Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — The twin snowstorms that swept through Steamboat Springs last week weren't part of the plan for the developers of the exclusive Stonebridge Park subdivision.

"The subdivision is 95 percent complete. We really want to get the subdivision roads paved this fall," said listing real estate broker Dan Picaro of Steamboat Village Brokers. "The plans were to get started Nov. 8, but it's weather dependent."

Stonebridge Park has created 12 single-family home lots, all more than an acre in size, and all priced at more than $500,000.

The subdivision straddles Fish Creek near the 18th green of the Sheraton Steamboat Golf Course. It is accessed off Steamboat Boulevard. The developer is Ski Time Square Enterprises, the same group that owns the Sheraton golf course and the Sheraton Steamboat Resort and Conference Center, Picaro said.

Of the 12 lots, seven have sold, with prices beginning at $525,000. Of the five lots remaining, the price ranges up to $575,000. One of the first seven sold for $650,000, Picaro said.

The subdivision infrastructure is nearly complete utilities are in and the shoulders of the private road system have been revegetated with an irrigation system in place. All that remains is some landscaping near the entrance and that big paving project.

The private road network and the impact it could have on the existing trees on the site were items of intense scrutiny as the project made its way through the city approval process.

The Planning Commission and City Council wanted to see as few of the "old growth" evergreen trees on the site disturbed as possible. Picaro said the concerns of the city have been shared by the developers. He said he's impressed with the effort that was taken to design the roads around the most significant trees.

The heavily timbered lots, it turns out, were one of the key selling points of the subdivision, Picaro said.

The heavy timber contributes to the feeling of privacy in the subdivision. To ensure it stays that way, Picaro said a "tree preservation program" contained within the subdivision covenants forbids individual homeowners from removing trees from their lots.

He agrees the market for Stonebridge Park is similar to that of Catamount Ranches, which has sold out. However, Stonebridge taps into a different niche, Picaro said.

"The developers wanted to do an upscale project and they saw a need for larger lots within the city limits," Picaro said.

Stonebridge Park has drawn interest from people who wanted privacy and the possibility of a creek-front lot while remaining close to the recreation afforded by the golf course and the ski area, about 1.5 miles away.

Of the seven people who have purchased lots, two are from Steamboat, Picaro said. The others, from a variety of other states, also typically shopped for home sites near Aspen and Vail, he added.

"They liked the idea that it was a small, exclusive subdivision," Picaro said.

Although the size of the lots is an advantage in Picaro's estimation, the developers had originally sought as many as 16 lots on the site and gradually reduced the number under pressure from the Planning Commission and City Council.

The final product includes three green belts that allow creek access for the owners of lots that do not have creek frontage. Of the 12 lots, four have Fish Creek running through a portion of their property, although all of the building envelopes are on the south side of the stream.

There is some public access to the subdivision and creek area on the north side. Developers are building a soft-surface trail to connect with the city trails system. It will run from a trail in the Sanctuary Filing III downstream to a connection with Greystone Drive.

"No question about it," Picaro said, homes in Stonebridge Park will be valued in excess of $1 million. Under the covenants, the minimum size of the homes will be 3,200 square feet, and Picaro said he is aware of at least two in the design stage that will be around 6,000 square feet.

Purchasers in Stonebridge Park were made aware in advance of the strict architectural guidelines, Picaro said. They call for "mountain western" architecture, including a large amount of natural stonework on the exterior and no more than 5 percent stucco.

Despite the size of the homes, Picaro predicted only one would be easy to see from the street and one other would afford glimpses, the rest will be out of sight from Steamboat Boulevard.