The Routt County Planning Department continues to review additional materials submitted in early May for the Stagecoach Mountain Ranch application following a “notice of incompleteness” issued in April, according to Senior Planner Alan Goldich.

The ideal timeline would set public hearings for fall 2025, said Kyle Collins, vice president of architecture and planning for Discovery Land Company — the multinational real estate developer and resort operator behind the project proposed for 6,100 acres in Stagecoach.

Goldich said a determination of “application completeness” may happen within the next month, depending on how quickly the review goes and the availability of additional information if needed.

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The applicants are identified as Steamboat Sponsor, LLC and SMV Stagecoach Ski Mountain, LLC on the various applications, but Discovery Land Company is the developer behind the proposal for a private community with 613 luxury homes and 137 workforce housing units.

The plan also includes a private ski area with two gondolas and four lifts, an equestrian center on the Stetson Ranch portion of the property, an indoor recreation center with a pool, basketball courts, pickleball and tennis courts, a clubhouse and an outdoor recreation complex.

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The design includes a 12,000-square foot spa and wellness building, retail and food venues, two large ski mountain lodges (16,000 square feet and 44,000 square feet), three “day lodges” (6,000 square feet each), and two smaller “comfort stations.”

Collins said the Wittemyer family, current owners of the ski area property, are Discovery’s “land partner.”

Discovery currently owns the Stetson Ranch portion of the property, but not the lakeside portion being considered for a golf course and homes, known as the “Stahl property.”

At full buildout, Stagecoach Mountain Ranch is anticipated to employ about 250 full-time employees and 500 part-time employees, according to Discovery’s website.

Collins noted housing affordability challenges in the area  — translating into persistent workforce shortages — and said he applauded the county for mandating inclusion of workforce housing into the development.

Of the 137 planned workforce housing units, Collins said about 95 will be available to the general public.

While the ski area and other recreational amenities will be accessible only to residents of the new development, the plan includes a community marketplace, 14-acre community park, and trails open to the public.

The Golf Course

While the original Stagecoach Mountain Ranch design included a golf course located on the reservoir’s south shore, it was not part of the application submitted in December.

Plans for a golf course were also not part of the additional materials submitted in early May.

“The biggest thing is potential impacts to water quality on the reservoir,” Collins said, as to why the golf course was removed. 

“If we go forward with a golf course on that site we will address water quality concerns — which we are still in the process of analyzing.”

According to a 2024 Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment water quality assessment, Stagecoach Reservoir is considered a “Category 4” impaired water body in the state, as are at least four surrounding tributaries including the mainstem section of the Yampa River from the confluence of the Bear River and Phillips Creek to the Stagecoach Reservoir and the nearby Catamount Lake.

“Category 4” impaired water bodies are designated when water quality tests do not support a standard for one or more of the water body’s uses.

Late summer toxic algae blooms in the reservoir have prompted warnings to keep people and pets out of the water.

Collins said the developers are considering another location for the golf course — on the backside of the ski area on a portion of the former Stetson Ranch property designated as Cat Creek. At this time, however, “it is a very preliminary analysis,” he said. “We are not sure if it is even viable.”

Goldich said the applicant has the ability to submit a separate application for the golf course in the future.

Collins said Discovery would prefer to have the golf course, but that it is “not a critical component.”

Public concerns and opposition

While things have been quiet in terms of public engagement since a meeting hosted by Discovery in Stagecoach last July 8, a group of residents formed a “Save Stagecoach” opposition group last summer and have been meeting regularly since then.

Stagecoach resident Jennifer Button said the primary goal of the group is to “educate the public about what this development truly is, and how it is not part of our community — it is 100% a private billionaire compound.”

On signs and door hangers the group has distributed throughout the county, a QR code links to research and articles about Discovery properties around the country and world.

“It isn’t pretty,” she said.

Button said some of the group’s top concerns are around water quality impacts, wildlife impacts, traffic during the planned 10 to 15 years of construction, light pollution, impacts to property values and homeowners insurance for surrounding neighborhoods, and the infrastructure needed to support the population increase.

“It’s a city they are trying to dump in the middle of a community,” Button said.

While Discovery touts $29 million in additional property tax revenue at full buildout, Button notes the need for increased public safety services like firefighting, and the public money potentially required to build and staff multiple new fire stations.

Discovery has pledged to contribute to improvements to the existing Stagecoach firehouse (part of the Oak Creek Fire District), and Collins pointed to “impact fees” recently approved for the Oak Creek Fire District.

Discovery has also committed to making road improvements as required by the county, but Button said infrastructure improvements should be made before construction on the development starts, and that the county “has to be very careful and needs bonds for every stage of infrastructure improvement.”

Button also notes that Stagecoach Mountain Ranch is not like other gated communities in the county. She describes it as a whole different level of wealth and exclusivity — with a whole different level of infrastructure and manpower required to serve that wealth.

In Montana, Discovery’s other private ski area subdivision — the Yellowstone Club — is host to members including Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Tom Brady. 

Collins said “the development has been designed in a way that maintains the character” of Stagecoach and South Routt County, especially given what he says could potentially be much higher density of housing.

But Button is skeptical of the promises made by Discovery and whether the development would truly bring any benefit to the quiet, rural landscape and community. “They promise the sun and give you nothing,” she said, pointing to her extensive research on the impact of other Discovery properties on surrounding communities. “This is not something that’s going to help our community.”

Goldich noted the county’s application process is a long and thorough one, with ample opportunity for public engagement. He also acknowledged the sentiment of inevitability of the development communicated by Discovery — such as at the July 2024 meeting.

“This is absolutely not a done deal,” Goldich said. “This development happening is a potential outcome,” he continued, saying that at this time, it is an equally possible that it does not get approved or that only portions of the project get approved.

“This is far from approved and far from a done deal,” Goldich said.

For more information, the county has a web page specifically dedicated to Stagecoach Mountain Ranch documents: co.routt.co.us/1023/Stagecoach-Mountain-Ranch. Discovery’s website can be found at WelcometoStagecoachMountainRanch.com.