[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",5977233,"mediaKeyId","5822093-3dc0fb13470a070645fb0be381d7c129","parentId",5822093,"title","College, ski club and county update Dutch Henry plan; donated lift and Army Corps wetlands review shape next steps","audioSeconds",2443,"startMs",6741160,"endMs",9184187,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5822093-3dc0fb13470a070645fb0be381d7c129&start=6741&end=9184","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5822093-3dc0fb13470a070645fb0be381d7c129/thumbnail_6741160.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5977233/Lake-County/Colorado/College-ski-club-and-county-update-Dutch-Henry-plan-donated-lift-and-Army-Corps-wetlands-review-shape-next-steps","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5977233-478d67457e2e81fe4eb2f878f2ee28d4/orig.mp4?Expires=1774950963&Signature=QCa5huuqxb9ZDvqr7biwo0HcUfVBtBBxlg4IwnuSYFtBBOVld3jr9knBgzZApjFOunS-LUyegx1BTX1jngswudJ1iWtCXGviNF0LNBXDexRm9vdB8G0UFaaZzLy7wli32LyJjcl7mx7NqRIcRJC9RtbxVpBn1tmCnFGLLD-rEbCbklPyovi2tVhaU4ZyStfTKZOWKTarBmBKvWFzI-UlY4GwTLDsz81hV6YSGvPJsUkDz30AJYUJZbJEXu9wWAr-UgXIgomc06x3NVmK6WdJqNMMqTKgiGxxpJjrlbmzAI-ssmPdCrvuUhAd-AGhN-7cIp7bSwOCNO1nUVad5Ta79Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Lake County Colorado ","date","2025-09-23T00:00:00Z","article","County staff, Colorado Mountain College representatives and members of the Cloud City ski club briefed the Lake County Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 23 about a multi‑phase redevelopment concept for the Dutch Henry ski area that would expand access for youth and beginner skiers and replace the existing tubing operation.

College and club representatives said Steamboat has donated a platter lift to the project and that installing the lift will require roughly half a million dollars in cash or in‑kind work. County staff and the club said the donated lift is viewed as a near‑term first phase that improves access for the club’s training programs; additional grading, a culvert of the creek and “magic carpets” or beginner conveyors would be needed to support a larger, family‑friendly facility.

The discussion matters because the site is used for multiple community recreation programs, is currently divided among four different landowners and sits on wetlands that the Army Corps of Engineers must review before major work proceeds. County staff said the four‑owner configuration complicates long‑term planning and indicated the county, the college and the club are exploring legal and operating arrangements that would consolidate management and clarify liability.

Carrie, representing the ski club, told the board the club is not in a position to operate or develop the hill on its own and said it would consider transferring its property interests to the county in order to secure access for youth programs. \"We are not a club that is capable of managing this property,\" Carrie said, adding the club’s priorities are preserving clubhouse access and long‑term training space for local youth.

County staff described the phases sketched by the project designer, including a base lift (phase 1), removal or reconfiguration of the current tubing facility and new beginner slopes and conveyor lifts (phase 2). Staff emphasized the long‑term vision would require significant grading to create consistent, low‑grade runs suitable for learning and for a terrain park and said the county’s operations and insurance exposure must be clarified before the county takes on land or operations.

Staff also reported the Army Corps of Engineers is reviewing a consultant study (presented as submitted to the Corps) to determine the scope of required wetland mitigation or permits; county counsel advised it would be prudent to resolve that federal permitting question before the county acquires additional parcels. County staff said the Corps now believes parts of the site qualify as jurisdictional wetlands and that the permitting process is likely to require mitigation measures.

Other practical issues identified in the meeting included power and water access for snowmaking, the existing sanitation district parcel that sits inside the project footprint, and liability/insurance questions tied to operating lifts and public recreation. Staff said Colorado Mountain College runs power and snowmaking infrastructure across the corner now and could support operations, but the separate ownership and utility arrangements need formal agreements.

There was no vote. County staff said they will continue to pursue the Army Corps review, begin drafting options for a land‑ownership and operating framework, and requested input from the club and the college on specific access and use terms. A donor‑raised campaign to fund lift installation was described as under way with a target for fundraising by late winter so installation planning can begin.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Lake County CO 09.23.2025 BOCC Work Session - 9AM","oneSentenceSummary","County staff, Colorado Mountain College and the local ski club discussed a multi‑phase plan for Dutch Henry that hinges on a donated platter lift, culverting and Army Corps wetland review; funding and land‑ownership agreements remain to be worked out.","taxTitle","Lake County, Colorado","taxId",27576,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5977237,"Lake County planners promote public‑private partnerships to address housing shortage",3591,3024345,6616105,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5822093-3dc0fb13470a070645fb0be381d7c129&start=3024&end=6616","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5822093-3dc0fb13470a070645fb0be381d7c129/thumbnail_3024345.jpg","/articles/5977237/Lake-County/Colorado/Lake-County-planners-promote-publicprivate-partnerships-to-address-housing-shortage","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5977237-3b095df4781d9dbdb39fb76eded6807f/orig.mp4?Expires=1774950963&Signature=mvQEIlTJdu5De80N-88peSqJMWjP7mrRWcWPLjOOMrDrIajcqwUzCMFpvyUsLecQ3Kb4UkyWWsQjn2Q9gXTpyXjOvuBGHN0gh8BVNnhYWpM5JXW-m7B2O7PF6IHMcOuLgu0WiH2zYuw6t6ytzxYVq1o7eWbcAJVqCQsjF~EQGeU87B1kuj2jO22ndzK0d1IasId8YsXsGtNyPKkbtSNb6ht1Jp86Xf0nBIdP-M0B9fyeE0VbtfmB7VfenfUbqMvFsWISpiA247fUL~4PQddMqI4LbFvFMiFjbqSNJspxO34-B~jNqseM1eGA-D2YSWPCU~ArhgviGjChP9qyFu6N9A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Community planning and development staff presented the Lake County Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 23 with a proposal to pursue public‑private partnerships—often shortened to P3s—to expand affordable and workforce housing.

Planners said the approach is intended to combine public accountability (land, zoning and public funding) with private sector construction expertise to reduce development cost, speed delivery and preserve affordability over time.

The presentation came as county planners and residents highlighted local indicators that motivated the proposal: declining school enrollment, workforce shortages, and the panel’s cited median single‑family sale price of about $660,000. Staff also said roughly 26 percent of single‑family houses in the county are empty, which they said points to a need for both preservation of existing housing stock and new, appropriately‑located construction.

County planners and Jackie, a planning‑department staff member who led parts of the presentation, described common barriers to affordable housing: a complex capital stack, high and volatile construction costs, a short mountain construction season, limited local developer capacity and community resistance or misunderstanding about affordable housing. Planner Jackie said affordable housing is broadly relevant: “Affordable housing is for everybody that we work with every day. It’s for everybody that we see in our community at Safeway, the coffee shop.”

Staff outlined strategic tools they want to use in partnerships: land banking, deed restrictions, density bonuses, fee waivers, targeted gap financing and coordinated permitting. They cited grants and programs—board materials referenced a NEPA environmental study budgeted at about $850,000 for a separate “1 community” project and a land‑banking grant program discussed in the presentation that staff said can reach up to roughly $4,000,000—both as potential funding channels to pair with developer investment or nonprofit partners.

The planners offered examples in neighboring counties, naming the Miller Ranch project in Eagle County and recent work in Silverton as local models for mixed housing types and deed‑restricted units. They proposed an implementation roadmap that begins with formal partnership agreements and sketch‑plan engineering and advances through entitlement, final plat and development activities.

Planners said the effort would be coordinated with nonprofits and the regional housing authority and would include public engagement sessions such as a mapping exercise planned for next week to identify suitable sites and improvement priorities. They also emphasized preservation strategies for existing “naturally occurring affordable housing” and suggested programs to support owner‑occupied improvements, manufactured housing upgrades and consideration of small footprint options such as tiny homes or accessory dwelling units.

No formal board action was taken; staff said they would create a shared document repository for materials and follow up with more detailed guidelines and proposed partnership criteria. Commissioners asked staff to develop objective vetting guidelines so the county can review and compare proposals consistently.

Staff identified next steps: circulate the slide deck and supporting materials, build a “holding place” (shared folder) for project documents, draft partnership‑guidelines and continue community outreach through the 1 Community project.","Planning staff outlined a P3 framework, cited local housing pressures and proposed a roadmap that would use land banking, funding layers and developer expertise to deliver deed‑restricted and workforce housing.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5977241,"Xcel Energy outlines wildfire mitigation plan, warns PSPS in Lake County is a matter of \"when\" not \"if\"",2655,356750,3012119,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5822093-3dc0fb13470a070645fb0be381d7c129&start=356&end=3012","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5822093-3dc0fb13470a070645fb0be381d7c129/thumbnail_356750.jpg","/articles/5977241/Lake-County/Colorado/Xcel-Energy-outlines-wildfire-mitigation-plan-warns-PSPS-in-Lake-County-is-a-matter-of-when-not-if","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5977241-fd19846aa542451734c6bc32605281e2/orig.mp4?Expires=1774950963&Signature=HusHk5dFtPFLe7QiX1cjEc6M9kgLHrm0b34MWTykOWJMgWO0kp2Pi9hyUtgibygwKO~y9RFna80IPIBji-Bv5sW2kPCZpL3iGX4IV22c3~UyyLwv7WXwJ2iFtT7bKm1614DLi6uLlxVhOfZqHlF-QPerlPc6B9MIrBMq~EKoA9SUh0Xl8c0Z~f6pqYCXeAUDJBNyLfVSjS7Y8zMMCMZbfe0jBAZeyUMuO1xZzSOiynR9rzc-IUfizoKBnoEb~Joc66aY-6bjfLOfzve4L0LRkKb~DHulVxvobT1PuFXiD83NhoHUbPEtYIOdobv9oUgTIlyFEkbny6nwBHMgr3C65w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Blair McGarry, area manager for Xcel Energy serving Lake County, told the Lake County Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 23 that the utility is implementing a statewide wildfire mitigation plan that includes new modeling, monitoring and operational measures and warned that public safety power shutoffs could occur in the county.

McGarry said the company has invested “over $500,000,000 in wildfire mitigation activities across the state” since 2020, and described efforts to strengthen lines, widen vegetation clearances, add weather stations, deploy drones and use wildfire‑spread modeling to inform operational decisions.

The presentation matters because the measures can reduce wildfire risk but also lengthen outages when the utility shifts to enhanced power safety settings or executes PSPS events, affecting residents, critical facilities and businesses.

Xcel is using a wildfire spread model the presentation identified as Technasilva Wildfire Analyst to combine dynamic weather, wind vectors and fuel moisture to estimate where a fire might spread. McGarry said the company is also expanding vegetation management around lines and has increased clearance to 10 feet in the county where crews have performed work.

The company described “enhanced power safety settings,” in which automatic reclosures on distribution lines are turned off; a line that faults will not automatically reenergize and must be patrolled before restoration. McGarry said that practice “causes longer, more extended outages” because crews must inspect lines and that Xcel deploys drones to speed inspections when conditions permit.

McGarry called PSPS a “tool of last resort” and said Colorado has seen such shutoffs. She said, “It is not a matter of if we execute a PSPS in your community, it is a matter of when.” She reviewed Xcel’s April 2024 PSPS on the Boulder front range, saying the company proactively shut off power to 55,000 customers and that about 155,000 customers ultimately lost power during that event. McGarry said the company now notifies medically vulnerable customers 48 to 72 hours in advance when possible and is working with offices of emergency management to identify critical facilities such as wastewater treatment plants.

McGarry described communications improvements: press releases, outreach to local officials, outbound calls, texts and emails to affected customers, website updates and social media. She cautioned PSPS events can be “days‑long” and urged residents to keep contact information current with the utility and to be prepared for extended outages.

She also addressed cybersecurity and system resilience in general terms and said Xcel remains focused on safety, reliability and affordability. McGarry said the company treats wildfire risk as a high priority because wildfire‑caused damage can affect borrowing costs and, ultimately, rates.

Commissioners and staff asked for local reliability statistics and clarification of how vegetation and meter work is being done; McGarry said she could obtain more precise reliability figures on request. She also offered a follow‑up meeting between county staff and Xcel vegetation teams to explain practices and clearance details.

Local staff and residents will continue dialog with Xcel on advance notifications for vulnerable customers, water/wastewater priorities during outages and the company’s timelines for customer notifications and outage maps.

The presentation did not contain a formal action or vote by the board. County staff noted follow up items including requests for local reliability data and coordination on critical‑customer lists for emergency management.","Blair McGarry of Xcel Energy told the Lake County Board that the utility has invested in wildfire mitigation, is using new modelling and monitoring tools, and that public safety power shutoffs (PSPS) remain a tool of last resort that communities should prepare for.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

College, ski club and county update Dutch Henry plan; donated lift and Army Corps wetlands review shape next steps

Lake County planners promote public‑private partnerships to address housing shortage

Xcel Energy outlines wildfire mitigation plan, warns PSPS in Lake County is a matter of "when" not "if"