Eagle an active-retirement spot

EAGLE — Seniors appear to be eyeing the Eagle area with greater interest when it comes to retirement plans.

Sherry Mintz, Eagle County’s adult services director, says she has been hearing rumors for quite some time that the area is about to be overrun by retiring baby boomers.

“I don’t know we’re actually seeing that,” she says, but adds more seniors have been requesting services such as community meals, exercise classes and transportation.

The meals —which are served in Minturn, Eagle and El Jebel — have seen at least a 10 percent increase in attendance. Mintz says seniors seem to come as much for the social interaction as the food.

The popularity of the exercise class at the Golden Eagle Senior Center in Eagle has prompted the addition of a second class. Another activity that has become increasingly popular is the Active Mind Series, which brings speakers once a month to Eagle.

Volunteerism among seniors also is on the rise. In particular, the federally funded Retired Senior Volunteer Program, for people 55 and older, has been busy.

“What we are seeing are seniors who come in to the area that are very, very active, and contributing to the community,” states Mintz.

Does this mean, however, that more retirees are moving to the area, or that more area residents are retiring?

Both. In a 2006 survey, conducted for Eagle County, 29 percent of 275 second-home owners said they expect to become full-time residents of Eagle County in the future. This is significantly higher than a similar survey question in 2003, which showed only 17 percent indicated plans to retire here.

“For so many years, people thought of us as a young place. Nobody thought what happens when somebody ages,” Mintz says. “People are attracted to the area and the lifestyle, and to Eagle in particular, because they are attracted to a sense of community.”