The following is a guest commentary written by Routt County resident and former County Planning Commissioner, Jay Gallagher:

I am a longtime resident of Routt County and a former County Planning Commissioner 2004-2014.

I am asking you citizens of Routt County to voice your opposition to the application of Stagecoach Mountain Ranch.

Stagecoach Mountain Ranch (SMR) is the largest development proposed in Routt County since the US Forest Service’s formal disapproval of the Catamount Ski Area in 1998.

Since the 1990s, Routt County land use policy has been based on the premise “…to direct growth to Routt County’s municipalities and maintain its rural nature…”.

SMR is not what the citizens of Routt County envisioned when they attended meetings to update the Routt County Master Plan, the Unified Development Code, and the Stagecoach Community Plan.

The Routt County Master Plan and the Stagecoach Community Plan envision the Stagecoach community gradually growing through infill of existing residential areas.

The Stagecoach Mountain Ranch proposes a massive development of 615 luxury residential units in a gated mountainside enclave plus 150 off-site employee housing units, all to be built out in 15 years. This scale of development would not be considered or permitted anywhere in rural Routt County outside an existing incorporated municipality.

This development woulddouble the number of dwelling units in the Stagecoach area, the equivalent of dropping the Town of Hayden into Stagecoach.

However, unlike the Town of Hayden which provides a full range of municipal services, SMR does not contemplate social, political, and economic integration with the existing Stagecoach community.

SMR would be a private gated community “to be occupied for only 17% of the year” with no association with their existing neighbors and community.

The Stagecoach Ski Area would be developed and operated exclusively for SMR property owners, not for Stagecoach or Routt County residents. There are few public amenities. There is no civic or municipal infrastructure such as a town center, a new school, public transportation or law enforcement.

If so, what are the benefits for Routt County and Stagecoach residents?

Why would Routt County approve of a development of this magnitude in which all citizens of Routt County would not be welcome?

Are the citizens of Routt County ready to assume responsibility for governance and the cost of municipal services and infrastructure in Stagecoach?

This project would directly impact all residents in Routt County.

Please voice your opinion on the Routt County Planning website.