Minturn Town Council tours Battle Mountain
MINTURN — New members of Town Council and Mayor Matt Scherr have lasting visuals of Battle Mountain Development’s 5,400-acre property with pristine land and sweeping views.
Town staff and members of the public joined council members on a tour Wednesday led by Tim McGuire, of Battle Mountain Development, to see the mountaintop parcel where a large-scale ski resort was once planned before the recession.
Currently, there is no offer on the table to the town of Minturn.
“The goal was really to get the new council up there, who most of them are new since last spring,” McGuire said, adding he thought the tour went well and helped people understand the property better. “I don’t think people understand how nice the land is.”
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Two access points to the property include dirt roads with views of Notch Mountain and Holy Cross Mountain. The property itself faces challenges with development, as slope and access to certain areas provide problems. However, the tour that included about a dozen members of the public saw the flat land atop the mountain possible for development along with what could have been a nice bowl for skiing or snowboarding.
“It’s gorgeous up there,” Scherr said. “It’s good to ski.”
“I was surprised,” said council member Sidney Harrington, who had never been to the property before. “I didn’t realize what it looked like and how vast the land is. I’m a very visual person.”
Possible concepts for Battle Mountain Development include possible 35-acre parcels, a much smaller project than before 2008.
“There’s nothing on the table right now, but they’re talking about larger parcels up there as opposed to more dense things, and certainly no skiing,” Scherr said.
Reporter Ross Leonhart can be reached at 970-748-2915 and rleonhart@vaildaily.com. Follow him on Instagram at colorado_livin_on_the_hill.