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Steamboat Springs — One of the nation's largest energy companies has a stake in the latest rural residential subdivision in Routt County.

Peabody Energy, the world's largest privately held coal company and owner of Twentymile Coal Co. in West Routt County, is the owner of 710 acres being transformed into 19, 35-acre residential lots in the new Vista Ridge at Trout Creek development. The lots vary in size from 35 to 39 acres.

Peabody's real estate division has contracted with Romick and Associates of Steamboat Springs to develop a series of residential projects on its holdings west of Steamboat. Romick and his staff have established a track record nearby with the successful Creek Ranch development.

"A lot of people don't realize that Peabody has a significant real estate division of their own," said Joan Shenfield of Romick and Associates. "In this case, Peabody is the mothership. We're able to take them through development sales and marketing."

The Vista Ridge site sits atop a hill with low vegetation that affords views of the Flat Tops to the south and the triumvirate of Elk Mountain, Sand Mountain and Hahn's Peak to the north. It is 13 miles from Steamboat via Routt County roads 33 and 179, and five miles from U.S. Highway 40 at Milner via C.R. 179.

Twentymile Coal Co. mine manager Mike Ludlow confirmed the hill that Vista Ridge sits astride was never considered for potential coal development. He has been with the mine since 1978, when original owner Bob Adams was at the helm of a Steamboat-based company, Energy Fuels.

Twentymile Coal Co. has gone through several changes in ownership in the past 25 years, most recently transferring from a German company, RAG, to Peabody in March 2004.

Ludlow said Adams was buying ranches in the early 1970s, not just for their coal deposits but also to acquire water rights and to provide a visual buffer against mining activities.

Despite the panoramic views from Vista Ridge, mine operations cannot be seen.

Romick said Vista Ridge would offer 19 lots plus a 119-acre open space easement that would allow owners to enjoy horseback riding and other activities.

Owners also would have access, through a road easement, to private Trout Creek Lake and another mile of fishing along Trout Creek.

Shenfield said Romick, in consultation with representatives of Peabody, decided against a land preservation system subdivision that might have awarded them more lots in exchange for clustering home sites on the 710 acres.

Vista Ridge is the first of several developments Romick plans to undertake on behalf of Peabody, and future developments may take other forms.

By exercising the right to develop 35-acre parcels without going through county planning review, Vista Ridge developers can deliver rural estate lots with more flexibility for owners, Shenfield said. Vista Ridge doesn't offer extensive amenities, but large lots are available at much lower prices than some high-end projects such as Alpine Mountain Ranch and Marabou, which are coming onto the market.

"We feel we're going to capture a different portion of the market," Shenfield said. "We'll have setbacks and architectural controls, because we want quality improvements. But this is more independent and less restrictive for the owners."

Owners would have more freedom, for example, in terms of how they fence property to keep horses on their land.

Although land preservation subdivision, or LPS, estate lots close to Steamboat are priced at more than $1.5 million, lots at Vista Ridge are priced from $295,000 to $340,000.

The roads leading to Vista Ridge are high priorities for snow plowing because they are on a school bus route, Shenfield said. Utilities on the property will be placed underground.

For information, call 879-3618 or visit www.romick.com.

-- To reach Tom Ross, call 871-4205 or e-mail tross@steamboatpilot.com