City Council approves Ski Time Square proposal with 6-year vesting period

Updated February 3, 2010 at 8:52 a.m.

Share this Email, Facebook, Twitter
Discuss 20 comments

Steamboat Springs — City officials approved conceptual plans Tuesday for the redevelopment of Ski Time Square, while allowing a maximum of six years before final plans are submitted and raising questions about the project’s proposed commercial space and public benefits.

The Steamboat Springs City Council voted, 5-0, to approve the Ski Time Square development plan, which includes five buildings with about 200 condominiums and more than 27,000 square feet of commercial space on Ski Time Square Drive at the base of Steamboat Ski Area. Council members Jon Quinn and Kenny Reisman stepped down from the discussion and vote because of conflicts of interest.

The approval does not shed any additional light about when construction might begin at the ski base, but it does set a tighter timeline. City Council denied a request by developers The Atira Group for a 10-year vesting, or grace, period before submitting a final development plan, which has architectural and project specifics. City Council instead approved the six-year vesting period recommended by city planning staff and pleaded for Tuesday by a base area business owner.

“It’s really been a decimating last two seasons,” said Vail Kozatch, of Ambiente Home Furnishings & Gifts, 1875 Ski Time Square Drive. Kozatch said this winter season, she has heard visitors expressing disappointment in the base area.

Atira is redeveloping Ski Time Square and Thunderhead Lodge on behalf of Cafritz Interests, which purchased the properties in 2007. The former Ski Time Square buildings were demolished in 2008 with the exception of The Tugboat Grill & Pub.

In the worst-case scenario, Ski Time Square construction could be 11 years away. Atira theoretically could take six years to submit final plans, then three years to pull a building permit, with a possible two-year extension. Mark Mathews, Atira’s vice president of development, said he hopes the market allows construction well before that.

“Construction start doesn’t correspond to vesting period,” Mathews said. “We want to get started as soon as market conditions permit … and hopefully not bump against that six-year period at all.”

City Council gave Atira plenty of points to consider in creating its final development plan. Councilman Jim Engelken commended the project’s site plan and amount of open space but asked for more residences, commercial space and public benefit.

“In my view, 200 units in a project this size is inadequate. I think you need to double that,” Engelken said. “We want filled buildings.”

City code requires Atira to include more than $2 million worth of public benefits in the Ski Time Square project. But Engelken noted that Atira’s list includes a 30 percent contingency valued at more than $482,000; a stairway to Burgess Creek Road valued at nearly $100,000; ski racks; bike racks; a $5,000 flagpole and public seating areas valued at $558,000. Engelken called the public benefit plan “wholly inadequate” and said most of the amenities listed “would have been built anyway.”

“We’re giving credit for trash cans and flagpoles, for crying out loud,” Engelken said.

Council’s approval included a condition that Atira reach the required benefit amount without the 30 percent contingency. Mathews said public benefits will be more clear in the final development plan.

“We understand that we need to have a gold or platinum standard here,” Mathews said. “I think as we go through this, we’ll have no problem meeting the criteria.”

Councilman Scott Myller agreed with Engelken that more commercial square footage is needed, and Councilman Walter Magill said he hopes that commercial space allows for live music venues and restaurants to increase vitality at the ski base.

“We have heard loud and clear that we need to be considering more evening entertainment in this neighborhood,” Mathews said.

Engelken said he supported the project Tuesday because his objections are issues for the final development plan.

Also Tuesday, City Council approved medical marijuana dispensary licenses for D and C Medical Marijuana and Therapeutic Massage, at 410 S. Lincoln Ave.; Rocky Mountain Remedies, at 2750 Downhill Plaza; and Natural Choice Co-op, at 1169 Hilltop Parkway.

More like this story

steamboatsprings 3 years, 3 months ago

Well done, I think that a good compromise has been reached. I just hope that they really do work to include enough commercial space and entertainment venues that will make Ski Time Square vibrant again.

blue_spruce 3 years, 3 months ago

decent 500 - 1000 person live music venue is absolutely key in ski time square.

greenwash 3 years, 3 months ago

I want Mark Mathews job.....So now what? Twiddle our thumbs for the next 10 years?

But at least WSC gets to park up close.

I thought Ambiente went out of business years ago?You mean they were smart enough to open again in a vacant courtyard?DUH.....

mmjPatient22 3 years, 3 months ago

And no news on what else the counsel discussed last night? They don't have the minutes up yet on their site. But I guess it's not really "news" that the counsel was going to approve all three of the dispensary permits.

Brent Boyer 3 years, 3 months ago

mmjPatient22: It appears that the last paragraph of the edited version of this article, which included a sentence about the marijuana dispensary approvals, was cut for space purposes in the print edition. It should not have been cut from the online version of the story. I have added it to the story above.

Thanks, Brent Boyer Editor, Steamboat Pilot & Today 970-871-4221

housepoor 3 years, 3 months ago

The long term negative impact the dilapidated base area will have on our core tourists will be hard to overcome. City Council needs to step up to the plate and put tourism to the forefront and come up with a plan and funding to improve the base area pronto. In granting this 6 year vesting period, which was a concession by the City, they should have negotiated an interim lease to allow for the CitySki Corp to use the property for events or temporary attractionsbusinesses. No lease, no 6 year vesting!!! Oh wait, we this was a developer asking who is in bed with at least 2 of the council members, how dare we say no? I guess that type of forward thinking outside of 700 was too much to ask.

Scott Wedel 3 years, 3 months ago

In the worst-case scenario, Ski Time Square construction could be 11 years away

No, worst-case scenario is that they leave it vacant and let the approved project expire.

The 11 year scenario is the absolute longest that they could take to build this approved project.

JJ Southard 3 years, 3 months ago

mmjpatient22 says: "And no news on what else the counsel discussed last night? They don't have the minutes up yet on their site. But I guess it's not really "news" that the counsel was going to approve all three of the dispensary permits."

LOL.... March on Soldier!!! We love you mmj22..... Thanks for all you do. Your enthusiasm is priceless. The editor squared us away with that last sentence.

On another note.... As the founding director, and registered agent of Natural Choice Co-op and the soon-to-be "Herbal Therapy & Wellness Center" located at 1169 Hilltop Parkway, I'd like to thank the City Council for a thorough and tactful approach to the mmj dispensary industry. My patients and many of the patients and caregivers of this region are very appreciative of your openness to this very sensitive and controversial subject. If anyone from the community has any questions or concerns regarding the opening of our business, please email me at naturalchoiceco_op@yahoo.com.
Thank you.

mmjPatient22 3 years, 3 months ago

Well hey, I'm just happy that it got mentioned. Many of the stories that I follow, not just on this site, report news that isn't always finalized. Many news snippets are nothing more than an expression of a viewpoint that is represented by a single aspect of a story. Unfortunately, important conclusions are sometimes left unreported and the general public is left ignorant once again. It's all about one thing; the truth. Not half of the truth, or even most of the truth, but every last little bit of truth.

Jeff Kibler 3 years, 3 months ago

Is this like the Twinkie Defense?

FBI: Unruly passenger blames medical pot cookies http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9DKR3BO0&show_article=1

Read the comments, too.

mmjPatient22 3 years, 3 months ago

Doesn't look like that great of a defense to me but I'm not a lawyer. Really, I think I'd have a hard time coming up with a reasonable defense for walking out of an airplane lavatory with my pants anywhere below my waistline. As someone with more than average experience with "special" baked goods, I have never even heard of someone having a reaction like that to any kind of cannabis-infused treat or even cannabis concentrate.

mmjPatient22 3 years, 3 months ago

And the amount of anti-Obama comments on that article are ridiculous.

greenwash 3 years, 3 months ago

At least give a plug to Rocky Mountain Remedies located off Downhill Drive and Downhill Plaza...First rate facility.Top notch finishes.Nice guys.

mmjPatient22 3 years, 3 months ago

"...give a plug..."?
I guess I'm loosing touch with hip lingo. Should I know what to do at this urging?

housepoor 3 years, 3 months ago

another thread hiljacked by pot.................it is addictive....

mmjPatient22 3 years, 3 months ago

Hijacked?!? Interesting choice of words. I think it's highly ironic that even though there was only one sentence(which had to be re-added later) in the article that even remotely touched on the subject, it joined the ranks of the other highly contested articles about cannabis. Regardless of what anyone's opinions are on the subject, no one can argue how prevalent of an issue it has become not just in our locale but across the nation.

Requires free registration

Posting comments requires a free account and verification.

Or login with:

OpenID

Steamboat Pilot & Today