Much to the surprise of no one, there's been another delay in the 30-year fight to build the Village at Wolf Creek. A few months ago, the U.S. Forest Service approved a controversial land swap atop Colorado's Wolf Creek Pass that represented a milestone in the fight to develop a new mountain village. But as we predicted, a coalition of conservation groups filed a federal lawsuit in an effort to stop development. Now, the developer of the Village at Wolf Creek has agreed to delay construction while the lawsuit moves through federal court.
According to the Denver Post, environmental groups are "relieved that there will not be bulldozers on the pass until we have had our day in court," Christine Canaly, the executive director of the San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council, said in a statement.
But although environmentalists are counting this as a win, the developer behind the project said the agreement doesn't have much impact on their timeline. Because construction work first requires Mineral County and Colorado Department of Transportation approval, preliminary engineering and design work has to be done before anyone breaks ground. Even without the lawsuit, construction would not have begun before next summer.
· Deal delays start of Village at Wolf Creek construction [Denver Post]
· Forest Service Delays Decision on Wolf Creek [Curbed Ski]
· Plans Move Forward on Village at Wolf Creek [Curbed Ski]
· The Village at Wolf Creek [Official Site]
· $1 Billion Jumbo Glacier Resort May Not Happen [Curbed Ski]
· Go Here Now: The Top Reasons to Ski at Wolf Creek [Curbed Ski]
· Find Neverending Powder On This Colorado Road Trip [Curbed Ski]