Posted by:
Erin Eddy
www.ourayland.com
www.ridgwayland.com
Cornerstone Named Best Private Course by Golf Magazine
Greg Norman Course to Host Senior Tournament
MONTROSE – The unparalleled beauty of Cornerstone’s setting atop the Uncompahgre Plateau is enough to set it apart from other mountain developments. But add to that a Greg Norman-designed golf course and be prepared for national recognition.
The January 2009 issue of Golf Magazine, currently on newsstands, has named Cornerstone the #1 Best New Private Golf Course in the country.
The 7,945-yard, par 72 course was touted by the editors at Golf Magazine as “easily the best high-altitude course in the nation, and quite possibly the world.” They called it Norman’s “finest North American project to date.” This prestigious recognition, which bested Donald Trump’s National Bedminster in New Jersey (#2), comes six months after all 18 holes were opened in July.
“This is something we are certainly proud of,” Head Golf Pro and Golf Manager Sean Tannehill said in an interview last week. “This is a golf course that is designed for everybody. My favorite thing about the course is the possibility of playing a multitude of different approaches, which enables a lot of bump and runs and a lot of great shots.”
The editors at Golf Magazine also made note of the way the course uses the natural landscape: “Purists will appreciate the tough forced carries and greens that often demand run-up approach shots, and the fast greens and shaved surrounds even things up for players of all abilities.”
The course was designed according to Norman’s well-known “least disturbance” philosophy, which curtails massive earth movement, reduces large-scale clearing and takes full advantage of the natural features on the landscape. The course covers more than 300 acres and is designed to provide golfers at all skill levels an enjoyable game.
“When Greg Norman first toured the land on snowmobile, he immediately saw the potential for the golf course and we partnered with him knowing that we had selected the best designer in the business,” said Larry Corsen, senior vice president of Hunt Realty Inc., a privately held real estate investment company, and owner and operator of Cornerstone. “We are thrilled to see our dream of Greg’s talent come to fruition and be recognized as the number one private golf course by Golf Magazine. We are truly honored to be at the top of this revered category of golf course in the United States.”
As if the #1 ranking wasn’t enough, Tannehill said that Cornerstone will be hosting the Colorado Senior Amateur Championship the first week in September.
“For us, it is a great way to get senior competitive players to play our course and to this part of Colorado,” said Tannehill. “All of these championships have always been held out on the Front Range [of Colorado] and it is a great opporunity for us.”
Members of Cornerstone have access to a 20-plus acre practice facility and some of the finest golf professionals and staff in the nation. Mark Wood has consistently been ranked one of the top 50 instructors in the country for the past 10 years, and Kathy Hart-Wood, former LPGA touring pro and also a celebrated top 50 instructor as named by Golf for Women, is director of women’s golf. Cornerstone also recently celebrated the opening of its clubhouse, which includes a casual bar and grill, outdoor dining and the Village Mercantile, featuring a golf pro shop and outfitters’ headquarters.
Written by Gus Jarvis
Saturday, December 27, 2008
35 Acres is Best?
Posted by:
Erin Eddy
www.ourayland.com
www.ridgwayland.com
December 26, 2008
Oh, the curse of the 35-acre parcel. The old ranchers' saying goes, "to small to farm, too big to mow."
Yet 35 is the magic number in Ouray County's unique and innovative Land Use Code (LUC). In both Valley and Alpine zones, where the LUC discourages development, that is the number of acres where private property owners have the right to construct a home.
The LUC is the companion document to the county's Master Plan. There, in Section A, the county's collective goal is "to encourage the continued use of lands for agricultural productivity." To date, much of that goal has been met; Ouray County's valued valleys have mostly remained with haying and cattle activities, though a few homes have sprung up at the 35 acre density.
Outgoing County Commissioner Don Batchelder warns that just because the Master Plan aspiration is being met today, that doesn't mean it won't be tomorrow.
"… there are a number of factors, economic and personal, facing a number of the smaller ranches in the county's valleys that indicate agricultural lands are at risk," writes Batchelder, in a two-page proposal titled "Incentivizing Cluster Development in the Valley Zone Through the Developer Agreement Process."
At first blush, the proposal seems to have great potential to be a win-win proposition — preventing the break-up of parcels into the undesirable 35s, and giving landowners a means to preserve the considerable value of their land. The proposal deserves a thorough hearing, and if favored by those it affects, implementation.
As Batchelder points out, ranchers are typically a tough sell when it comes to government regulation. As such, to gain buy-in, the new code would have to be fairly straight forward. He proposes:
n The density per housing unit in the Valley Zone be doubled, to 70 acres.
n Ranch owners could cluster houses under a development agreement, as long as 80% of the land remains dedicated to agriculture, and that water rights remain tied to the property.
In all, five amendments to the LUC are proposed, but Batchelder's solution to the 35-acre dilemma remains simple, and seemingly viable.
Written by: David Mullings
Erin Eddy
www.ourayland.com
www.ridgwayland.com
December 26, 2008
Oh, the curse of the 35-acre parcel. The old ranchers' saying goes, "to small to farm, too big to mow."
Yet 35 is the magic number in Ouray County's unique and innovative Land Use Code (LUC). In both Valley and Alpine zones, where the LUC discourages development, that is the number of acres where private property owners have the right to construct a home.
The LUC is the companion document to the county's Master Plan. There, in Section A, the county's collective goal is "to encourage the continued use of lands for agricultural productivity." To date, much of that goal has been met; Ouray County's valued valleys have mostly remained with haying and cattle activities, though a few homes have sprung up at the 35 acre density.
Outgoing County Commissioner Don Batchelder warns that just because the Master Plan aspiration is being met today, that doesn't mean it won't be tomorrow.
"… there are a number of factors, economic and personal, facing a number of the smaller ranches in the county's valleys that indicate agricultural lands are at risk," writes Batchelder, in a two-page proposal titled "Incentivizing Cluster Development in the Valley Zone Through the Developer Agreement Process."
At first blush, the proposal seems to have great potential to be a win-win proposition — preventing the break-up of parcels into the undesirable 35s, and giving landowners a means to preserve the considerable value of their land. The proposal deserves a thorough hearing, and if favored by those it affects, implementation.
As Batchelder points out, ranchers are typically a tough sell when it comes to government regulation. As such, to gain buy-in, the new code would have to be fairly straight forward. He proposes:
n The density per housing unit in the Valley Zone be doubled, to 70 acres.
n Ranch owners could cluster houses under a development agreement, as long as 80% of the land remains dedicated to agriculture, and that water rights remain tied to the property.
In all, five amendments to the LUC are proposed, but Batchelder's solution to the 35-acre dilemma remains simple, and seemingly viable.
Written by: David Mullings
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Protecting Ouray's Future
Posted by Erin Eddy
www.ourayland.com
www.ridgwayland.com
Written by:
Christopher Pike
December 19, 2008
OURAY — Before he leaves office next month, Don Batchelder wants to address an issue he believes is important for the future of ranching in Ouray County.
The issue: Incentives for the preservation of ranch lands and, in tandem, keeping water rights with those lands in the county.
"The county hasn't done anything in preserving those facets of the Master Plan," said Batchelder at Monday's Board of County Commissioners meeting. "There is potential for losing some of the ranch lands in the valleys, with only the potential for breaking those tracts into 35s."
Batchelder believes that the Ouray County Master Plan's goal of "encouraging the continued use of lands for agricultural productivity" will not be met without larger tracts being protected from non-ag uses, including housing development.
"The tendency in land use issues is to assume that what exists is how things will remain. However, there are a number of factors, economic and personal, facing a number of smaller ranches in the county's valleys that indicate agricultural lands are at risk," said Batchelder in a two-page white paper titled, "Incentivizing Cluster Development in the Valley Zone through the Development Agreement Process."
The current code, Batchelder points out, "does nothing" to prevent the subdivision of agricultural land into 35-acre parcels and by state law there is no governmental review of these property divisions. And, he adds, the county's Land Use Code does nothing to keep water rights in the county.
With land prices being as high as they are, 35-acre parcels have become the target for non-agricultural development, be it straight-ahead commercial, recreational or industrial, Batchelder said. "Ranchers have a saying about 35-acre lots: 'too small to farm and too big for a lawn'."
The catch is finding an incentive for property owners to preserve productive ag land without diminishing the land's value and to keeping land from being separated from water rights, which ultimately results in land being more conducive for subdivision development — not agriculture.
Regulation alone will not suffice, noted Batchelder.
"Ranchers are typically no-nonsense, self-employed business people with distaste for government regulation. The proposal needs to be understandable, simple, straightforward, and not burdened by unnecessary bureaucratic process."
Batchelder's proposal will be discussed informally at the BOCC's Dec. 22 meeting. One key component is to set maximum densities "except for property divided in accordance with a development agreement." The landowner would have to reciprocate, however, by restricting use of the parcel to agriculture uses, keeping the water rights on the land, and locating any home or homes in a clustered fashion.
www.ourayland.com
www.ridgwayland.com
Written by:
Christopher Pike
December 19, 2008
OURAY — Before he leaves office next month, Don Batchelder wants to address an issue he believes is important for the future of ranching in Ouray County.
The issue: Incentives for the preservation of ranch lands and, in tandem, keeping water rights with those lands in the county.
"The county hasn't done anything in preserving those facets of the Master Plan," said Batchelder at Monday's Board of County Commissioners meeting. "There is potential for losing some of the ranch lands in the valleys, with only the potential for breaking those tracts into 35s."
Batchelder believes that the Ouray County Master Plan's goal of "encouraging the continued use of lands for agricultural productivity" will not be met without larger tracts being protected from non-ag uses, including housing development.
"The tendency in land use issues is to assume that what exists is how things will remain. However, there are a number of factors, economic and personal, facing a number of smaller ranches in the county's valleys that indicate agricultural lands are at risk," said Batchelder in a two-page white paper titled, "Incentivizing Cluster Development in the Valley Zone through the Development Agreement Process."
The current code, Batchelder points out, "does nothing" to prevent the subdivision of agricultural land into 35-acre parcels and by state law there is no governmental review of these property divisions. And, he adds, the county's Land Use Code does nothing to keep water rights in the county.
With land prices being as high as they are, 35-acre parcels have become the target for non-agricultural development, be it straight-ahead commercial, recreational or industrial, Batchelder said. "Ranchers have a saying about 35-acre lots: 'too small to farm and too big for a lawn'."
The catch is finding an incentive for property owners to preserve productive ag land without diminishing the land's value and to keeping land from being separated from water rights, which ultimately results in land being more conducive for subdivision development — not agriculture.
Regulation alone will not suffice, noted Batchelder.
"Ranchers are typically no-nonsense, self-employed business people with distaste for government regulation. The proposal needs to be understandable, simple, straightforward, and not burdened by unnecessary bureaucratic process."
Batchelder's proposal will be discussed informally at the BOCC's Dec. 22 meeting. One key component is to set maximum densities "except for property divided in accordance with a development agreement." The landowner would have to reciprocate, however, by restricting use of the parcel to agriculture uses, keeping the water rights on the land, and locating any home or homes in a clustered fashion.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Ouray Real Estate Foreclosures
Posted by: Erin Eddy
www.ourayland.com
www.ridgwayland.com
December 05, 2008
Written By - Christopher Pike
Real estate foreclosures are up and tax lien sales have increased substantially this year in Ouray County and surrounding counties.
Reports from three county treasurers indicate a slump in the region's real estate economy.
"We have eight current foreclosures right now, getting two or three over the past few weeks," Ouray County Treasurer Jeanne Casolari reported two weeks ago to the Board of County Commissioners.
Casolari said Monday Ouray County has received nine foreclosures as of Dec. 1; there were seven total foreclosures for all of 2007.
Casolari said there were 88 parcels subject to the 2008 tax lien sale conducted by the treasurer's office in early November, which recovered $185,084 in unpaid tax revenues. Premiums over the amount of taxes owed amounted to $3,890.
Those figures are up by more than $100,000 from 2007 when lien sales totaled $84,079 involving 60 parcels; that amount included $5,410 in premium bids.
Montrose County Treasurer Rosemary Murphy also said as of Dec. 1 there have been 146 foreclosures, 60 more compared to this time in 2007.
Murphy said most of the foreclosures in Montrose County involved improved properties and were situated within the city limits.
At the county's tax lien sales, Murphy said buyers bought liens of 340 properties, about 100 more than last year. Vacant lots and various subdivisions constituted the bulk of those properties, she said.
In San Miguel County there have been 34 foreclosures "so far through 2008," according to Maureen Dorka, chief deputy treasurer, which is 19 more than this time last year. That county's tax lien sale on Nov. 24 yielded $462,677.59 involving 103 properties.
That sales figure includes interest of $28,286.32, recovered advertising fees and premium bids over the amount in arrears. "That compares with 98 properties that were sold last year," said Dorka.
www.ourayland.com
www.ridgwayland.com
December 05, 2008
Written By - Christopher Pike
Real estate foreclosures are up and tax lien sales have increased substantially this year in Ouray County and surrounding counties.
Reports from three county treasurers indicate a slump in the region's real estate economy.
"We have eight current foreclosures right now, getting two or three over the past few weeks," Ouray County Treasurer Jeanne Casolari reported two weeks ago to the Board of County Commissioners.
Casolari said Monday Ouray County has received nine foreclosures as of Dec. 1; there were seven total foreclosures for all of 2007.
Casolari said there were 88 parcels subject to the 2008 tax lien sale conducted by the treasurer's office in early November, which recovered $185,084 in unpaid tax revenues. Premiums over the amount of taxes owed amounted to $3,890.
Those figures are up by more than $100,000 from 2007 when lien sales totaled $84,079 involving 60 parcels; that amount included $5,410 in premium bids.
Montrose County Treasurer Rosemary Murphy also said as of Dec. 1 there have been 146 foreclosures, 60 more compared to this time in 2007.
Murphy said most of the foreclosures in Montrose County involved improved properties and were situated within the city limits.
At the county's tax lien sales, Murphy said buyers bought liens of 340 properties, about 100 more than last year. Vacant lots and various subdivisions constituted the bulk of those properties, she said.
In San Miguel County there have been 34 foreclosures "so far through 2008," according to Maureen Dorka, chief deputy treasurer, which is 19 more than this time last year. That county's tax lien sale on Nov. 24 yielded $462,677.59 involving 103 properties.
That sales figure includes interest of $28,286.32, recovered advertising fees and premium bids over the amount in arrears. "That compares with 98 properties that were sold last year," said Dorka.
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