Mayor's Minute: November 2021

Hello Neighbors,

We hope this note finds everyone well-rested with the beginning of ski season just around the corner. While the Village Center has certainly been quiet of late, Town of Mountain Village staff has been hard at work to assure the Town does its part in providing our residents and guests an enjoyable experience during the 2021-22 ski season. Town staff and Town Council have also been addressing issues that will have impacts long after the chairs stop running this season, some of which are discussed below.

Comprehensive Plan Amendment

The Town of Mountain Village has been engaged in a year-long effort to amend the Town’s Comprehensive Plan, originally adopted in 2011. After months of work by Town staff, MIG (the consultants hired to facilitate the process), interviews with members of the public, public forums, and a work session conducted by Town Council and the Design Review Board, the Comprehensive Plan is currently subject to a three-week public comment period.

It is important for the Mountain Village community to realize the public comment period is not a mechanical exercise. Quite the opposite. The current draft of the Amendment Comprehensive Plan is just that, a draft. Public comments will substantially impact the final draft ultimately adopted by Council. The Town has already received numerous public comments with respect to proposed amendments. While there is no uniform agreement on any one issue, the public comments will undoubtedly assist Council in shaping the current draft into final form.

Community members are encouraged to provide comments and have until Thursday, November 18 to participate in the Public Review Period. The latest draft of the Amended Comprehensive Plan is available here. Comments can be emailed to or submitted through our online form here. All comments will be made available to Town Council and the public.

Due to the number of comments received and the number of issues to be addressed, Town Council will discuss the proposed amendments at its December 9 meeting, but will not adopt the Amended Comprehensive Plan until its January 20 meeting.

As discussed below, the Interim Town Manager will be hosting an informal coffee on December 1 to address questions regarding proposed amendments to the Comprehensive Plan.

VCA Phase IV

As directed by Council, Town staff has begun the process of developing Phase IV of Village Court Apartments. The Town identified some issues with the soil on the proposed site and the floorplans have been slightly modified to avoid these potential issues. The Town is also working with its architect to finalize the design of the project. Once the designs are completed, the Town will issue an RFP for the construction of Phase IV.

The Town anticipates construction will begin this spring, and hope residents will be moving in by the middle of 2023. The 42-unit building will be a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units, and will mark yet another effort by the Town of Mountain Village to address the current housing crisis.

Town Council Meeting

Town Council will conduct its regular meeting on November 18. The agenda includes several items that may be of particular interest to the public.

• Budget – Town Council will conduct a first reading of the ordinance adopting the Town’s 2022 budget. Perhaps more than any other document or act by Town Council, the budget sets the priorities for the Town in any given year.
• Telluride Conference Center – Representatives from Telluride Ski & Golf (TSG), the current manager of the Telluride Conference Center, will provide an update on the recent performance of the Conference Center and a look at the upcoming season. The Conference Center is a critical Town asset, and its past and current performance is important as the community continues to discuss its future.
• TSG Proposed Development – TSG will be presenting to Council two concepts for future development on TSG-owned land. Specifically, TSG is considering developments on Lot and a potential expansion of the Peaks. As with all work sessions, this item is non-binding, but gives the developer, in this case TSG, the opportunity to receive feedback from Council on their development concepts. ​

Gondola Reopening

The Gondola underwent important annual maintenance during the off-season, and will resume operations on Friday, November 19 at 6:30 a.m. It will run seven days a week until midnight. Extended weekend hours are expected to resume in mid-December.

Coffee With the Interim Manager

The Interim Town Manager has begun hosting monthly meetings to provide residents an opportunity to voice concerns about Town matters and learn more about Town initiatives. The November monthly coffee will be held Wednesday, December 1, due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

This month, the Coffee With the Interim Manager will focus specifically on proposed amendments to the Comprehensive Plan. The Interim Town Manager and other staff members will be available to specifically answer questions related to proposed amendments to the Comprehensive Plan. The coffee will take place on at 11 a.m. on December 1 at Town Hall.

We wish everyone a fun and wonderful winter!

Laila Benitez
Mountain Village Mayor

Paul Wisor
Interim Town Manager