The sleepy town of Minturn, located just west of the popular ski town of Vail Colorado, had a big day yesterday as the residents voted on upholding the vote of the Minturn town council to include 4,300 acres of Ginn’s property into their town.
As far back as 2005, when the Ginn Company purchased 5300 acres of land prime Colorado ski terrain, hoping to build a private ski resort, homes, condominiums and a golf course, discussion has been on-going with both the town and the railroad over the details of this proposed billion-dollar-plus development.
Yesterday the Residents of Minturn voted overwhelming to annex the land into Minturn. 87% of the voters chose to annex the 4300 acres into the town, with only 13% voting no. This was a huge win for the Florida developer who wants to build 1700 homes and condominiums, a private ski resort and a private golf course a major draw for high end clientele that like to ski and golf in Colorado. This project will give one more Vail Valley amenity. The final approval from the town should come hopefully later this year. The voters not only approved the vote so that they could have as much say in the project as possible, but also because the developer has promised more than $162 million in benefits including a recreation center, library, new sidewalks, a paved bike path from Dowd Junction to Red Cliff, a new water and wastewater treatment plant, scholarship for Minturn residents and let’s not forget, the residents would receive discounted memberships into the private ski and golf community.
Supporters of the project feel that this will give the town of Minturn a much needed revival and put it back on the map. Those against the project feel that it will change the quiet, almost bohemian mining town and lose the small town feel that the locals love about Minturn. They also are concerned the project will ruin wildlife habitats and create traffic nightmares on the two lane main street now running through the town. The effect on traffic in Minturn will increase by almost half within the next several years. But for the most part people felt that Minturn was going to change be it through this development or something else, so why not reap the benefits from the developer as well as the millions of dollars in tax revenue.
The entire Vail Valley is anxious for the final vote and to see what good will come of this large development in a sleepy little town.
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