Routt County, CO, Flags 120+ Issues with Stagecoach Mountain Ranch Private Resort Proposal

Plans for the proposed Stagecoach Mountain Ranch (SMR) private ski resort near Steamboat Springs, Colorado, are moving forward, but the project still has plenty of work to do before construction can fully begin.

Stagecoach Mountain Ranch is a planned concept to resurrect a ski area that ceased operations 50 years ago into a private ski and golf resort 25 minutes from Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Discovery Land Company, which developed the Yellowstone Club, another private resort in Montana, is behind the plan. SMR is being compared to the Yellowstone Club due to its exclusivity and luxury offerings.

• Related: Abandoned Stagecoach Ski Resort, CO, to be Revived as Private Ski & Golf Club by Company Behind Exclusive Yellowstone Club

The project will feature a private country club with high-end amenities, including a world-class golf course by Stagecoach Reservoir, a private ski area, and access to prime fishing spots along the Yampa River. The roughly 6,100-acre development would revive the former Stagecoach Ski Area as part of an exclusive private resort featuring skiing, golf, luxury residences, and other amenities.

• Related: Stagecoach Mountain Ranch Private Resort Near Steamboat, CO, Presents Plans to Local Residents Amid Scrutiny

Now, Routt County has issued a second corrections letter to Discovery Land Company, identifying more than 120 questions, conflicts, and missing pieces of information across the project’s 10 land use applications as reported by the Steamboat Pilot & Today.

One of the biggest issues is electricity. County officials say preliminary feedback from Yampa Valley Electric Association indicates the existing infrastructure cannot support the development. Discovery may therefore need to build a new electrical substation and potentially a transmission line, both of which would require additional permitting.

The county also wants clarification on water and irrigation, wastewater, traffic, employee housing, construction impacts, public trail access, environmental concerns, and the project’s overall development timeline. Some documents currently list 745 residences while others list 750, and projected buildout timelines range from 15 to 26 years.

The project has already undergone several changes since Discovery Land Company announced plans to revive the long-abandoned ski area. Earlier plans called for roughly 800 residences, but the current proposal is closer to 750. The ski area is also planned to use a gondola rather than the originally proposed chairlift.

Discovery Land Company still hopes to transform Stagecoach into a private mountain community. However, the latest corrections letter shows that the project remains firmly in the planning and permitting stage. Discovery must respond to the county’s concerns before another review can take place. According to Routt County, public hearings are still likely months away at the earliest.

It has been five decades since the former Stagecoach Ski Area closed. If the project eventually receives all of its approvals, the mountain could once again see skiers, but this time as part of one of Colorado’s most exclusive private resorts. For now, however, Discovery Land Company still has plenty of hurdles to clear before those first turns can happen.