Golden Roads LLC of Castle Rock is under contract to buy the State Bridge property.  The historic lodge, built in 1890, on the Colorado River north of Wolcott was burned to the ground in June 2007.  The Front Range company plans to build a large, outdoor amphitheater on the site which would hold 1,000 plus people.  The plan is to revive State Bridge, as a concert venue, hosting acts that are similar to those booked at the Fillmore Auditorium and the Boulder Theater.  A good portion of the shows will be jam bands.  There are plans to rebuild the restaurant and bar and upgrading the lodging.  Currently there are cabins and yurts in the complex.  The goal is to have the new State Bridge open by spring or early summer of next year.

Ranching heritage has been preserved in Wolcott with a wide open valley floor, natural sloping hillsides and perfectly unimproved banks of the Eagle River. That’s all slated to change as Rick Hermes of Hermes Resort Properties has purchased over 2,600 acres of land in the valley floor and in the mountainside around the town.

As it is now, Wolcott homes a few neighborhoods - Bellyache and Red Sky, a few good golf courses - Red Sky Golf Club and Eagle Springs Golf Club, and a restaurant/market – the Wolcott Yacht Club, but overall, there’s not much to this little town. Located on the banks of the Eagle River in the middle of the Vail Valley, Wolcott has the potential to become the area’s largest, most popular and certainly most logically planned community.

Hermes’ plans include moving highway 6 next to the interstate to open up the riverfront, creating a boardwalk and pedestrian path to promote community access and focusing the town’s center along the river. The future project will include all levels of housing from affordable multi-unit complexes to large ranches and everything in between. The 825 is Hermes Resort Properties’ first release - 14 ranches ranging from 35 to 81 acres that sit on the south side of Wolcott. Click here to read my blog on The 825.

For more information on the Wolcott or other Vail Valley real estate contact Karen Gilbert at 970-331-1482 or karen@gatewayland.com or visit my website at www.karensellsvail.com.

14 ranches with freedom of choice, privacy, security and a sense of the Old West.

Conceptually based on Eagle County’s ranching history, when most residents grew lettuce and raised cattle, The 825 is a collection of 14 ranches ranging from 35 to 81 acres that sit on the south side of Wolcott overlooking Castle Peak, the Gore Range, Game Creek Bowl, Vail, the Flat Tops and Piney Ridge.  There is nothing else like this community in the Vail Valley.

The philosophy at The 825 is to allow homeowners the freedom to live in this untouched area in a way that is harmonious with their surroundings, preserves wildlife and protects existing forest and plant species.  Thoughtful respect for the land and its surroundings is the base for this project – a refreshing change from the typical “build it up and they will come” mentality. 

Rick Hermes and his team at Hermes Resort Properties have designed The 825 (the total community acreage is 825) focusing on the owners’ needs and wants.  Ranch owners will have access to two owners’ cabins, an event cabin on the lake and 10 miles of private trails that will link to BLM land, Red Sky Ranch Golf Club and within the community.  This is not an all services club – it’s a place where you can build your home and live on your land the way you want to (okay – you can’t build a track and have car races) and enjoy the conveniences of living in the Vail Valley.

For more information on The 825 Wolcott Ranches or other Vail Valley real estate contact Karen Gilbert at 970-331-1482, karen@gatewayland.com or check out my website at www.karensellsvail.com

Amazing 3 Days of Golf on the Fazio & Norman Courses!

What an awesome 3 days of golf!!   Red Sky Ranch’s member-guest golf tournament, The Trailblazer, was an outstanding event, both on and off the golf courses.  The championship Fazio and Norman courses were in fantastic condition for this match play tourney.

The format was 5 nine hole matches, with 13 flights of golfers based on handicap, w/ each flight consisting of approx. 6 teams.  For each hole your team won, you recieved 1 point, for each halved hole, 0.5 pts. and 0 pts. for a loss respectively.  The highest cumulative point total determined the flight winners, and each winning team then advanced to the Shoot-out.  The Shoot-out was a 3 hole alternating shot playoff (scotch format), with the top 3 teams advancing to the final.

Gateway’s Doug Schwartz and his golf partner, Michael Paderewski won their flight with 29 points.  We played well during the match play, but fell apart during the shoout-out.  Amazing what a little pressure can do to you.

All in all, the courses, the staff, the food, the parties, the whole experience was about as good as it gets for any golfer anywhere!!

To learn more about Red Sky Ranch or about why we couldn’t close it out with the money on the line, just call me anytime.

Dad finds the perfect get-a-way only to have Mom nix the plan

More and more I see buyers looking for that private get-a-way where Dad finds the perfect property only to have Mom say, “I don’t think so.”  Why, because the get-a- way spots are too remote for Mom.  The nearest restaurant is miles/hour or more away, there is no spa nearby, the property is on a dirt road several miles off the main road, and most importantly, there is no shopping close by.  While the get-a-way is perfect for Dad, Mom is not about to be held hostage while Dad is out having fun.

However, there is a compromise property and it is a buy; just nine miles from Wolcott and on only 3 miles off the main road.  From the property it is an easy 20 minutes to Edward’s dining and shopping and an easy 30 minutes to Beaver Creek.

The property has 40 fenced acres, offers monster views, and the nearest neighbor is a couple of miles away.  It is so quiet you can hear the grass grow.  The comfortable home has 4 bedrooms, main floor living, 3 car garage and is designed to be left vacant for long periods of time.   

This property is, in my opinion, the perfect compromise between Mom and Dad, not too close yet an easy drive for Mom back to civilization.  Priced at $1.3mm.

Hermes Resort Properties and Jouflas Family Agree To Terms

The Vail Valley will now see a new planned development in Wolcott.  For generations a sleepy ranching community, Wolcott is set to be the last large (2600 acres) upper valley acreage that will see a master planned community.  Wolcott will be developed with its history as a factor, an important factor for the Jouflas families that have owned this land for decades.

The plans are in their infancy, but both Eagle County and the developer, Hermes Resort Properties, want to do it right.  This beautiful stretch of the valley is home to Red Sky Ranch, has miles of river frontage, and acres of valley floor and alpine ranch sites.  Located just west of Edwards, Wolcott could become the new heart of the Vail Valley if built out well.

Stay tuned for more updates as this exciting project becomes more detailed and works its way through the county.

The ranch land of Wolcott CO is the prefect place for a new community

In contrast to the rest of the I-70 corridor through the Vail Valley, ranching heritage has been preserved in Wolcott with a wide open valley floor, natural sloping hillsides and perfectly unimproved banks of the Eagle River.

This will change in the near future as the Jouflas family wants to sell the land, hopefully to a good developer who will take advantage of the opportunity to build a community from scratch.

Whoever develops it, the county is working on guidelines for the community’s future master plan. With the valley continuing to grow we’ve got to make a proactive step towards a balanced community and guess what – we have the space to do it. No more arguing over what is meant to be done with Edwards. No more disputes over builders’ obligation to build affordable housing. Let’s do this right and put an end to our seemingly endless housing issues.

Instead of building another pieced together community like Edwards, why not build connecting neighborhoods with sidewalks, parks and bike paths? There’s enough space in Wolcott to preserve some of the area’s rural character and to support several neighborhoods, a pedestrian focused downtown area with a grocery, movie theater, shops, restaurants and services.  

It sounds obvious, especially with the success of a similar concept in Eagle Ranch; we can only hope the county will plan it accordingly and agree to allow the right developer to complete the project. 

For more information on Wolcott, or other Vail Valley real estate, call or email me or visit my website below.

Eagle County Planners are Working on a Master Plan for Wolcott

Wolcott - Plans for a New Town

Most of Wolcott has been owned by the Jouflas family, sheep ranchers who began using the land in 1911 and purchased it in the 1940’s.  Now the family is getting ready to sell their property and are working with the Eagle County Planners and developers on what the new Wolcott will look like how big it will be.

Plans will include a pedestrian-friendly town on the floor of the valley along the Eagle River

Planners are looking at how to maintain Wolcott’s rural character and develop a town that will enhance the quality of life and commerce for county residents.  A master plan will look at a downtown, bike paths, a school, a range of housing for all ages and traffic flow.  A tightly clustered design would protect the open fields, vistas and rural feeling of Wolcott.

The development of the Joufulas property will address the housing crunch in the Eagle valley.  Plans may include free market homes, affordable deed restricted homes, and rentals.   Currently Wolcott has an estimated 150 homes, a post office, a restaurant and several golf courses.  The new Wolcott will have to be large for it to be a sustainable vaiable community. 

Issues to consider are infrastructure costs, a sewer treatment plant, re-alignmet of Highway 6, a fire station, a school, and the enviromental impact.  The area is a habitat for elk and deer and the Eagle river enviroment must be considered. One thing for sure, life in the quiet Wolcott Yacht club community will change once the Joufulas family sells the ranch.

Land in Wolcott’s Red Sky Ranch, a private golf community, is available now.  For information on Wolcott’s development and plans for a new community, contact Teri Lester, Eco-Broker 970-376-0779 or tlester@gatewayland.com

Runner-up Finishes For Gateway's Doug Schwartz and Steve Morris

What a great weekend of golf!!  Red Sky Ranch knows how to throw a golf tournament, (and a PARTY for that matter.)  5 nine hole match play rounds, with total points accumulated determining the flight winners.  With 6 teams in each flight, the competition was fierce and fun, right here in the Vail Valley.

Gateway’s own Steve Morris and Doug Schwartz each finished in the Runner-Up position within their respective flights.  Both played excellent golf, even if they were unable to secure the top spot and advance to the shoot-out!  For Doug and golf partner Jeff Leonardo, it came down to the final hole, and an outright birdie by their opponents left them tied atop their flight.  (the tie breaker was head-to-head play, and team Schwartz was left to watch from the gallery.)  At least there was cold beer in the gallery!

I truly had an amazing golf experience and can’t wait until next year to do it again!  To learn more about the excitement and frustrations of match play golf, (or to learn about Red Sky Ranch real estate) please contact me at the numbers or email below.

Norman Course Homesite With Huge Views

The list price on 2299 Red Sky Road, Homesite 85, has just been reduced to $1,125,000.  This is a $65,000 reduction on one of the BEST lots in all of Red Sky Ranch.  Located on the top of the property, above the 14th green of the Greg Norman designed course, Lot 85 has commanding views in all directions.

This homsite is ideally sloped for a walk-out construction, capitalizing on the great outdoor living that Red Sky Ranch provides.   2 championship golf courses (Fazio & Norman), tennis, private fishing for monster trout, membership option to the Bachelor Gulch Club, miles of hiking on private trails, 2 outstanding restaurants, and a pool; this exclusive community has it all.

To learn more about Red Sky Ranch, or Homesite 85, please contact Doug Schwartz (owner/broker) at (970)926-6777 or at dougs@gatewayland.com