Blue Sky, a luxury resort nestled in the mountains near Wanship, has pulled back on its proposed expansion following community opposition to those plans.
Mike Phillips, a local businessman who owns the resort with his wife, Barbara, asked the Eastern Summit County Planning Commission in November to rezone the land northeast of where The Lodge at Blue Sky currently sits from AG-40 to AG-10.
Rezoning the area would have increased the allowed density on the property and opened the door for a 639-acre, 76-lot subdivision nicknamed The Farms at Blue Sky. The master planned development would have had homes ranging from 3,200 square feet to 3,800 square feet, as well as a new wastewater treatment plant and amenities.
East Side residents implored commissioners to veto the expansion, expressing concerns about infrastructure, traffic and the effect more luxury resort space might have on the rural character of the 400-person Wanship community. They also created and circulated a petition after the meeting to gather opposing signatures.
Planning commissioners also communicated a desire for Phillips and his team to demonstrate how the property would incorporate and include local community members.
Planning Commissioner David Darcey said the code commissioners are required to follow says rezoning is only allowed to “promote the public health, safety and welfare of the residents of eastern Summit County.”
The Planning Commission ultimately decided to not vote on the request in November. Instead, commissioners asked Phillips to put together a written response to the community’s concerns, saying the responses would be discussed at a later date before making a decision.
Blue Sky withdrew the rezoning application on Jan. 23. According to county planner Jennifer Strader, the subdivision application has been amended to 31 lots for single-family dwellings and utilizes already-established bonus density provisions in the Eastern Summit County Development Code.
The amended subdivision application will still need to go to the Eastern Summit County Planning Commission for approval.
Community Development Director Peter Barnes said he expects it to be put on the agenda soon, but no date had yet been set.