Steamboat Springs Real Estate sales still topping records

The real estate market in Steamboat is definately heating up. A combination of people retiring in better shape physically and financially, the local environment, friendly people, and the relative value Steamboat real estate represents compared to other world class mountain towns is really driving the market right now. Careful buyers can find good values with the right help, even large pieces of land are availible here for less than a condo in Vail. That said if you are interested in land the time to buy is now. There are a lot of people looking to secure their future in the valley and the supply of good land is getting tight.

Selected quotes from the Steamboat Pilot and Today:
Real estate still topping records By Tamera Manzanares, Pilot & Today Staff

In 2004, Realtors were pleased to see the market rebound, rounding out the year with record activity. Another annual record is in their sights: Sales for April through June marked the best quarter ever in terms of sales volume and number of transactions. That came after a robust first quarter and before the third quarter, which typically is the busiest period of the year.

Second-quarter sales volume was about $192 million, about 45 percent higher than the previous quarterly record set July through September of 2004, according to figures from the Steamboat Springs Board of Realtors Multiple Listing Service. At 470, the number of second-quarter transactions in 2005 easily topped the quarterly record of 396, also set during the third quarter last year.

"Steamboat is just hotter than a pistol, people are looking here, and they have money." High- and higher-end buyers have a lot to choose from: Sixty-eight of the 108 single-family homes for sale in Steamboat Springs are $1 million or more. That's considering homes downtown, on the mountain and in the Fish Creek Falls and Strawberry Park areas.

Fourteen homes in that price range sold last year, indicating there's several years' worth of inventory in the current market. An increasing number of affluent buyers set their sights on Steamboat every year, but finding the right property to match their discriminating tastes is a matter of timing.

Although high-end homes can linger on the market for a year or more, properties in Steamboat and its vicinity priced at $600,000 or less are selling within weeks or even days, Realtors said. Currently, only nine homes are listed for sale in Steamboat for $500,000 or less. Fifty homes sold in that price range last year, according to MLS statistics. Values and demand are rising so quickly that the number and amounts of offers have surprised some Realtors. Condominiums and town homes for $400,000 or less are selling particularly fast.

Homes west of town help bulk up the inventory. There are 11 homes for sale in Silver Spur, Heritage Park and Steamboat II. Prices range from $337,500 to $675,000. The higher prices are driven in part by lack of available land in the city, mostly near the ski area base, where values are high and speculative properties target affluent second-home buyers. In effect since 1999, the West of Steamboat Springs Area Plan projected 2,400 homes generally between the Steamboat Springs Airport and the Silver Spur subdivision in the next 30 to 40 years.

Wildhorse Meadows Gondola should be accessible to public, Steamboat should share it's cost.

I couldn't agree more that the proposed gondola linking Wildhorse Meadows and the base of the ski area should be open to the public. However I don't think that the whole burden should fall on Wildhorse Meadows to provide this amenity to the town. The Ski area and Steamboat as a whole will benefit greatly from the additional charm and conveinence of a gondola that allows the public to park at the Meadows lot and cath a ride up to the base area. Given they plan 375 residences in Wild Horse Meadows, public users will far outweigh homeowners and guests. It will also provide tremendous savings for the ski area by eliminating the need for the shuttle buses that run constantly to and from the Meadows public parking lot.

Let's do the right thing here and add anouther gem to Steamboat's allure.

Selected quotes from the Steamboat Pilot and today:
Steamboat Springs Planning Commissioners said they did not want all the amenities offered in Wildhorse Meadows to be exclusive to its residents and guests. From a proposed gondola to soft-surface trails and employee housing, planning commissioners said they wanted the public to feel welcome in the mainly residential development. Wildhorse Meadows is planned to be built on the 47 acres of open land behind the Steamboat Ski Area's Meadows parking lot and the city's tennis center.

Developer Whitney Ward, who built the nearby Wildhorse Marketplace and is working with the former developers of Vail's Cordillera on the project, is proposing as many as 375 residences. The units would be a mix of condos, townhomes and single-family homes and would be divided into six development pods. The development also would have a country store, restaurant, café, real estate sales office and a recreation center.

The most unique feature of the development is the proposal for a gondola that would take residents and guests from Wildhorse Meadows to Gondola Square at the base of the ski area. The gondola could carry as many as 400 people an hour. "I think there will be a lot of chances for you as a developer to make sure this is not an exclusive neighborhood. Provide for public access as opposed to keeping out the public," Planning Commission Chairwoman Kathi Meyer said. Above all, planning commissioners stressed that the proposed gondola, which would be next to the Meadows parking lot, should be opened to the public. "We try not to be exclusive in this community, and everyone gets along," Planning Commissioner Tracy Barnett said. "If at all possible, work out the public access (to the gondola)."

David Hill, who is part of Ward's development group, said there were discussions with Steamboat Ski Area officials and city officials about opening the gondola to the public. Planning Commissioner Cari Hermacinski suggested that the developers have an even higher density on the land, some of which could be used for employee housing. Other commissioners echoed Hermacinski's request to include employee housing in the plan.

Planner Peter Patten, who has worked on the project, said a key component was creating and enhancing the natural environment. Plans show open space scattered among the residences, a pond and sledding hill next to the private recreation center and creeks near the soft-surfaced trails. Dirt would be brought in to fill the sledding hill and that they would file for water rights on the Yampa River and Burgess Creek to create the water features.

The plans show five phases of development. Hill said the developers do not plan to do vertical building on the property. Instead, the developers intend to develop the master plan with detailed guidelines and then hand the building over to other companies.

First whiff of Winter in Steamboat

It is still very much Summer in Steamboat Springs but I had one of my favorite annual epiphanies. What is cool is that I'm never actually thinking about it and almost always totally absorbed in whtever I'm doing at the moment, then it hits me.

Tonight I rode up to the top of the ski mountain here in Steamboat as the sun was setting and got my first message that winter is on its way. A slight breeze hit me with that smell of the changing seasons and a little chill to go with it. I always love the first day every year that that feeling hits me. We have several more months of great summer and fall weather ahead of us before winter graes us with her presence but tonight was my sign that the balance has tipped and we a starting to move towards winter again in Steamboat Springs. Send a nice shiver and through my body that is both warm and cool at the same time. Only 118 days until opening day and there is so much to do in the meantime!

Steamboat Town Challenge Mountain Bike Race 7-20-05

I did my second Steamboat Town Challenge Race tonight. It was over at Howelson Hill on the Eye2Eye Loop from the base of Howelson up to Orton Meadows then MGM and Stairway to Heaven and over to Abbey's then down several of the loops came out near Treehaus and loped down the horse trails back the base.

I have no ambitions to be a racer but its a great chance to get out for a ride and participate in one of the things that are cool about Steamboat. As we lined up for the race 4 guys introduced themselves and wished me luck which was pretty cool to see 1 minute before our start. At the start I stuck to my strategy of getting a solid postion where I couldn't get passed (you can guess where that is). I was still open to quite a few passes from people in the following waves. On the first hill my stomach really started churning enough that I almost dropped out. That lasted for most of the climb. Luckily the course was so beautiful I was distracted enough to keep going.

People actually bike up the course to cheer on thier friends, there were people all over the course even 5 miles up near the top. On a long uphill its really cool to round a corner and find 1-4 people cheering you on.

Delta adding more flights to the Yampa Valley

Delta is making it much more conveinent for Steamboat Springs residents to head west and for visitors to get to Steamboat Springs. They will be flying a 70 passenger Turbo prop in until December 16th and the a full 737 for the winter season. Great job to everyone that works so hard to bring increased airline service to the Yampa Valley.

Full story from the Steamboat Pilot

Update on Steamboat Springs Base area re-development plans

An update on the status of the base area plans. More of my thoughts to come on this subject...

Selected quotes from the Steamboat Pilot:
Friday, July 15, 2005

Sunny areas and warm pillows were among the top concerns of Steamboat Springs planning commissioners reviewing the draft of the Mountain Town Sub Area Plan update.
On Thursday night, the Planning Commission gave its first feedback on the plan, which consultants Stan Clauson Associates LLC have been working on since the winter.

Some of the key elements to the plan include a promenade around the base of the ski area, opening up Burgess Creek at the base of the ski area, closing off a portion of Ski Time Square Drive for a pedestrian plaza, redeveloping two above-ground parking garages and the Knoll parking lot and creating a north entrance to the ski area between Torian Plum Plaza and the Sheraton Steamboat Resort.

Planning commissioners were in general agreement with the plan, but they had a few suggestions. Sparked by comments from architect Eric Smith, planning commissioners worried that the proposed pedestrian plaza between Ski Time Square and Torian Plum Plaza would not be wide enough to provide sunny areas during the winter. They suggested developing density levels and height restrictions that would allow for more sunlight in the area.

Planning commissioners also wanted to make sure that there was the right mix of permanent residences and timeshare units to keep dwellings occupied and the base of the ski area vibrant. The plan is partially predicated on the hope that more residential units will create more pedestrian activity and excitement at the base of the ski area.

"I think we need to monitor and study how to increase the warm pillows up there," Planning Commissioner Steve Lewis said. "We need to break that out as an area to pay extra attention to."

Planning Commission chairwoman Kathi Meyer said another crucial element of the plan would be creating architectural and design standards for the redevelopment that occurs. "We desperately need it. It is such a critical component," Meyer said about the design standards, and she noted it is something the city has yet to set for the base area.

Almost all the planning commissioners who spoke Thursday night stressed that the hardest part of implementing the plan would be getting all the parties -- property owners, Steamboat Ski and Resort Corp. and the city -- to work together.

"The plan is great. I don't know if we have the community will or money to do it," Planning Commissioner Dana Stopher said. "There are a lot of people up at Ski Time Square that have traditionally not gotten along that need to get along."

The Planning Commission heard from property owners who were worried that the proposed changes in the plan would negatively affect their residences.

For the full article in the Steamboat Pilot:
Update on Steamboat Springs Base area re-development plans

Plans for One Steamboat Place

From The Steamboat Pilot and Today: (link to full article below)
"Some Steamboat Springs planning commissioners said Thursday that plans for two condominium buildings and a private club next to the Steamboat Ski Area gondola were too high and too massive.

On Thursday, developer Whitney Ward presented plans for One Steamboat Place, which would be on a 4.2-acre parcel just south of the Steamboat Ski Area's Gondola Square and adjacent to the ski school.

Ward, who is partnering with Carbondale developers on the project, is proposing a six-story, 150,000-square-foot condo building with full-ownership units and a five-story, 100,000-square-foot timeshare building. Plans also call for two additions to the gondola building, one being a 10,000-square-foot private owners club and the other a 6,000-square-foot addition for the ski school.

Ward's project also proposes a private gondola from the Meadows parking lot intended for use by residents and guests at One Steamboat Place, the Alpine Club and Wildhorse Meadows. Another important component to the plan is a plaza to connect Mount Werner Circle and the Gondola Transit Center, where shuttles and city buses drop off skiers, with the three proposed structures and Gondola Square.

Ward also is proposing to place a self-imposed real estate transfer tax on the initial and subsequent sales of Wildhorse Meadows and One Steamboat Place units. The money would go toward affordable housing, and Ward estimated that initial sales would bring in $2.5 million. To provide those public benefits, Ward said the development needed the height and mass, which far exceed the city's zoning requirements. "Without density, I don't think we can support all the things we are proposing," Ward said.

Four of the seven planning commissioners said they thought the height and mass were too much, but some said they could make concessions. Planning Commissioner Dana Stopher said that she would prefer to see smaller units than the proposed 2,500- to 3,000-square-foot units. Smaller units would support the argument that, by allowing a higher density, there would be more residences, she said. "

The Steamboat Pilot: Commission reviews condo plans

Steamboat Springs : Base-area plan draft revealed

The Steamboat base area update plan continues to proceed. The first steps are pretty low key. They will serve as a precursor to larger changes that will come once money from the new Urban Renewal Area on the Mountain starts to kick. The URA money comes from a tax on the value of new building in the mountain area so dollars for the big hitters will start to flow once units are built and sold in developments like Wild Horse Meadows (the whole field above the tennis bubble and lower parking lot) and the connected Snowflower lot (the parking lot where the ski school dropoff is and the area around it) development.

From the Steamboat Pilotand Today:
"From a promenade around the base of the ski area to looking at building a conference or arts center where the Steamboat Ski Area parking garage sits, many of the proposed changes in the draft plan were hashed out during community meetings this spring."

"It also recommends making streetscape improvements and beautifying Mount Werner Circle with raised crosswalks, alternative-paving materials, light fixtures, tr ashcans and benches. Removing Checkpoint Charlie at the entrance of Ski Time Square is another item in the plan.

Among the first suggested improvements for private landowners is to initiate designing and building a promenade to run along the base of the ski area from Ptarmigan Inn to Torian Plum Plaza. The plan also recommends creating a wayfinding and signage plan within Gondola Plaza and Ski Time Square Drive, and improving the drop-off area into the ski area and off Après Ski Way.

The long range plans -- and perhaps the more dramatic changes -- include determining if a conference or arts center is necessary and if it should go where the ski area's parking lot sits.

Other recommendations include closing part of Ski Time Square Drive for a pedestrian plaza and rerouting the road through the parking lot in front of Mountain Movie.

The plan also proposes a public/private partnership to expose Burgess Creek and to install a new or relocated chairlift at the base of the gondola to create a north entrance into the ski area near Torian Plum. To go along with these improvements, the plan also suggests that private dollars be used to develop a new Torian Plum and Thunderhead Plaza with an ice skating rink and water features.

The plan, in its five- to 15-year projections, also proposes the elimination of the parking garage at the intersection of Mount Werner Road and Ski Time Square Drive and the Knoll parking lot. In their place, the plan proposes building hotel and residential units with underground parking.

The plan also calls for redeveloping Mount Werner Lodge as a resort residential neighbor."

For the full article in the Steamboat Pilot:
The Steamboat Pilot: Base-area plan draft revealed

Steamboat Springs: Big Head Todd headlines tonight's free concert on the mountain

Summer is a great time to be in Steamboat Springs. Tonight we are walking over to see Big Head Todd and the Monsters in concert. We are meeting a few friends from up here and two old ski buddies are coming up from Boulder and Golden to join us.

Amazingly enough Big Head Todd and the Monsters are playing a free show at the base of Headwall at the Steamboat Ski Area. Big Head Todd was formed while I was in College and the University of Colorado and we often saw them play at parties and local clubs before they gained national recognition. Todd Park Mohr is a big fan of the Steamboat Springs area. He has a home and solar powered recording studio in Yampa just south of Steamboat.

Steamboat Pilot: Big Head Todd headlines tonight's free concert

Steamboat Springs Town Challenge Mountain Bike Race: Sunshine Loop tests overall skill (and my fitness)

Yesterday my friend Jon Harris and I rode in the Steamboat Springs Town Challenge. It is part of a local race series with Mountain Biking in the summer and Downhill Skiing and Cross-Country Skiing in the winter. This weeks race took us up to nearly the top of Sundown lift in the Steamboat Ski Area.

The route started at the base area by Gondola Square headed up the zig-zag trail over to Valley View (typically the way most people go down the mountain on their mountian bikes) takes the road for a bit to the top of Thunderhead and over to Rendevous then get back down to business on Singletrack up to the top of the Sunshine Loop for about 7.5 solid miles of climbing. For the downhill you ride down the Sunshine loop through the Apsens on some of Steamboat's best tree runs over flowing singletrack, dumping you onto Storm Peak Challenge which takes to back to Thunderhead at the top of the gondola. From there you take the Zig Zag trail down to the base area with a small but significant climb up across the headwall run and then the final push downhill to the finish.

I had only ridden 2-3 times this year before the race including my guess at the course on Sunday with my friend Dana Blanchard. I don't know exactly how long it took us but it was more like 2 1/2 hours and could have been more, Dana was patient with me and he could have easily finished much faster. When I looked up the actual route I saw that it would take a much more challenging uphill path. I counted on this ride to have blown some rust out of the pipes so to speak and set my goal to make it in 2 1/2 hours or less.

The race has all kinds of categories, we picked Men's sport even though this was my first mountain bike race so that we could ride the longer route to the top of the Steamboat Ski Area.
Alden, Woody and Wendy walked over to wish us well and watch us start. Our time came to start at 6:09pm and we started the long climb up the mountain. I've ridden Zig Zag quite a few times before but had only ridden up the Valley View trail once both are great trails with Zig Zag being a little wider (avg 4 ft wide and Valley View consiting entirely of prime singletrack trail.

Over the first few miles we were passed by quite a few people from the waves behind us. Then we settled in to the rythum of the climb and I trailed Jon by 60-100 feet most of the way up and we traded places back and forth with a few of the women riders to the top of Thunderhead where the gondola peaks. The road over to the Sunshine area was a welcome relief but the backside of Sunshine loop was steeper and longer than I remembered. By the top I had nearly caught Jon and just passed Kate who had been with us since nearly the bottom.

On the downhill about halfway down there is a rogue section of steep rocky trail. As we came up to it I warned Jon is was coming so he slowed, as part of what must been a subconcoius strategy to pass him. It worked and I passed him then hit a rock and rolled over the rocky section in the air. My last bike was too small and prone to rolling in a steep downhill so luckily I avoided all of the rocks, came up standing and hopped back on my bike. From there I didn't feel the climb any more so I flew down the swoopy singletrack trail to Storm Peak challenge, didn't see Jon behind me but I knew Kate was behind him so I continued down to Zig Zag. On Zig Zag I pedaled hard when I could and passed nearly a dozen people (likely mostly from other classes). At the bottom of Zig Zag and in view of Steamboat Base area there was a short uphill section across the slopes. I carried at lot of speed into it and pedaled hard to pass the person I had been unable to pass in the rocky and dusty section we had just gone through. Soon after that both of my legs cramped strongly and froze full extended. Needless to say that hurt a bit. I tried to walk up the hill but could only step a few inches at a time so I tired to stretch and them laid down. All the people I had passed went right by and a few minutes later Jon came up. I felt a little better after some deepbreathing just as he passed and then followed him down to finish.

We finished in just under 2 hours. I was dead last in my class but I am proud that I did so much better than I had expected. I learned a lot about spinning on those long uphill sections and I think htat was a good part of the reason in addition to having Jon there to keep up with. Jon had done a Triathalon a few weeks before so he was a good person to try to keep up with.

The Steamboat Pilot: Sunshine Loop tests overall skill