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County leaders warn Four Seasons project could strain regional housing, emergency services
Summary
San Miguel and neighboring counties described property purchases tied to a proposed Four Seasons development, expressed concern about workforce housing and service impacts, and agreed to rebuild a multi‑jurisdictional coalition to press the developer and Mountain Village for mitigation.
Local elected officials told the March 17 tri‑county meeting that a proposed Four Seasons development in Mountain Village—being advanced by Merrimack Ventures and managed by Four Seasons—has already removed lodging and local housing from the market and could bring hundreds of construction workers, placing strain on lodging inventory, emergency services and local roads.
"I had a lump in my throat and a pit in my stomach," Galena Gleason, San Miguel County commissioner, said of her first meeting with the developer. Gleason explained her work forming a west‑end coalition that drafted a community benefit agreement to offset regional impacts.
Commissioners reported that Merrimack Ventures has purchased or leased local properties, including a long‑term lease or acquisition of the Mountain Lodge and property interests in the Rimrock Hotel. San Miguel officials said the county has received $1.8 million in related use‑tax receipts and has earmarked $1,000,000 for a redundant Norwood waterline project to shore up infrastructure affected by potential workforce housing siting.
San Miguel County commissioner and a county manager described ongoing uncertainty about the developer’s workforce solution. "Their solution that was proposed was some kind of a man camp," Gleason said; she noted San Miguel County’s land‑use code does not allow such camps and that other siting options are being evaluated in neighboring jurisdictions.
Commissioners discussed tactics to press Mountain Village and the developer for mitigation: reconvene the community benefit coalition; prepare quantified letters documenting impacts to lodging tax, EMS calls and road use; and seek a joint presentation to the Mountain Village council (target May 21) with elected representatives from affected towns and counties. County staff will attempt to compile a list of properties already purchased to quantify displacement of local housing stock.
Officials also explored policy and legal routes. County attorneys noted some states and municipalities have used development impact fees or multi‑jurisdictional review processes for very large projects, but said Colorado law currently limits local impact fee authority to defined categories (for example certain first‑responder fees) and that legislative change would be required for a statewide, multi‑jurisdictional fee approach.
The meeting did not produce a binding agreement with the developer; San Miguel officials said they will request a new regional meeting with Merrimack and Mountain Village and solicit letters from neighboring governments before the Mountain Village council meeting.
