September 2005
Wolf Creek Village Developments July 26, 2005: Wolf Creek Ski Area, Colorado
Wild, and San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council appealed Mineral County’s approval of the Wolf Creek Village the 12th District Court. Attorneys representing the county and the Village refuted charges that the 2004 approval of the resort circumvented a public review process required by Colorado law. A ruling is expected in September.
In 2000, the county commissioners of Mineral County endorsed a preliminary development plan. The final plan was approved in 2004. According to opponents, the process was full of procedural errors and thus the county endorsement should be withdrawn.
The 287-acre parcel, owned by Texas billionaire Billie Joe "Red" McCombs, is next to the Alberta Lift at Wolf Creek Ski Area and surrounded by national forest. The approved plans include more than 2,000 units of housing, 250,000 square feet of commercial space and a luxury hotel.
The only access to this property is via Forest Service Road 391, a gravel road largely impassable in winter. A decision from the Forest Service is due in the fall of 2005, and it is anticipated that the Forest Service will allow at least one new access route into the Village from U.S. Highway 160.