Could Cascade Village be the next Vail Mountain portal to see a remodel?
Town's planning commission recommends project for approval
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When it comes to accessing Vail Mountain by chairlift, the resort’s westernmost portal — Cascade Village — has long maintained a lower profile than Vail Village, Lionshead or Golden Peak.
But that could soon change. Fresh development plans have emerged for the lift loading area of Cascade, a site known as “Cornerstone” near the Grand Hyatt, which were recently recommended for approval by the Vail Planning and Environmental Commission. The plans are now headed for the Vail Town Council, which is expected to examine the commission’s ruling and make a decision of its own in July.
The plan would create a six-story building perched just above the Cascade Village chairlift, with 28 units and 5,250 square feet of retail space. It’s the latest iteration of a series of plans that go back to the 1990s, some of which have already seen approvals that have lapsed.
A plan from 2008 was 96 feet in height with 23 residential units, but that version expired in 2017 after a series of extensions.
The new plan is down to 71 feet, alleviating some of the concerns with the project expressed by the Vail Planning and Environmental Commission. The commission, in May, recommended the project for approval in a 4-0-1 vote, with Commissioner Robert Lipnick abstaining. Lipnick resides in the Cascade area and his wife, Janie Lipnick, serves on the Cascade Village Metropolitan District board.
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In order to be carried out, the plan would require a major amendment to the Cascade’s special development district, authorizing the redevelopment of the Cornerstone parcel as a mixed‑use project, including residential units, commercial space, and parking.
To receive approval of the amendment, the plan must offer public benefits substantial enough to outweigh deviations from the original standards. Those public benefits, according to the developer, include a snow-melted bus turnaround and skier drop-off, enhanced skier access through the site with public elevator and covered stairs, redevelopment of the lift ticket sales office, public plaza areas, public bathrooms, a public promenade connecting the development and adjacent chairlift to the hotel, off-site improvements and activation including a skating rink/play area, and public art.
But not everyone is convinced that the stated amenities are true benefits.
In a preliminary review of the plans on June 3, the Vail Town Council held a public hearing in which several residents expressed their displeasure with the project.
“I don’t see any public benefits,” said resident Gabriela Gout. “I think it’s all for their own benefit.”
Gout said that while residents in the area are not against development, she has not found anyone who approves of this project. Janie Lipnick is among those residents concerned about the project, telling the council, in a letter, that the applicant, PHH Design Development, has not demonstrated good faith in addressing concerns regarding safety, overcrowding, or neighborhood compatibility.
Delivery logistics, trash removal plans and drop-off congestion are among the most pressing issues cited by Lipnick, as the site currently relies on Westhaven Drive for vehicle access and a loading zone.
“They currently use our public road as their private delivery site,” Janie Lipnick said. “There is no cohesive or workable plan to address this. It creates a hazardous situation in case of an emergency.”
Trash disposal would also require hauling refuse down Westhaven Drive to the hotel’s facilities, further exacerbating access concerns, Janie Lipnick said.
“This project seems designed solely to maximize profits with little regard for community impact,” she said.
While the project was originally slated for council review on June 17, it was tabled at that time and is now expected to be taken up at the council regular meeting on July 1.
