Dayton, long time operators of the Breckenridge and Frisco Nordic Center have teamed with the Town of Breckenridge to bring their two areas and the Gold Run Nordic Center at the golf course under one umbrella. The goal is to get the three areas on one pass, giving skiers of all abilities a total of 90 kilometers of groomed trails. It will also give Summit County marketing clout as home to some of the best Nordic Skiing in the country. Future expansions include developing trails on 1500 acres the Daytons have under permit from the Forest Service on Peak 7 and 1800 acres the Town of Breckenridge has under contract to buy northeast of town. The town and The Breckenridge Resort Chamber have also been working on expanding the marketing focus beyond the usual downhill scene. Recognizing that Breckenridge has hundreds of miles of trails and old mining roads the new marketing will make people aware that if Nordic Skiing, mountain biking or hiking is your interest than look no further. As maps and other information are formalized it will be as easy to get around as if you were a local. So come on up and see what I mean. Contact me if you need further tips on where to stay, eat or play. |
| INVESTMENT
OPPORTUNITIES INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES The Colorado Department of Health and Environment will award the town of Breckenridge a silver Colorado Environmental Achievement Award next week for its efforts in converting town vehicles to an alternative fuel. The town has worked to convert its diesel-operated vehicles to biodiesel, a mixture of diesel fuel with a soybean derivative. Ten Colorado businesses made Inc. magazine's 22nd annual ranking of the 500 fastest-growing private companies in the nation. County and town representatives from Idaho Springs to Glenwood Springs expressed their opposition at a 13-hour public forum in September, sponsored by the Colorado Department of Transportation, to the proposal to expand Interstate 70 to six lanes from Floyd Hill to the Eagle County Regional Airport. They said that instead, their constituents want to see a monorail or some other mass-transit alternative to highway expansion. The Summit County Board of County Commissioners joined the towns of Silverthorne, Breckenridge and Frisco in agreeing to keep the Summit Housing Authority in operation for another three years. The U.S. Air Force announced Thursday it would transfer 10 future satellite launching contracts from Boeing Co. to Lockheed, bringing a $1 billion windfall in new business to Lockheed Martin's Jefferson County facility. Top symbols of wealth: Second or vacation home ..................45% Vacations twice or more a year ...........36% Investing for retirement .......................34% Living in an exclusive neighborhood ....29% Paying for children's college education ..25% - USA Today, 02.12.03 See you on the slopes . Contact me and we can discuss things. |
MARKET
CONDITIONS REPORT With the economy climbing back interest in mountain property is climbing too. As the inventory shrinks prices will start to rise. Now is the time to buy. We still have many properties that have been on the market for a long time-this means motivated sellers, not for much longer though. Plus, if you buy now YOU get the benefit of ski season rentals. Interest rates are still low, under 6% for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage. You may never have an opportunity to buy mountain property at these kinds of discounts again. Buy low and sell high, don’t wait ‘till prices start going up again, Contact Me Today! |