Victory in Telluride
By Margaret Foster | Online Only | June 5, 2008
The road to Telluride, Colo. (pop. 2,300), passes through a dramatic, wide-open valley in the San Miguel Mountains.
On Monday, the Colorado Supreme Court blocked a plan to develop Telluride's valley floor.
San Diego-based defense contractor Neal Blue had purchased the valley land in 1983, intending to build mansions there. But the court's 6 to 1 decision upheld Telluride's right to "condemn" his 572 acres for open space and recreation. Thanks the court's June 2 ruling, the town will take full possession of the property in about two months' time.
"Once we recover from this euphoria, we will focus our energies on the details of a thoughtful plan to insure the future health, stewardship, and enjoyment of this important regional asset," Jane Hickcox, director of the Valley Floor Preservation Partners, said in a statement.
Valley Floor Preservation Partners is working to preserve the land through a conservation easement.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, which seven years ago listed the Telluride Valley Floor as one of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places, praised the decision.
"The Valley Floor is unique to Telluride, and an integral and irreplaceable part of the town's cherished scenic beauty, as well as its heritage," said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. "[This] ruling means that the people of Telluride will have the final word in protecting this extraordinary resource in perpetuity, as well they should."
In June 2002, Telluride voters approved a plan allowing the town to acquire Blue's land and preserve it as open space. A Delta County court set the price tag of $50 million to reimburse Blue, whose company, San Miguel Valley Corp., had planned to develop the land for commercial use.
Last year residents raised $25 million toward a stated purchase price of $50 million for the land. According to Mayor John Pryor, "Everyone wants to keep Telluride authentic and as a place that just stands out from the homogeneous experience in other areas."
Read more about the Telluride Valley Floor
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