Industry News
Stagecoach Mountain Ranch (SMR) is a planned concept to resurrect a ski area that ceased operations 50 years ago into a private ski and golf resort near Steamboat, Colorado. Discovery Land Company, which developed the Yellowstone Club, another private resort in Montana, is behind the plan.
There were rumors back in 2017 that the ski area might reopen after Don McLean informed the Routt County Planning Commission in September 2016 of his plans to purchase Stagecoach Ski Area from its owners, the Wittemyer family, and to reopen the ski area with two new chairlifts by December 2017. Those plans went nowhere it appears, however, that could be the stepping stone for the current plans.
On July 8, Discovery held a meeting at the local firehouse to present its plans to the neighboring community. As reported by the Yampa Valley Bulge, a few hundred people showed up, showing how much they care about how the plans could impact how they live and even if they would be able to afford to stay. There were people standing in the back while others opened windows so they could listen from the outside. The idea of the ski area lying dormant for 50 years and then only being available to the rich once it was revived was a big concern.
The meeting started with an hour-long presentation by Discovery Partner Ed Divita, while the crowd listened silently. The cornerstones of the project seemed set in stone with a ski area, golf course, and roughly 700 homes costing between $2 and $20 million each. The complete buildup is expected to take 20 years, revealing a large commitment to the project.
Addressing the needs of the community was a focus of the presentation along with public benefits of the project, including a 12-acre parcel for a community center, at least 140 units of affordable housing, as well as trail access through their property to a piece of landlocked Bureau of Land Management land in the area. Other benefits would be that SMR would generate $33 million in property tax revenues at full buildout. This alone would exceed the $28.7 million total that Routt County receives from the roughly $103 million in total collections in 2024. This money would go to support local governments and schools.
It wasn’t until Divita confirmed that the project was not viable as a public ski resort and that there were no plans for anything resembling broad public access to skiing and golf amenities for non-owners that things started getting testy. He explained that Discovery is not like Alterra Mountain Company or Vail Resorts, who both passed up the opportunity to develop Stagecoach as a public resort. Someone in the crowd agreed and yelled “You’re worse!” This was likely implying that the people who will be buying $20 million homes don’t represent the community that already exists in Stagecoach.
Fear that the area would turn into the haves and have-nots was building. It is estimated that of the 700 homes planned, 90% of them will be second homes and only occupied for approximately 25 days a year. One resident shared how they lived in Big Sky, Montana, and when the Yellowstone Club gained traction, they quickly got priced out. Other concerns were over water quality with the golf course adjacent to the reservoir and whether the 140 planned units of employee housing would be enough for the 600 estimated full-time employees.
Discovery has yet to submit a development application to Routt County. The meeting was meant to be an avenue to hear from the public and implement changes if needed. Davita was still talking to residents three hours after the meeting adjourned. Time will tell if the residents will be listened to.
