Environmental Stewardship

TOPICS
THE FUTURE OF VAIL
Please select one baseline future scenario topic for each of the three sessions
Environment
Recreation
Culture/Education
Development/Landuse
Housing
Transportation
• Build-out
• Redevelopment
• Surrounding Areas
• Resident
• Visitor
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Forest Health
Noise
Water
Environmental Stewardship
Economy
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Public Finance
Resort
Business Climate
Regional Position
Roadways
Parking
Transit
Air Travel
Community and
Community Services
• Sense of Community
• Health Care
• Public Safety
THE FUTURE OF VAIL
What will it look like?
ENVIRONMENT
Current Strategies
Baseline Future Scenario
Forest Health
Forest Health
• The town is in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and Colorado State Forest Service to address the
mountain pine beetle epidemic. The plan involves targeted cutting and removal of dead and infected trees to
help regenerate the forest. A 5-year management plan will begin implementation this summer.
• Pine Beetle changing forest and increasing fire hazard
• Adoption of a wildlife protection ordinance in 2002 serves to minimize conflicts with wildlife.
• Vail will have to participate in regional efforts to treat hazardous fires; restore forest among urban/wildland
interface.
• The mountain pine beetle has infested over 80 percent of the lodgepole pine trees in and around Vail.
During the next five years, the area surrounding Vail will lose hundreds of thousands of pine trees from this
infestation. U.S. Forest Service wildfire models predict the likelihood of a burnt landscape devoid of trees
from a massive wildfire in the next 25 years.
Noise
Noise
• Berms have been placed along I-70 to help reduce highway noise. Other noise reducing actions, including
installation of a quiet pavement overlay, are planned.
• Noise on I-70 increasing
Water
Water
• Black Gore Creek traction and sand mitigation efforts have been underway since 1997 on I-70 at Vail Pass
• Gore Creek sedimentation impacting fishing and tourism
• A stormwater sedimentation and erosion permitting and inspection program was initiated in 2005 to improve
the quality of stormwater runoff discharging to Gore Creek and secondary streams.
• To protect area streams and tributaries, the town began enforcement of stream tract encroachments by private
property owners in 2006.
• Eagle River Water and Sanitation District has embraced the idea of water conservation with its “Use Water
Wisely” campaign, not merely as a reaction to drought conditions, but as responsible water resources
management.
• Use of drought-tolerant plantings and a computerized irrigation system were implemented in 2003 to reduce
town’s water consumption.
Environmental Stewardship
Environmental Stewardship
• The Town of Vail is the largest municipal purchaser of wind power renewable energy in Colorado.
• Environmental stewardship will need to increase
• The town has made arrangements to purchase 10 hybrid buses over the next five years with delivery of the
first bus in the fall of 2006.
• Snowmelt infrastructure contributing to the emission of greenhouse gases
• An environmental policy was adopted by the town in 2005 which states its priorities and intentions to
demonstrate and promote Renewable Energy, Resource Efficiency, Ecosystem Protection, and Community
Awareness and Education.
• The Town of Vail sponsors of the Green Star program, a national certification program that encourages and
promotes sustainable environmental practices. Six businesses have been certified.
• The town offers 10% off building applications that use LEEDS Certification.
• The Town of Vail recognizes outstanding environmental practices through the annual Mauri Nottingham
Environmental Quality Award.
• The Town of Vail works with the Eagle Valley Alliance for Sustainability (EVAS) and Vail Resorts to promote
environmental stewardship in Vail, Eagle County and on Vail Mountain.
• The town staff has worked with the county and BFI to significantly improve recycling.
• Weed-eating goats were introduced in 2001 as an alternative to pesticides to help control the spread of weeds
on town property.
• Currently, there are 42 properties totaling 566 acres within the town’s boundaries that are designated as
protected open space.
• Today the snow season on Vail Mountain is approximately 30 days shorter than what it was 25 years ago. If
global warming continues at the present rate, experts predict it could lose another 45 days by 2085.
THE FUTURE OF VAIL
What will it look like?
R E C R E AT I O N
Current Strategies
Baseline Future Scenario
• Over 1,000 acres or approximately 30 percent of the land area in the Town of Vail is open space.
• Broadened and increased demand for recreational opportunities
• The Vail Recreational District and the Town of Vail have partnered to develop a joint Comprehensive
Master Plan for Vail’s parks and recreation facilities and programs, with extensive public input from the
community and key stakeholders. This Master Plan also includes an inventory of resources, a needs
assessment, a findings report, and recommendations.
• Continued competition with other resort communities
• The new Vail Gymnastics Center was opened in 2005 as part of a multi-tiered effort to retain and attract
families in Vail.
• Impact of increased populations on recreational amenities
• A seasonal skate park was constructed on the top deck of the LionsHead parking structure and was in
place from 1997 to 2004. While the 2006 Town of Vail budget includes funding to design a permanent
skatepark, a location has yet to be determined.
• Vail’s recreation tourism relies on the natural environment
• Changing skier demands and standards
• Shortened ski season
• Recreation is the driving force in the health of Vail’s economy
• Blue Sky Basin, the expanded 645 acres of terrain on Vail Mountain, opened in January of 2000 and
provides natural, gladed terrain for an adventurous experience that feels like the backcountry.
Partnerships and a regional approach to programming must be strengthened to improve or increase
recreational opportunities.
• Vail Resorts does not have any plans to further expand terrain on Vail Mountain. However, improvements
and expansion are occurring to the terrain parks throughout the mountain. Vail Resorts is also replacing
and renovating numerous chair lifts throughout the mountain to improve levels of service and enhance the
visitor experience.
Today the snow season on Vail Mountain is approximately 30 days shorter than what it was 25 years ago. If
global warming continues at the present rate, experts predict it could lose another 45 days by 2085.
• Expansion of the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens in 2000 with the alpine rock garden and in 2002 with the
children’s gardens placed the facility firmly on the world botanic gardens map.
• The Donovan Park Pavilion, dedicated in 2003, serves as an important community gathering place for
elections, town meetings, weddings, memorial services, etc.
The Town has limited high quality public indoor recreational facilities. Substantial capital improvements to
existing facilities within the Town are needed, such as the Golf Course Clubhouse, the Nordic Center, the
Youth Services facility, and the Tennis Courts.
• Vail added another neighborhood park with the opening of Ellefson Park in West Vail in 2000, while Buffehr
Creek/Vail Commons Park was expanded during that year.
Projecting into the future using estimates of development from the Vail model, the demand for recreation
facilities will increase greatly. The model also suggests the impacts of new residentially-driven recreation
demand will also be uneven–they will be greatest in West Vail and West Lionshead where the largest
increases in residential density will occur.
• Extensions to the recreation path at Dowd Junction and from the Matterhorn neighborhood to Intermountain
in 1997, as well as from Red Sandstone School east to the Main Vail roundabout in 2003, allows for 16
miles of continuous trail from Dowd Junction to East Vail.
Recreation programming must balance local needs with tourism, provide special events to increase revenue,
provide activities for an aging population, and be accessible to all demographics and income levels.
• The Ford Park athletic fields host many special events, i.e. Vail Lacrosse Shootout and the 3v3 Got Milk
Youth Soccer Tournament.
• The Vail Golf Club hosted 23,000 rounds in 2005.
• The VRD Sports Department produces many programs and special events, i.e. Teva Vail Mountain Trail
Running Series, Vail Invitational Soccer Tournament and the Mountain Challenge Mountain Bike Series
which provide Vail residents and guests with outstanding recreational opportunities.
• VRD Camps (Camp Vail, Pre-Kamp Vail, Camp Eco Fun & Sports Camps) provide over 8500 days of
recreation to the children (ages 2 to 15) of Vail residents, employees and guests during the summer
months.
• Imagination Station, Vail’s Children’s Museum, opened in October of 2005 with activities and exhibits for
children to explore, play and experiment with their parents.
• Dobson Ice Arena provides a number of ice related activities and programs. It has also hosted many large
special events and concerts.
• The Vail Nature Center attracts a very diverse population to its location and programs. All Eagle County
School kindergartners visit the Nature Center. Programs include: flower walks, nature hikes, beaver pond
tours, Camp Eco Fun and many others fun and educational programs.
• The Vail Gymnastics Center provides programming for gymnastics, martial arts, yoga and dance.
THE FUTURE OF VAIL
What will it provide?
C U LT U R E / E D U C AT I O N
Current Strategies
Baseline Future Scenario
Culture
Culture
• The Town of Vail’s Art in Public Places program was officially adopted in 1992 to promote and encourage
the development and public awareness of the visual arts. Large developments are required to provide public art on site that meets the criteria of AIPP.
• Cultural event offerings broaden.
• The town thrives financially during the summer season based on musical, dance, special events, and fine
arts events sponsored by the Vail Valley Foundation, Bravo!, the Vail Symposium, Art in Public Places, and
private event promoters with support from the TOV.
• Renovation of the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in 2001 helped to increase the overall seating capacity and
acoustics for the facility, as well as providing upgraded and expanded public restrooms and back-of-state
accommodations for performers.
• Established in 2004, Prima is a collaboration between Bravo! and the VVF/Vilar with support from the
VVTCB in an effort to market all the cultural summer offerings under one umbrella.
• An increase in nationally recognized cultural and special events including The Honda Session, American
Ski Classic, Spring Back to Vail, Teva Mountain Games, Dallas Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Rochester Philharmonic, and Vail International Dance Festival.
• Trend continues of summer visitors taking part in Special Events (festivals, concerts, sports, etc.). Guests
plan their vacations to coincide with special events or cultural offerings.
• The cultural opportunities provided within the Town are closely related to the Town’s economic health.
• Large events strain the local circulation systems and parking has become a problem at peak times in both
summer and winter.
• Community space becomes increasingly expensive to rent.
• Keeping event prices low enough that the younger population can afford to attend events will be important.
• Maintaining the trio of free concert series must continue without incurring significant losses.
• Vail develops an environment which encourages and supports cultural and special events – administrative
support and infrastructure.
Education
Education
• A non-profit organization, the White River Institute, was created with the purpose to support personal
growth and development of individuals throughout the community. Activities have included a speaker series
and personal development seminars.
• Shifting of school age children down valley.
• Expansion of the Vail Mountain School, completed in 2006, reflects the community’s support of educational
offerings within Vail.
• The Vail Symposium is a grassroots, non-profit organization that provides educational programs for the Vail
Valley community that are thought-provoking, diverse and affordable. This year, the Symposium has over
60 programs that cover a wide range of topics.
• The only public school within the Town of Vail is Red Sandstone Elementary School, where enrollment has
declined over the past few years.
• The future of Vail schools is dependent on commuting students.
• Difficulty attracting/keeping qualified teachers.
THE FUTURE OF VAIL
What will it look like?
DEVELOPMENT/LANDUSE
Current S t r a t e g i e s
Baseline Future Scenario
Build Out
Build Out
• Vail’s Billion Dollar Renewal began in 2004 with nine major redevelopment projects to improve the lodging
quality of Vail currently underway and/or completed.
• In 2020, Vail will be completely built out to the maximum potential allowed under current approvals. No
vacant lots will remain within the Town. Special Development Districts will likely be enacted in certain
areas that will expand development potential for those properties.
• One of the most anticipated groundbreakings occurred in 2005 with construction commencing on The
Arrabelle at Vail Square project in Lionshead, slated for completion in 2007. The Arabelle served as a
catalyst for the rampant redevelopment of Vail occurring today, the result of which will be 760 net new
lodging/accommodation units and over 800 refurbished or remodeled units.
• By 2020, Vail will still have substantial redevelopment activities occurring in various areas of Town which
will increase the overall gross density.
• Vail’s Front Door has commenced construction, and includes the redevelopment of the skier base area in
Vail Village. This project includes a new skier services building and residential and commercial properties
near the Vista Bahn Lift.
• Future redevelopment is being carefully scrutinized and orchestrated to ensure the most efficient patterns
of infill development and mixes of land uses. Currently, the Town requires that development pay exactions
related to the burden placed on infrastructure.
Redevelopment
Redevelopment
• The Vail Streetscape Master Plan was updated in 2003 in anticipation of the significant redevelopment
underway.
• Extensive redevelopment of Lionshead, Vail Village, West Lionshead, and West Vail will occur for the next
ten years.
• The Town’s largest public infrastructure project to date, the Vail Village Streetscape project, was initiated in
2004 and will complement the more than $1 billion in redevelopment of private and public lands in Vail. A
majority of this project will be complete in Fall 2006 with the exception of Crossroads, Checkpoint Charlie and
West Meadow Drive, with completion d dependent on private redevelopment.
• Redevelopment must continue in order to maintain Vail’s status as a premier destination mountain resort
community.
• The Vail Streetscape Master Plan was updated in 2003 in anticipation of the significant redevelopment
underway.
• The Lionshead Redevelopment Master Plan was adopted by the Town Council in December 1998 and
continues to serve as a guiding document for redevelopment of the area.
• As components of the Lionshead Redevelopment Master Plan, new design guidelines and standards were
approved for the subject land area. New standards and design guidelines are being considered to address
conflicts between existing zoning and development review standards and wildfire hazards posed by the
infestation of pine beetles.
WEST VAIL
• The Town has been working with Vail Resorts to develop an amendment to the Lionshead Redevelopment
Master Plan to include plans for West Lionshead. The amendment will likely include master planning the
area to be a mixed use portal to the mountain with commercial, residential, office and a new gondola.
• New policies and guidelines are being developed for a redevelopment master plan for the West Vail
commercial area northeast of the West Vail exit off I-70.
Surrounding Areas
• Major development will occur elsewhere in the County.
THE FUTURE OF VAIL
Where will people live?
HOUSING
Current Strategies
Baseline Future Scenario
Resident
Resident
• Of 6,412 total dwelling units (Eagle County, 2005) in the Town of Vail, 9 percent (625) are deed-restricted
as employee housing units.
• Vail will need 300 beds in the near future to maintain 30% resident occupation with job growth from current
redevelopment. With anticipated future development, Vail will not be able to meet the goal of maintaining
30% resident occupation without a change in strategy.
• As of 2005, approximately 30 percent of Vail’s 9,124 workers were being housed in Vail.
• There are approximately 1,520 employee households (owned and rented) in Vail today. Two thirds of these
units are not restricted in any way.
• Currently the Town of Vail utilizes commercial linkage, a system that requires new development to address
housing for employees associated with the development, for large commercial projects. If a development
complies with zoning, the Town requires it to mitigate (provide housing) for 15 percent of the net new
employees. If the project is part of a Special Development District, there is an increase in the required
mitigation.
• The Town provides zoning incentives for employee housing by granting an additional 500 square feet to
single-family or two-family residential units which build an attached deed-restricted employee housing unit.
Since the early 1990’s, this incentive has prompted 148 deed-restricted employee housing units to be built
throughout the Town of Vail. Since 2000, with the current incentives, only 21 units have been built.
• The Town has provided land to build new deed-restricted employee housing units. The Town has
successfully added 261 units of deed-restricted housing using this strategy. However, the Town has limited
land opportunities left that allow for this strategy to continue to be effective. Maximization of the land at
Timber Ridge and the Chamonix Property are the two largest remaining opportunities for the provision of
employee housing units.
• All residents/employees will live in deed restricted units by 2020 unless policies change to encourage more
housing diversity.
• Based on the anticipated, proposed, and planned Vail development model of 10-15 years; anticipated
growth in new units is significant (over 2,000 units), although well below the total that exist today
(approximately 6,200 units). However, these units are not necessarily affordable to Vail residents.
• Demand for housing will increase as the job market increases.
• There are numerous developments within the Town that have not yet met their current housing mitigation
obligations. 257 employee beds, to be generated within the Town of Vail, have yet to be built but are required to
be in the near future.• The free market will not produce housing at levels that employees can afford.
• The free market will not produce housing at levels that employees can afford.
• Market rate housing owned by employees will change to resident non-employee.
• There will be an increased demand for assisted living/housing to accommodate needs of the elderly.
However, the County has not planned for any facilities east of Eagle.
• The Town has purchased 215 existing housing units within the Town of Vail and preserved them as
permanent employee housing units. However, this has become an extremely expensive strategy and lacks
a funding source aside from the Town budget.
Visitor
Visitor
• The Lodging Quality Initiative program was launched in 1997 by the Vail Valley Chamber & Tourism
Bureau in which 3,535 units in Vail are inspected and rated every 18 months. The program has resulted in
renovations to nearly 900 properties or 25 percent of the units.
• Accommodations must attract diverse age and income groups.
• An amendment to the Lionshead Redevelopment Master Plan occurred in 2006 that requires no net loss of
hot beds.
• Renovation will be necessary to keep up with visitor demand for quality.
• New development and resale of current units are sold to part-time residents.
• The number of accommodation units (hotels) would increase substantially under the anticipated building
program (currently there are 1,306, it is anticipated to grow by 973 units) in the next 10-15 years.
THE FUTURE OF VAIL
How will people get around?
T R A N S P O R TAT I O N
Current Strategies
Baseline Future Scenario
Roadways
Roadways
• In 1997, Vail completed the West Vail roundabouts to improve circulation at the I-70 interchange.
• I-70 will begin to reach capacity in some places.
• Currently, an environmental assessment is underway to explore expanding I-70 to six lanes on Vail Pass.
• There may be need for new highway interchanges and/or I-70 crossings in the future.
• The Town is working on a traffic study that evaluates potential traffic from future growth.
• Traffic on I-70 will increase commute times.
• A 65 Max traffic campaign on I-70 was introduced in April 2004 to reduce accidents and highway noise.
• More employees will commute.
• Main Vail interchange and West Vail interchange Feasibility studies, I- 70 Major Investment Study, I-70
Programmatic Environmental Impact Study, Eagle County Transportation Master Plan and Dowd Junction
Feasibility Study are currently used as planning guide.
• Workers forecasted to commute into the county each day is anticipated to increase from 1,000 in 2005 to
20,000 in 2020.
• Efforts underway to model the traffic impacts anticipated and to translate anticipated traffic, transit and
parking growth into a variety of measures allowing the community to understand potential conditions and
outcomes.
• A major priority for the Town has been the upgrade of the Frontage Roads, which are owned by CDOT.
This project is currently not on any approved CDOT budget and was left out of the last financially
constrained plan due to the critical shortage of transportation dollars at the time.
• The Vail Streetscape Master Plan was updated in 2003 in anticipation of significant redevelopment. Since
then, the Streetscape Project has been underway and a majority will be completed by Fall 2006. One
result of this project is that streets in Vail Village and Lionshead are heated and do not require snow
removal.
• Movement of the permanent population down-valley has resulted in more locals using the automobile for
all trips into Vail. This has resulted in more emphasis put on automobile-related transportation solutions.
• Destination visitors will avoid driving to Vail due to I-70 congestion.
• Traffic will increase 30-40% on frontage roads in 15-20 years.
• Turning movements onto frontage road may encounter significant delays in the future at certain locations.
• Travel times within Vail will increase by 25-50% during peak hours.
• Regardless of development, key intersections and roundabouts will have poor levels of service.
• Physical improvements and travel demand management strategies will be considered.
Parking
Parking
• An ongoing Parking Task Force, formed in 1999 to monitor and recommend changes to the paid parking
operations, expanded public parking options to maximize utilization of Vail’s available parking spaces. Also,
the town accepted a pledge of $4.3 million from Vail Resorts in 2003 to assist with construction of future
expanded public parking in Vail.
• Increased demand and cost for parking.
• 1,000 space deficit for parking and an increase in day parking on the Frontage Road.
• Lack of parking deters down-valley residents and visitors from visiting Vail.
• Currently, the Town has paid parking nine hours a day during the ski season.
• The Town encourages alternative transportation and charges for parking during peak seasons to
discourage automobile use.
• The Town identified the need for a second inter-modal facility to accommodate the growth and enhance the
demand for the new Lionshead. The Town must select a site in 2007 to be eligible for partial funding in 2008.
Transit
Transit
• Vail has the largest free public transportation system in the United States. The fleet consists of 32 transit
coaches which serve eight fixed routes in winter.
• There will be greater demand for transit by the commuters.
• The Town has purchased one hybrid bus, plans for eight more by 2008, and will be replacing one-third of
the entire fleet with more energy-efficient vehicles.
• Greater choices in transportation modes will need to be provided.
• All residents will need to be enticed to transit.
• Commuters will travel from greater distances.
• Land Use will have to become more transit and pedestrian friendly.
Airport
• Expanded summer flights to Dallas/Ft.Worth (DFW), Chicago (ORD) and Denver (DEN).
• Opening of an award-winning passenger terminal in 1996.
• New customs services for private aircraft and free wireless internet service in the terminal.
Air Travel
• Increased demand for flights into Eagle Airport.
• Increased demand for shuttle service.
• Convenience of air travel becomes paramount.
THE FUTURE OF VAIL
Where’s the money coming from?
ECONOMY
Current Strategies
Future Scenario
Public Finance
Public Finance
• The town relies heavily on sales tax (39% of revenue) to provide municipal services and to fund capital
expenditures.
• Because of the Town’s needs for capital expenditures and renewal of aging infrastructure, expenditures
are expected to exceed revenues. The Town’s Capital Projects Fund balance turns negative in 2008 and
barring new sources of revenue, this negative balance accelerates through 2010 and beyond. The fund is
projected to go from a positive balance of $4.8 million in 2005 to a negative balance of $8.1 million in 2010.
• A ballot issue to increase property taxes to provide additional fire service and to fund capital projects was
defeated in 2002.
• A conference center sales and lodging tax was in place from 2003 through 2005 when voters elected
to stop the conference center project rather than impose an increase the conference center tax rate. A
balance of $8.2 million remains pending a future vote to determine disposition of the funds.
• The Vail Reinvestment Authority was created in 2003 to implement tax-increment financing (TIF) in the
LionsHead area to fund an estimated $9 million in public improvements beginning in 2009.
• Vail Resorts is committed to funding $4.3 million of new permanent parking facilities which will be owned
by the town.
• The town currently has $13.8 million outstanding debt, which will be paid off in 2012.
• The town has healthy fund balances ($40.7 million as of 12/31/05); however, certain funds are restricted as
to their use.
• Without additional funding sources and/or reallocation of restricted funds, the town’s Capital Projects Fund
will not be sufficient to meet the town’s anticipated capital needs.
• It is likely that new funding sources and/or additional debt will need to be considered to fund capital needs
and increased municipal services.
• The Real Estate Transfer Tax (RETT) Fund will benefit greatly from current redevelopment activity and
may provide funding for additional projects. Its use, however, is limited to acquiring and maintaining real
property for parks, recreation, and open space.
• Given the demand for significant capital improvements in Vail, and the erratic performance of sales taxes
over the past several years, the Town may need to look for alternative revenue sources beyond sales taxes
to fund anticipated needs.
• Disposition of the $8.2 million remaining from the conference center tax will be determined by the voters.
• Use of the $4.3 million of parking capital committed by Vail Resorts will be dependent upon the town
identifying a location and committing to construction of new incremental parking.
• The economic success of redevelopment and existing businesses will drive the financial future of the town
through sales tax, real estate transfer tax, and, to a lesser extent, property taxes.
Resort
Resort
• Vail Resorts is currently building new developments or redeveloping numerous properties throughout the
Town.
• Visitor’s experience fuels Vail’s economy
• Vail as a pedestrian village continues to be an attractive destination resort
• Vail Resorts has partnered with the Town to amend the Lionshead Redevelopment Master Plan to include
planning for West Lionshead.
• Increased competition with other resorts and throughout the county.
• In order to appeal to all demographics and ensure future visits to Vail, the resort has taken the approach of
marketing that appeals to many different generations.
• The seasonality of the economy has become more pronounced and evident.
• The Vail Local Marketing District utilizes the lodging tax to market Vail as a summer destination.
Business Climate
• The Town of Vail has recently formed an Economic Advisory Council, which has been charged with
developing economic strategy for the Town and its partners. This group has a budget of $150,000 to
support economic development projects.
Business Climate
• Without housing, there will be increased direct costs to employers to hire employees
• Projected commercial development in Vail will more than double what exists today.
• Currently, the business community is supported by the Vail Valley Chamber and Tourism Bureau as well as
the Vail Chamber and Business Association.
Regional Position
Regional Position
• Vail has lost its dominance over the County economy. Where once Vail was the main provider of sales
tax in the county, it is losing its share of the Eagle County market.
• As families have moved down-valley, they will focus much of their shopping, dining and entertainment
activities on commercial establishments found close to home.
• The Town will have to remain competitive with down-valley businesses and be attractive to visitors for sales
tax revenues to continue to increase.
THE FUTURE OF VAIL
What will it provide?
Community & Community Services
Current Strategies
Baseline Future Scenario
Sense of Community
Sense of Community
• During the past decade, new facilities and amenities have been added to improve the quality of life for
Vail’s residents and provide places for community gatherings. These include the Donovan Pavilion, the Vail
Child Care facility, a gymnastics center, the addition of Ellefson Park, extensions to the recreation path and
completion of the Vail Memorial Park.
• The abundance of part-time residents contributes to the feeling of empty neighborhoods.
• Multiple opportunities for community gatherings are offered year-round. The Town of Vail sponsors a
neighborhood picnic series and annual town meeting as ways to connect with the community. Other
community-based venues and activities include the Vail Library, programs offered by the Vail Recreation
District, the Vail Farmers’ Market, Oktoberfest and the Hot Summer Nights concerts.
• The transient nature of the population will increase as Vail becomes less affordable.
• The presence of Red Sandstone Elementary School, Vail Mountain School and Vail Valley Medical Center
are highly valued as critically important community attributes.
• The Town of Vail reaches out to its full-time and part-time resident and business community through an
electronic newsletter service, Vail-Mail, to encourage participation in public policy decisions. While parttime residents are ineligible to vote in Town of Vail elections, their input is sought on a regular basis.
• Generational continuity suffers from fewer children residing within Vail.
• Increase in workers living down valley results in disconnection from Vail community life.
• The retirement of former part-time residents to Vail creates a need for different types of community
gatherings.
• More part-time residents will spend the majority of the year in Vail and will desire greater involvement in the
community.
• Vail will need to accommodate the growing number of people from different cultures and those speaking
different languages.
• Strong leadership will be vital to Vail’s success.
• The Town measures its attempts to positively impact the sense of community via the biennial community
survey.
Health Care
Health Care
• Expansion of Vail Valley Medical Center in 2001 reaffirmed the hospital’s commitment to quality health care
services in Vail.
• The aging population will require state-of-the-art facilities and cutting edge services.
• Health services will need to be expanded to meet the needs of the growing population.
• The need for community health education will increase.
Public Safety
Public Safety
• Public safety campaigns on July 4th and New Year’s Eve, initiated in 2001, have helped maintain a safe
environment for Vail’s guests during the holidays.
• Fire protection will be a concern.
• Video monitors were installed on Vail buses in 2002 to ensure passenger safety.
• A 65 Max traffic safety campaign on I-70 was introduced in April 2004 to reduce accidents.
• Emergency preparedness and incident command training by Vail’s public safety agencies has been a
priority since 9-11.
• Public safety agencies have improved technology for rapid response and wireless information-sharing in
the field.
• Vail must be prepared to respond to a variety of emergencies.