Cottonwood Pass 

Cottonwood Pass - CDOT presented The Draft Concept Design report for Cottonwood Pass to Eagle and Garfield Counties in mid-September. Garfield County is not currently planning on making the cited improvements to Catherine Store and Cottonwood Pass. They verbally supported Eagle County in making improvements to Cottonwood Pass using both Eagle County and Federal funds. Eagle is planning to make simple improvements (e.g., curve softening) using existing County funds. If a large Federal grant comes through in January, they will begin prioritizing the more difficult improvements for the Blue Hill section.

Eagle County Land Use Code Rewrite

Zoning is one of the least exciting things local government does. But it’s important. That’s why Eagle County has launched an 18-month effort to revise the county’s land use regulations.

Land Use Code Violations

Zoning designations detail what land uses are allowable and not allowable on properties. When those uses are not according to code, neighbors are impacted and they need a path to resolution. As part of the advocacy role in our mission statement, we consult with landowners dealing with code violations in their neighborhood. 

Spring Valley Ranch Development  

"The developer behind a proposed 577-home private golf and ski community withdrew from the application earlier this month, weeks after sending a letter to county staff expressing frustration with Garfield County over timeline constraints. Georgia-based firm Storied Development sought a substantial modification/amendment to the Spring Valley Ranch Planned Unit Development, looking for land-use allowances to develop the previously approved 577 residential units, along with a 100-acre golf course, a ski area with snowmaking and more. According to a May 9 letter, Storied Development is no longer under contract for the property and the property owner, Spring Valley Holdings LLC, is set to replace the Georgia developer on the application. J. Bart Johnson of Waas Campbell Rivera Johnson & Velasquez LLP sent the letter to Garfield County on behalf of his client, Storied Development. The purchase of the property was contingent upon PUD approval by the Board of County Commissioners. “The reason I’m here is I’m not going to close on it until I’m sure I can do it,” Mark Enderle, a partner with the firm, told neighbors during a meeting in February 2024, the Aspen Daily News previously reported.  Spring Valley Ranch is a 6,000-acre property centered north of the intersection of County Road 114 (Spring Valley Road) and County Road 115 (Red Canyon Road). Plans for the property included an 18-hole golf course, a nine-hole “short course,” a clubhouse, a small, private ski hill on southwest-facing slopes and about 20 miles of trails with limited public access. The application also included plans to cluster residential development, double the open space and create breaks to reduce wildfire risk. It also sought approval for the development of 58 units of affordable housing and 17 units of worker housing for ranch employees."

Developer exits application for Spring Valley development. 

https://springvalleycoalition.com/

Xcel Energy Hopkins to Basalt 115-kV Rebuild Project

Xcel Energy is proposing to rebuild the existing 11-mile transmission line between the Hopkins and Basalt substations in Eagle and Garfield counties. The transmission line was originally built more than 100 years ago and is reaching the end of its useful life. To ensure we can continue delivering reliable, safe electricity for our customers, the line will be rebuilt, which will improve electric service to homes and businesses in the area, while also meeting the community’s current needs and future growth.

Approximately five miles of the line are located in Eagle County, with the remaining infrastructure in Garfield County; about half of the project is located on property managed by the Bureau of Land Management with the rest located on private property.

Identify New Projects to Watch 

You can identify new projects to watch by following the guidance in Discover New Development Proposals. We encourage you to do so!