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Oak Street Gondola Station Resumes Normal Operating Hours

Gondola Station Telluride Blog

Words by Bill Kight / Transportation

Telluride Ski & Golf’s (TSG) Coonskin Lift (Chair 7) work affecting the Gondola operations has concluded. Gondola operations will resume regular working hours effective immediately with no Tuesday, October 10 closure. The Telluride—Mountain Village Gondola line between the Town of Telluride and San Sophia Station will open at 6:30 a.m. to midnight until the gondola closes for the season at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, October 15.

For questions regarding the Coonskin Lift (Chair 7) project, please contact Telluride Ski & Golf Resort Mountain Operations Erin Kress at  (970) 728-7550 or by email. For information on Mountain Village, contact Marketing and Business Development Director Bill Kight at (970) 369-6430 or by email.

Oak Street Gondola Station Closures Continue October 9-10

Gondola Station Telluride Blog

Words by Bill Kight / Transportation

Telluride Ski & Golf Resort (TSG) will continue work on the Coonskin Lift (Chair 7) to replace the haul rope line. Due to the project the Telluride—Mountain Village Gondola line between the Town of Telluride and San Sophia Station will close operations on Monday, October 9 from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Gondola operations will resume from 5 pm to midnight on Monday as scheduled to allow commuters and guests travel access between Telluride and Mountain Village.

During the closure, the Mountain Village Transportation Department and the Town of Telluride will provide bus service to run starting at 6:15 a.m. Passenger pick-up and drop-off locations will take place at the Oak Street Gondola Station and Mountain Village Town Hall with buses running approximately every 20 minutes. The gondola line referred to as the parking section, running between Mountain Village Town Hall and the Gondola Plaza, and the Gondola Plaza to San Sophia Station will operate as usual from 6:30 a.m. to 12 a.m.

For questions regarding the Coonskin Lift (Chair 7) project, please contact Telluride Ski & Golf Resort Mountain Operations Erin Kress at  (970) 728-7550 or by email. For information on Mountain Village, contact Marketing and Business Development Director Bill Kight at (970) 369-6430 or by email.

Comprehensive Plan Amendment Lot 30, Parcel M- Open House

Words by Bill Kight / Community, Development

The Town of Mountain Village is holding an OPEN HOUSE to discuss a Comprehensive Plan Amendment to Lot 30, Parcel M on Thursday October 12, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. to gather public input on the Comprehensive Plan Amendment. Coffee and pastries will be served.

Comprehensive Plan Amendment Lot 30, Parcel M: The purpose of the work session is to discuss amending the existing unit and density designations contained within the Mountain Village Comprehensive Plan for Lot 30, Parcel M. Only the Town Council can initiate a Comprehensive Plan amendment pursuant to the Community Development Code (CDC) Section 17.1.5.E.

Town Council will consider the comprehensive plan amendment at their November 16, 2017 regular meeting. For questions and more information, contact Planning and Development Services Director, Michelle Haynes at:  (970) 239-4061 or by email.

Coffee with a Cop

Words by Bill Kight / Community

Join the Mountain Village Police Department for Coffee with a Cop, a free event to meet our local officers and discuss community issues over a cup of coffee.

The event takes place October 4 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Tracks Cafe & Bar in Mountain Village’s Heritage Plaza.

Coffee with a Cop provides a unique opportunity for community members to ask questions and learn more about the department’s work in Mountain Village. The majority of contacts law enforcement has with the public happen during emergencies, or emotional situations. Those situations are not always the most effective times for relationship building with the community, and some community members may feel that officers are unapproachable on the street. Coffee with a Cop breaks down barriers and allows for a relaxed, one-on-one interaction.

Coffee with a Cop is a national initiative supported by The United States Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. Similar events are being held across the county, as local police departments strive to make lasting connections with the communities they serve.

For more event information, contact Mountain Village Police Department by email, (970) 728-9281, and visit our event page on Facebook.

Oak Street Gondola Station Closure (Temporary)

Closure Sign

Words by Bill Kight / Uncategorized

Telluride Ski & Golf Resort (TSG) will begin work on the Coonskin Lift (Chair 7) to replace the haul rope line. Due to the project the Telluride—Mountain Village Gondola line between the Town of Telluride and San Sophia will close operations on Monday, October 2 and Tuesday, October 3 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. On Monday and Tuesday, Gondola operations will open from 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and at 4:30 p.m. to close (12 a.m.) as scheduled to allow commuters and guests travel access between Telluride and Mountain Village.

During the closure, the Mountain Village Transportation Department and the Town of Telluride will provide bus service to run until the mainline reopens on both Monday and Tuesday. Passenger pick-up and drop-off locations include the San Miguel County Courthouse and Mountain Village Town Hall; buses will run approximately every 15 minutes. The Gondola line referred to as the parking section, running between Mountain Village Town Hall and the Gondola Plaza, and the Gondola Plaza to San Sophia will operate as usual from 6:30 a.m. to 12 a.m.

For questions regarding the Coonskin Lift (Chair 7) project, please contact Telluride Ski & Golf Resort Mountain Operations Erin Kress at  (970) 728-7522 or by email. For information on Mountain Village, contact Marketing and Business Development Director Bill Kight at (970) 369-6430 or by email.

Meadows Improvement Plan Open House and Ice Cream Social

Meadows Improvement Plan

Words by Bill Kight / Community, Development

On Thursday, September 28 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., the community is invited to join their neighbors for an Open House and a free Root Beer and Ice Cream Social hosted by the Town of Mountain Village.The purpose of the event is to gather community input on Phase 2 of the Meadows Improvement Plan. The event will be held at Mountain Village Town Hall located at 455 Mountain Village Blvd. Suite A.

 

“The purpose of the open house is to gather community input from Meadows and Mountain Village residents regarding the remaining improvements to the Meadows area,” explained Planning and Development Services Director Michelle Haynes. “Much of the road and sidewalk work has been completed, and we’d like to continue the conversation regarding for parking lot improvements that could include grading, landscaping, lighting, bathrooms and any additional playground improvements.  Also, we are seeking input on trails and river riparian access or interpretive opportunities.”

 

The Meadows Improvement Plan project is scheduled to begin in 2018. To learn more about this project or to provide written public comment, please contact Planning and Development Services Director, Michelle Haynes by email.

Mountain Village Appoints Natalie Binder to Serve on Town Council

Natalie Binder Council

Words by Bill Kight / Uncategorized

By a 4-2 vote, candidate Natalie Binder was appointed to Mountain Village Town Council on Thursday, September 21 to serve the remainder of Paul Oupadia’s four-year term that started in July. Oupadia, announced his resignation on Thursday, August 31. Binder will join current council members Laila Benitez, Dan Caton, Dan Jansen, Bruce MacIntire, Patrick Berry and Jack Gilbride. Binder was immediately sworn in and joined the September Town Council Meeting.

Natalie Binder currently serves on the Board of The San Miguel Resource Center and is a member of Telluride Association of Realtors. At the Thursday September 21 council meeting, Binder was appointed to serve on the following boards:  San Miguel Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) (Alternate), Mountain Village Community Grant Committee (Regular), and EcoAction Partners (Alternate).

For more information, please contact Jackie Kennefick, Director of Administration/Town Clerk by email.

Major Gondola Upgrades by Winter

Words by Bill Kight / Community, Transportation

Telluride Mountain Village Owners Association (TMVOA) and the Town of Mountain Village (TMV) are working together on two major upgrades to the gondola system. Construction of a gondola backup power system began on May 9, 2017 after Telluride Ski and Golf (TSG) granted the TMV an easement. The project involves two duel-fuel generators and a protective enclosure located at the St. Sophia station. This will allow the gondola to continue to load riders and run at full speed in the event of a power outage. “The addition of a redundant power source, as well as increasing system capacity, has been on the wish list for quite some time. Being able to continue public operation during a power outage with virtually zero downtime is a huge step-up in our level of service. With these types of large scale capital investments, TMVOA continues to demonstrate its commitment to provide safe and reliable public transportation while enhancing our everyday user and guest experience” said TMV Transit Director Jim Loebe.

Nine new cabins are being added to mainline, allowing for 150 more people per hour to be moved between TMV and the Town of Telluride (TOT). The added cabins will maximize the capacity of the mainline to 1,070 people per hour, resulting in a 16.3% increase. This will help reduce waiting times during peak periods, such as festivals, sunset concerts, and the fourth of July. The cabins and the backup power are scheduled to be in place and fully operational by the opening of the 2017/2018 winter ski season.

TMVOA formed the Gondola Subcommittee on February 19, 2017, with representatives from TMV Council, TOT Council, San Miguel County (SMC) Commissioners and staff, TSG staff, and TMVOA staff. The Subcommittee meets quarterly to discuss long-term planning, major projects, issues, and successes of the gondola system, then makes recommendations to the TMVOA Board of Directors.

“The Subcommittee’s feedback on backup power, additional gondola cabins, and late-night hours were vital to the decision-making process for both TMVOA and TMV” said Gondola Subcommittee Chairman Garrett Brafford. The TOT and TMVOA are equally contributing fifty percent of the cost for the added late-night hours, which ran on Fridays and Saturdays from 12:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. from Bluegrass through Blues &Brews weekends. “The Subcommittee is bringing the gondola stakeholders together to have input on current operations and focus on long-term planning for this amazing, one-of-a-kind transportation system” said TMVOA Executive Director Anton Benitez.

As a reminder, the TMV is required to own and operate the gondola system and TMVOA is required to fund the gondola operations, maintenance, and capital improvements through December 31, 2027.

For questions, please contact Gondola Subcommittee Chairman Garrett Brafford at  (970) 728-1904 ext. 2.

September Mayor’s Minute

Mayors Minute

Words by Laila Benitez / Mayor's Minute

Hello neighbors,

It’s been a busy and beautiful summer here in Mountain Village. Before we review last month’s meeting highlights, I would like to share two updates.

  • As part of our ongoing commitment to communication and keeping you in the loop, Town Council will begin streaming Design Review Board (DRB) meetings starting October 5. Moving forward, all DRB meetings will be available to watch live online, and you will be able to watch past meetings on-demand.
  • The town will be hosting a Meadows Improvement Plan Open House and Ice Cream Social on September 28 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Meadows Parking Lot. This is a great opportunity to learn more about proposed projects, share your feedback, and get to know your neighbors and town staff.

August 17 Meeting Highlights

  • Town Council received an update on the Crown Castle Macro Tower Project and recent roadblocks to the project’s completion. Update: Telluride Ski Resort’s amended application will be reviewed by San Miguel County on September 27 and pending approval, DRB and Town Council will review the proposal in a special joint session meeting October 5.
  • The owners of Lot 30, slated in the Comprehensive Plan as a potential flagship hotel site in the Village Center Subarea, proposed a Comprehensive Plan amendment as it relates to their lot. The proposed changes will be open for public review and comment as part of next steps.
  • We discussed an intergovernmental agreement with San Miguel Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) that would fund the town’s interjurisdictional transportation. Once approved, the proposed funding to the town would be approximately $102,000 for 2018 services
  • The following appointments to committees and projects were made:
  • And finally, we adopted bylaws for the formation of the Green Team Committee. This board of Town Council members, town employees, residents, and local partners will advise Town Council on local environmental issues, information, and resources.

If you would like more specifics about any of these topics, you can review minutes from the meeting or review the meeting video at the town website.

September 21 Agenda Highlights

  • Town Council will vote to appoint a new town council member to replace Paul Oupadia, who resigned earlier this month. After which we will make appointments to several committees and projects.
  • The results of the recently completed employee salary and benefits comparison study will be reviewed. In addition, Council will review and discuss the preliminary draft 2018 budget.
  • The intergovernmental agreement between the town and SMART, discussed with council at last month’s meeting, will be considered for approval.
  • Town Council will consider a new fire mitigation incentive program that would reimburse homeowners the building permit fees related to replacing a cedar shake roof with an approved fire-resistant roof material.
  • Representatives of Strong Start Strong Community Early Childcare Initiative will present an upcoming ballot measure to provide funding for improved early childhood care and education in San Miguel County. The ballot measure would be funded by a 0.75% property mill levy that would generate approximately $612,000 annually.
  • The Regional Behavioral Health Commission will provide their first annual update and the Telluride Mountain Club will be presenting their 2017 Summer Trails Proposal Plan.

A full agenda has been posted on our website; we welcome your input by any means you are comfortable with and hope to see you at the meeting.

Warm regards,

Laila Benitez
Mountain Village Mayor

Telluride Mountain Technology Symposium

Words by Special Contributor / Event

The 1st annual Mountain Technology Symposium launches in Telluride Sept 29 to Oct 1. This 3-day conference is designed specifically for ski industry technology professionals with a goal of re-defining the ultimate guest experience through technology.

Inaugural Mountain Technology Symposium To Be Hosted In Telluride-

Positioned as a vehicle for collaboration, the Inaugural Mountain Technology Symposium boasts an open environment where industry-leading technology companies and resort professionals in IT and Marketing can gather to network, exchange ideas and work to create new solutions to business challenges. The event is guaranteed to bridge technological innovation and collaboration between resorts and software and service providers.

Created by Telluride Ski & Golf Resort IT Director Benjamin Whiting, and Software Specialist Chris Jaquet, the event fills a niche that has been empty for years. “We noticed other attempts at collaboration within the industry, but those efforts were limited,” Jaquet said. “We knew there needed to be a better platform for collaboration between IT professionals, software companies and service providers in the ski industry niche of travel and tourism. It didn’t exist so we are creating it.”

Mountain Technology Symposium highlights include a keynote address from industry veteran and Telluride & Ski Golf CEO Bill Jensen, thought provoking work sessions, a golf tournament, a vendor/sponsor fair, and a Mountainfilm on Tour show.

“It’s a chance to get together and ask ‘where do we want technology in our industry to be in the next 5- 10 years, how do we go from where we are to there?’ We know others see the benefit to an event like this and have structured it to become an annually recurring event which lives independent of any one resort, software company or platform.” Jaquet said.

Over 70 different resorts and more than 100 guests are expected to attend the conference, the Mountain Technology Symposium is an exciting and unique opportunity that promises to deliver. The organizing committee coordinating the Mountain Technology Symposium is made up of:

  • Chris Jaquet, Software Specialist (Telluride Ski & Golf Resort)
  • Paul Thompson, Director of Information Technology (Mt. Hood Meadows)
  • Martin Cassens, IT Director (Alyeska Resort)
  • Miah Cottrell, IT Director (Tahoe/Donner)
  • Lisa Gentry, Revenue and Yield Director (Jackson Hole Mountain Resort)
  • John Collins, VP Applications (Intrawest Resorts)

To register or for more information visit www.mountainsymposium.com or contact Chris Jaquet: email or  (970) 728-7385

Proudly sponsored by Venture Technologies, VMware, Cisco, ResortSuite, ImageNet, Extendata, AspenWare, Connect Intouch, and Flaik.

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