Gondola – Major Upgrades by Winter
The Town of Mountain Village and TMVOA have been working together on two major upgrades to the gondola system in preparation for the upcoming winter season. The first is a back-up power system that involves two dual-fuel generators at the St. Sophia station that will allow the gondola to run at full speed in the event of a power outage.
The second upgrade involves increased ridership capacity, which will reduce gondola wait times during peak periods, such as festivals, concerts, and holidays. The added cabins will maximize capacity of the mainline to 1,070 people per hour, resulting in a 16% increase.
Both upgrades are anticipated to be in place by the start of this winter’s ski season.
Read TMVOA’s full press release
Gondola – Temporary Closures
On Sept 27-28, the gondola main line connecting Telluride and Mountain Village will have temporary closures to allow for work on the Coonskin Lift (Chair 7). On both days, the line between Telluride and St. Sophia station will be closed from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with normal operations from 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to midnight.
Read Town’s full press release
Affordable Housing
Over the last few years, TMVOA has received significant feedback from Mountain Village businesses on the shortage of affordable workforce housing and how it’s affecting their ability to recruit, hire, and maintain quality employees. In response, TMVOA revisited its owned properties and believes that lots owned in Illium, located approximately five miles down-valley from Mountain Village, likely represent the nearest term opportunity for additional workforce housing. The 3 lots were originally purchased by the Mountain Village Housing Authority in 2006 and conveyed to TMVOA in 2011.
Through a detailed analysis and process, however, including meetings with San Miguel County, it became clear that development of the thirteen zoned units could not realistically fit on the 3 TMVOA owned lots due to access and parking easements, mass and scale, neighborhood concerns, and other complexities.
To support affordable housing in the area, TSG separately evaluated a significantly larger development of workforce housing in Illium that includes 23 lots owned by Telcam Partners. During TSG’s discussions with neighbors within the vicinity, primarily the Two Rivers subdivision, a preferred plan emerged that would not be possible without including the 3 TMVOA owned lots.
After receiving an independent appraisal on the 3 TMVOA lots, the four non-TSG board members of TMVOA agreed to accept TSG’s offer to purchase the lots in order to promote the development of affordable workforce housing that will ultimately benefit Mountain Village businesses, members, and guests. TSG is currently under contract with TMVOA to purchase the 3 lots and is scheduled to close on Oct 11.
For history on Illium lots, appraisal, and agreement to sell, see Resolution below.
See maps showing location of SV lots
Operating Agreement
On Sept 9, 2015, TMVOA acquired 100% of the Membership Interests in CO Lot 161C-R Mountain Village LLC, which holds title to Lot 161C-R, a 2.8-acre site located in the heart of the Mountain Village Core adjacent to the gondola station. This acquisition was undertaken by TMVOA in order to ensure that Lot 161C-R is developed in accordance with the goals and objectives of the Mountain Village Comprehensive Plan.
On Aug 30, 2017, the TMVOA Board approved an operating agreement for CO Lot 161C-R Mountain Village, LLC, to ensure that the TSG Board Members on the TMVOA Board will not be involved in the decision making regarding Lot 161C-R, which is consistent with previous statements and representations made by the TSG board members. The operating agreement governs the decision-making process with regards to matters pertaining to Lot 161C-R and establishes a three-person Board of Managers currently filled by Jim Royer, Tim Kunda and Duncan Hogarth, the TMVOA Class A (Residential) and Class B (Lodging) Board members and provides that decisions regarding the operation of CO Lot 161C-R Mountain Village LLC are to be made by the four non-TSG board members.
Through a public involvement process, TMVOA will work closely with the TMVOA membership and the public to determine the best uses for this key parcel.
Investment Committee
TMVOA currently has one open 3-year term seat on its Investment Committee, which is overseen by the Finance, Audit, and Budget Committee. If you are interested in joining this group and sharing your expertise, please send an email including a brief bio to Garrett Brafford () by Oct 13.
Posted on September 20, 2017 in Archived CEO Blogs