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Letter: Just say no to proposed East Vail development

I happened to pick up the Vail Daily at a doctor’s appointment on Tuesday. With no funny pages to distract me from the woes of my country, I settled into the commentary section. It seems there is quite the kerfuffle about a large project in East Vail. Of course, I have an opinion on this project, but for a few minutes, I felt I had no place commenting on it since I now live in Breckenridge. 

With some time to reflect on the big picture, however, I felt I had some responsibility to add my 2 cents. I first skied Vail in 1962. A few decades later I worked on a survey crew while CDOT built I-70 over Vail Pass, played on a softball team in the valley and enjoyed a few après game libations at the Silver Buckle and Donovan’s Copper Bar. Several years passed and I had an opportunity to move back into the valley for 10 years of gainful employment with one of the larger companies in the valley. Some of my best friends still live in Vail proper. I have very deep and fond memories of the Vail Valley.  Given this background, I felt I had a right, maybe even an obligation, to speak my mind.

Having lived and worked for 45 years in resort communities across the Colorado Rockies I saw how we can get wrapped up in our own little valleys. I think that if we polled every mountain community in regard to another invasive mega project impacting another mountain community, and asked for an up or down vote, the vote would be an unequivocal “no.” It is vitally important for all of us to make a statement opposing development projects like the one proposed in East Vail.



If we all stood up and opposed this development of what should remain a home for the local bighorns, elk, coyotes, and other wildlife, and made it a permanent piece of community open space, we could start a winning trend. There is a reason most of us moved here. It was not to hasten the extinction of the East Vail bighorns, and it was not to see a solid line of development from Denver to Grand Junction. It was for something better than that.  We all need to speak out, because silence implies consent.

Scott Toepfer

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