Vail Post Redevelopment Vision Kent Logan

October 2005

Vail: A Post-redevelopment Vision

By Kent Logan

While it may sound premature to talk about “post-redevelopment” when large construction cranes dot the Vail skyline and the streets are still torn up, I believe the greatest challenge facing us as a community over the next few years is to forge a vision defining what we want our town to “feel like,” and in fact, “be.” From its inception, we have “been” one of the best ski and outdoor recreation venues in the world; increasingly, we have developed an impressive cultural dimension to our town through our summer Bravo musical program, the dance festival and our year round performing arts program—accomplishments in which all of us should take justifiable pride. Beyond that, however, there are many other “software” projects to which we should turn our attention and forge a thoughtful, collective, collaborative vision of how we want our Town to evolve—a Community Master Plan, if you will. The cynics and skeptics among us will quickly dismiss the suggestion as hopeless, citing the mixed results of the Vail Tomorrow project of a few years ago. However, I believe we must re-double our efforts because the stakes are higher now—our Town has already been changed—irrevocably (and I believe mostly for the better) by the vast number of projects that are already underway, and it has been changed perhaps more than most residents believe (at least until the steel begins to define the actual dimensions of these new buildings). The risk to the Town two years ago was that redevelopment would get delayed once again—obviously that did not happen. Today, the risk is frankly that we proceed too far, too fast. Now is the time to begin the process—involving all segments of our community (young and old, full time and part time residents, business owners, employees and tourists)—in developing a consensus defining the future “character” of Vail.

But before we begin that process, we should all not lose sight of everything that has been accomplished over the past two years! While most of the election rhetoric will swirl around our differences related to the Crossroads and Conference Center projects (more on those later), do not let those two issues overshadow everything we as a community agree on that is positive.

Fiscal Condition and Finances Never Better

After declining in 2002 and 2003, sales tax collections were up 6% in 2004 and are up an additional 5% so far in 2005, despite the reconstruction! More importantly to me as a councilman, however, is the fact that we now have in place a much more sophisticated budgeting process (instituted under the leadership of our new Town Manager Stan Zemler and our Finance Director Judy Camp) ensuring that better and more timely fiscal decisions are made despite the uncertainties associated with our reconstruction. Because, frankly, the next two years will be much more of a challenge than the last two!
Major fund balances/reserves totaled $25.0 million at the end of 2004, up from $17.2 million in 2003. The reserves in the Town’s General Fund, Capital Projects Fund and Real Estate Transfer Fund have never been higher.
Fiscal transparency has never been better. The initiation of an Annual Town Meeting which actually reviewed the financial condition of the Town, and the publication of an accompanying Annual Report was initiated by Stan and Judy in 2004, and implemented by Suzanne Silverthorne, has brought a new-found openness to the process.
Townwide coordination to minimize adverse impacts with the business and residential community have been on the whole very successful. I understand that any individual or business who had a problem will not necessarily agree with this statement, but when we stand back and look at the magnitude and complexity of this challenge given the 20 or more projects now underway in such a small area, it is no small miracle that the Town didn’t implode financially or functionally. We all owe a great deal of thanks to Greg Hall, the Director of Public Works, his entire staff, and the Vail Police Department, headed by Chief Dwight Henninger.

Redevelopment Is Underway in a Big, Big Way (or be careful what you wish for)

Before getting to the projects themselves, the first important real estate related event of the past year was passage of the long-delayed revisions in the GRFA (gross residential floor area) regulations. While the revisions may not have been as sweeping as some would have liked, the new flexibility theses changes allow were indeed a new milestone.
Within the past two years, no fewer than 18 major projects have begun or been completed. Notwithstanding the recent disappointment over the postponement of the Crossroads project, your Council has been solidly pro-redevelopment. The following public and/or private projects have been recently approved, completed or started in the past two years.
1. Manor Vail—a $60 million renovation.
2. Founders Park and Parking Garage—new facility across from the Christiania adds 110 new underground parking spaces.
3. Tivoli Lodge—renovation of 62-room hotel.
4. Vail Racquet Club—major renovation.
5. Village Streetscape—a TOV $12 million multi-year project featuring snowmelt and enhanced landscaping.
6. Vail’s Front Door Project—set to begin in Spring 2006; Vail Resorts’ redevelopment of the Vista Bahn gateway to the mountain.
7. One Willow Bridge Road—a new 22 condo development on the site of Sonnenalp’s former Swiss Chalet.
8. Sonnenalp Hotel expansion—40 new hotel rooms and new retail space.
9. Vail Plaza Hotel—replacement of the old Vail Village Inn will add 99 new hotel rooms and 51 new condos.
10. Four Seasons Hotel—new 118 room hotel/condo project on the site of the old Chateau property.
11. The Arrabelle at Vail Square--$150 million project of Vail Resorts on the old Lionshead core site, including 36 new luxury hotel rooms, 67 condos and new retail space.
12. Lionshead Skier Bridge—new wider bridge completed in 2004.
13. Gore Creek Residences—16 new duplex townhouses located west of the Vail Marriott.
14. Forest Place—development of 4 residential sites south of Lionshead skier bridge.
15. Ritz Carlton Residences—(on the West Day lot) application has been made by Vail Resorts to develop a 104 unit condo project on this site.
16. Antlers—completed in 2004, the renovation of this property in Lionshead really ushered in this period of redevelopment.
17. Middle Creek Village—a $23 million, 142 unit employee housing development initiated by the Vail Local Housing Authority opened in 2004.
18. Vail Gymnastics Center—the new 9000 square foot gymnastics center opened in 2005.

In addition, the Town Council approved a plan early in 2005 to enable the Town to pursue tax-increment financing (TIF) in relation to the Lionshead redevelopment projects which will fund up to $9 million in new Town infrastructure improvements; it also completed a master plan for the 3.6 acre Chamonix property which will include the long-delayed West Vail fire station; and last but not least, one of Vail’s oldest landmarks, Pirateship Park, was rebuilt.

To have come so far so fast over the past two years is remarkable! It would not have been possible without the superhuman efforts of Russ Forrest, our Director of Community Development and his entire staff! Well done! Also, no small part of the achievements reflects a much improved working relationship with our corporate partner—Vail Resorts. One of the Town’s objectives two years ago was to enhance this essential collaboration, and thanks to Adam Aron’s assertive and constructive leadership and his staff’s unflagging cooperative attitude, we have gotten more done than anyone thought possible.

2005 Vail Community Survey Confirms Town Is Moving in the Right Direction

Last spring, the Town of Vail conducted a survey which included 302 year-round residents and 102 second homeowners. The results confirmed the fact that you also believe the Town is moving in the right direction.

From the survey:

1. When asked “if the Town is on the right track,” 70% responded favorably, up sharply from 57% in 2003.

2. When asked, “thinking about the vision for the new Vail and all the improvements that are occurring,” 47% said they were very excited and only 10% were not excited.

3. And even with the Town Council, satisfaction rose modestly (but at least in the right direction) to a 3.2 rating in 2005 (after declining from 3.3 in 2000 to 3.0 in 2003) with 39% of the respondents indicating they were very satisfied with the Council.

Diversity of Opinion a Strength, Not a Weakness

As with any period of major change everything did not go on “auto pilot,” and in fact, in a diverse community we should expect, and respect, diverse opinions. We must guard against those special interest parties that would attempt to polarize the community by driving a wedge between us in an overt political attempt to achieve a personal agenda. By working together we can accomplish a lot—in fact, we already have. As you know, not all seven members of the Council were in favor of all the accomplishments just mentioned. However, the important point to me is that as a group we did succeed in pushing progress forward smartly. As a group, we brought different strengths to the table given our varied experience from housing, building codes and regulations, small business, lodging, I-70 noise mitigation efforts, finance and a sometimes taken for granted sense of a historical perspective on the evolution of the Town. In fact, we should all remember that it was the risks undertaken, and the investments made, by Vail’s “old Guard” that are responsible for the success that Vail is today! As I mentioned, diversity of opinion in Vail is healthy, and diversity on the Council is a strength, not a weakness. The risk to the Town two years ago was that redevelopment would get delayed once again—obviously that did not happen. Today, the risk is frankly that we proceed too far, too fast. As I mentioned earlier, I believe strongly that it is time to return to our neighborhoods, solicit thoughtful objective opinions and work towards developing a collective, collaborative vision—in short, a Community Master Plan. Importantly, the process of change must be managed; ultimately, if successful, we will look back and appreciate the fact that we took the time to deliberate and forge a vision which reflected a consensus of the majority.

Crossroads and the Conference Center

As promised, I finally get to the two high-profile questions of the Crossroads and the Conference Center. First, let me stress that this election was about much more than just these two issues—it was about the progress we have made and the vision to be forged in the months ahead.

The second general point that I would make is that we live in a “grey” world, not a “black and white” one. Most often, a complex decision is not a simple black or white proposition, although proponents, or opponents, of a particular question would like us to believe that it is so. In my opinion, Crossroads is one such “grey” decision.

Practically no one, including myself, believes that the Crossroads building is not in desperate need of redevelopment; in fact, the biggest public benefit would be to tear it down before it falls down. Why then did I vote no on this specific plan? Simply put, the size of this particular architectural plan for Crossroads (height, bulk, density) elevated this redevelopment to a select number of projects that “have the potential to change the character of the Town.” AND the fact that there has not been sufficient effort devoted to obtaining thoughtful public input relative to that broad question. I do believe that if we had followed the procedure we used for both the Front Door project and the Arrabelle Lionshead core site project, we would have had a much better chance of reaching the appropriate compromise to move Crossroads forward. In that regard, at a recent joint meeting of the Town Council and the PEC (Planning and Environmental commission), a recommendation was made to hold a joint “conceptual review” of major projects with the Council, the PEC and DRB (Design Review board), and the public, as the initial step before the formal application process is begun. I still believe the appropriate redevelopment of Crossroads is critical to the Town of Vail. I hope we can restart this process with greater public participation earlier in the process.

The Road Ahead—A New Vision of a Better Vail

As I mentioned earlier, the physical redevelopment of Vail is only the first step in building a “New Vision of a Better Vail.” Increasingly, we must collectively turn our attention to the “software” aspects that determine the character of our Town. That is not to say that there are not several important projects on the horizon. Among them:

Restructuring and redeveloping the 200 unit Timber Ridge employee housing complex.
Development of a master plan for the West Vail commercial core to ensure its continuing role in providing essential goods and services for full time residents.
Thoughtful development of the Chamonix property including the West Vail fire station.
Working closely with Vail Resorts to fully develop the potential of their newly acquired property on the western side of town which should involve substantial new parking for the entire town.
Also, I believe the time has come for a comprehensive master plan for the south Frontage Road, given its importance as the “gateway to Vail.”
Finally, creation of larger family-type employee housing units (which have been effectively championed by Councilman Greg Moffett and Councilwoman Kim Ruotolo) should be a priority of the next Council.

On the “software” side, the challenge is even larger, and in many ways more difficult because the conclusions are less obvious, but in the longer run will have far-reaching consequences on our collective “Vail experience.” Initiation of a series of Neighborhood Town Meetings to gather comprehensive public input as the first step in developing a Community Master Plan should be the first priority of the new Council in 2006. As a first step, several “focus meetings” have already been conducted by the Town staff.

Finally, I again urge you to step back for a moment and reflect upon all the positive things that have been accomplished in the last two years, and not be overwhelmed by the very few issues that have divided us. We as a group have accomplished a lot! Last, but certainly not least, as he completes his second term as the Mayor of Vail, I want to thank Rod Slifer for his mature, steadfast leadership during this eventful period.

Respectfully,

Kent Logan

Vail Town Councilman