9 minute read
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Emerald Park
P
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY River Rd
Rita Valentine Park
THE OPPORTUNITY
The area surrounding the Steamboat Ski Resort has come a long way since the first lifts started running more than 50 years ago. In 2020, the City of Steamboat Springs launched an update to the City’s long-range community plan for the Mountain Area. The Mountain Area Master Plan (MAMP) seeks to respond to the need to develop an updated vision to guide policy, growth, and development in an area critical to the near- and long-term vitality and resiliency of the entire Steamboat Springs community. The MAMP is part of the City’s larger
P
long-range community planning framework under the overarching community comprehensive plan, the Steamboat Springs Area Community Plan (2004). A small project team consisting of the City of Steamboat Springs Planning and Community Development Department and Public Works Department, with support from a consultant team chosen through a Request for Proposals process, led the effort to create a revised
plan for the Mountain Area. The project team relied on feedback and guidance from the public, an Advisory Committee representing key stakeholder groups, the City’s Planning Commission, the Urban Renewal Authority Advisory Committee (URAAC), and City Council throughout the process to develop the MAMP. The community-driven plan identifies a series STEAMBOAT SPRINGS: Downtown & Mountain Area Current Projects of “Big Moves” – a new generation of public and private investments designed to benefit Study Area Boundary current and future residents and visitors, Existing sidewalk Proposed sidewalk Trail those coming from nearby neighborhoods Public parking as well as those traveling greater distances Development projects, approved and under review to spend time in the Mountain Area. N The MAMP also looks beyond major 0 0.125 0.25 0.5 Mi capital improvements and points to other physical improvements as well as potential adjustments to existing codes, policies, and partnerships for ongoing and future success.
Anglers Dr
TO DOWNTOWN
Safeway
Pine Grove Rd
City Market
Walmart
Mount Werner Rd 40
Yampa River
Downtown VICINITY MAP
40
MAMP Area
Mount Werner RdWildhorse Marketplace Yampa Valley Medical Center
Central Park Dr
Pine Grove Rd P
Meadows Parking Lot
0’ 330’ 660’ 1,320’
FIGURE 1: PROJECT STUDY AREA
Steamboat Blvd I nd i a n Summer Dr
Broomtail Ln
Owl Hoot Tr Cornice Rd
Mount Werner Cir
Wildhorse Gondola Burgess Creek Rd
P
Ski Time Square Dr
P
GONDOLA TRANSIT CENTER
Preview
Gondola
P
Upper & Lower Knoll Lots
E a gle Ridge Dr
Whistler Rd Walton Creek Rd Village Dr Apres Ski Way
Medicine Springs Rd Storm Meadows Dr
Christie III
Christie Peak Express
Apres Ski Way MOUNTAIN AREA MASTER PLAN STUDY AREA
URBAN RENEWAL AUTHORITY (URA)
PLAN PURPOSE
Through a public process designed to better understand what is working well in the Mountain Area and what improvements and new solutions are needed, the MAMP will inform future updates to long-range plans, near-term investments, and revisions to the Community Development Code and other municipal codes and policies necessary to achieve the vision for the Mountain Area.
The Mountain Area accommodates a year-round influx of visitors from around Colorado, other parts of the United States, and the world. Additionally, the area serves
MOUNTAIN AREA VISION
as an accessible, world-class amenity to the local community. Annual skier visitation is expected to increase over the coming years. This trend will continue to stress infrastructure and threaten the community’s desire to remain the accessible, inclusive “Western ski town” beloved by visitors and locals alike.
The MAMP identifies a series of illustrative design concepts for major capital projects intended to help achieve the community’s vision for enhancing identity, mobility, and economic vitality in the Mountain Area. Each of these projects will require significant commitment on the part of the City of Steamboat Springs, private development partners, and the community, but will advance multiple plan objectives and catalyze long-term economic returns on investment. Each of the ideas highlighted will require additional community dialogue and feedback as project-level details are developed – in other words, the next generation improvements to the Mountain Area are in their infancy and more opportunities to shape what happens next in the Mountain Area are on the horizon.
In 2004, the City of Steamboat Springs adopted the Steamboat Springs Area Community Plan, which found that “the base area requires significant improvements to infrastructure and physical form to make it more functional and attractive” and included a strategy to explore funding options and mechanisms to improve the Mountain Area. The City subsequently created the Steamboat Springs Urban Renewal Area (URA), a tax increment financing district, and a Base Area Reinvestment Plan that identified projects that might be undertaken to redevelop and revitalize the area around the base of the ski resort.
The Steamboat Springs City Council serves as the commissioners of the URA and convenes as the Steamboat Springs Redevelopment Authority (SSRA) when conducting URA business. In 2005, the SSRA adopted the previous Mountain Area plan (Mountain Town Sub-Area Plan Update) to serve as the Steamboat Springs Base Area Reinvestment Plan and the guiding design document for the SSRA’s efforts toward the area’s renewal.
The Mountain Area Master Plan will replace the Mountain Town Sub-Area Plan Update insofar as it serves as a guide for subsequent City actions, including policies, regulations, and standards. The SSRA will continue to rely on the previously adopted Base Area Reinvestment Plan to identify specific public infrastructure and planning investments supported through tax increment financing. This project began implementation prior to the completion of the MAMP. The property is privately owned by Alterra Mountain Company/Steamboat Ski and Resort Corporation (SSRC).
KEY FINDINGS & RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
Three plan elements – Economic Vitality, Identity, and Access and Mobility – detail key findings informed by community engagement activities, existing conditions analysis, plans and studies, and initial understanding of feasibility. Additionally, the project team collected information from similar resort communities and identified opportunities to align recommendations with broader commitments to enhance the experience of visitors and improve community-scaled sustainability and resiliency.
Recommended actions designed to advance multiple plan objectives and catalyze long-term economic returns are noted as “Big Moves”. In most instances, these projects will require significant commitment from the City of Steamboat Springs and private development partners and the portfolio of projects is likely to take a decade or more to be fully realized. Each project is detailed as a planning-level concept and will require additional feasibility assessments, detailed project designs that respond to the evolving context in the Mountain Area, and public and stakeholder input and review.
D2
D1
Mount Werner Road
FIGURE 2: BIG MOVES
KEY FINDINGS & POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS
There is a desire for year-round activation in the Mountain Area, including strategies that advance private development opportunities, community events, and other economic development activities.
Existing density, building heights, floor area, and building mass within the Mountain Area are significantly lower than what could be developed under current standards.
Mount Werner Circle E B2
Mount Werner Circle C1
C2
M ount Werner Circle F
Mountain Area parking availability and traffic circulation is degraded due to decentralized parking – in some locations parking is located on land well-positioned for redevelopment. Repurposing outdated parking structures and revising overall parking management approaches are key strategies to improving economic vitality in the Mountain Area.
Creative placemaking is needed to establish and reinforce the area’s unique identity and sense of place, most notably western heritage and family-friendliness. With growing demand for on-mountain and uphill amenities through out the year, a series of investments to improve multi-modal mobility, connectivity, and accessibility in the Mountain Area are required.
The Gondola Transit Center (GTC) should be reimagined and reconstructed to create a pedestrian priority zone, including clear pedestrian routes to the gondola and lifts.
Improving streetscape, parking, access, and circulation in Ski Time Square will help
A1
A2
SHORT-TERM (YEARS 1-3) Gondola Plaza Enhancements
A1
Relocate Gondola Base
A2 Demo Gondola Building/Renovate Plaza
Ski Time Square (STS) Improvements
B1 STS East End Turnaround
B2 STS Streetscape Improvements
Gondola Transit Center Redevelopment
C1C1 Turnaround
C2C2 Sawtooth, Controlled Access
LONG-TERM (YEARS 4-10)
Meadows Lot
D1
D2
Upgrade Wildhorse Gondola to High Capacity Meadows Parking Structure
ALTERNATIVE OPPORTUNITIES
EE Ski Time Square Drive Realignment FF Knoll Parking Lots Redevelopment
facilitate redevelopment and support year-round activation. Additionally, there are opportunities to improve emergency vehicle access and connections to commercial areas through investments that would also improve the overall experience for pedestrians in the Mountain Area.
Long-term partnerships between public, private, and non-profit stakeholders will be required to develop and implement collaborative solutions that strengthen the economic resiliency of the Mountain Area.
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS: BIG MOVES
SHORT-TERM BIG MOVES
Redevelopment and infrastructure improvements planned for the next one to three years.
• Gondola Plaza Enhancements: Transform
Gondola Square at the base of the ski area into a year-round, multi-use plaza that will increase activity and vibrancy and help pedestrians navigate between Mt. Werner
Circle and Gondola Plaza. • Ski Time Square Improvements: Use public improvements to create a more active street and to serve as a catalyst to bring back the vibrancy and commercial activity along Ski Time Square Drive. • Gondola Transit Center Redevelopment:
The Gondola Transit Center, which is nearing its intended design life, should be reconstructed and modernized to provide a convenient and safe experience for all users.
LONG-TERM BIG MOVE
A concept identified during the planning process that is not reflected in existing capital budgets. As such, a longer implementation horizon is anticipated (four to ten years).
• Meadows Lot Redevelopment: Centralize parking for the ski resort and improve access from the expanded Meadows Lot to the base of the resort.
BIG MOVES IMPLEMENTATION + PHASING
YEAR 2022 YEAR 2023
SHORT-TERM BIG MOVES Gondola Plaza Enhancements
Renovate Gondola Plaza Ski Time Square Drive Improvements
Turnaround & Initial Streetscape - Design
Public Turnaround & Initial Streetscape - Construction Gondola Transit Center Redevelopment
GTC Reconstruction - Design
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS: ALTERNATIVE OPPORTUNITIES & OTHER PLANNING AND POLICY INITATIVES
The Mountain Area Master Plan also looks beyond major capital improvements and points to other, smaller-scale improvements as well as potential adjustments to existing codes, policies, and standards.
A few key ideas noted in the plan are:
• Building on the successful Promenade project, extend the Promenade such that it enhances pedestrian circulation while also improving public safety, emergency preparedness and emergency response in the base area • Updating design and development standards to ensure that they appropriately consider evolving design trends and are easy to understand and interpret. • Creating new and strengthened partnerships to coordinate the activities and programs outlined in the plan, including a new pedestrian loop connecting commercial areas and other placemaking strategies.
GTC Reconstruction - Construction LONG-TERM BIG MOVES Meadows Lot Redevelopment
Upgrade Wildhorse Gondola to High Capacity Meadows Parking Structure
FIGURE 3: BIG MOVES IMPLEMENTATION + PHASING
IMPLEMENTATION + MONITORING
YEAR 2024 YEAR 2025 YEAR 2026
The Mountain Area Master Plan includes near- and mid-term strategies aimed at addressing immediate needs and building on an existing foundation to ensure the continued success of the Mountain Area. The anticipated sunset of the Urban Renewal Authority in 2029 means sustaining current momentum is paramount.
Additionally, new and enhanced partnerships will be required to implement, track, and evaluate the varied activities outlined in the plan.
