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COPPER MOUNTAIN RESORT — The Alpine Lot at Copper Mountain Resort is the largest lot at the ski area with 1,728 free parking spaces. Resort officials have proposed a plan to consolidate the two bus stops and update the transportation center.
At the Summit Board of County Commissioners meeting Wednesday, Jan. 29, resort officials and planning staff presented an update to the current transportation center, which was built in the northern part of the lot in 1979. At the meeting, commissioners passed the resort’s request to allow commercial use by transferring unused commercial space from Copper Point Townhomes to Alpine Lot.
The current transportation facility houses bathrooms and guest services facilities, but the proposed transportation facility would have bathrooms and guest services in addition to a fireplace, wind shelter, landscaping, waiting areas and a commercial facility that would sell grab-and-go food items like burritos and coffee. Copper spokeswoman Taylor Prather said the proposed commercial space of the transportation facility would be about 210 square feet.
“The goal is really to create a new, more vibrant, more open, transparent and safe transportation facility and to improve the guest experience for people who are coming to Copper Mountain,” said Elena Scott, principal of Norris Design and planner and landscape architect for the project.
Scott added that the updated facility aims to make a good first impression for guests as well as centrally locate important facilities like restrooms and the bus stop. Scott said the building is also proposed to have solar panels.
Now that commissioners have passed the zoning request, the project will move into the site plan development phase. Summit County planner Jessica Potter said the project’s site plan will be reviewed with the Tenmile Planning Commission on Feb. 13 at County Commons, 37 Peak One Drive in Frisco. Potter said the Planning Commission will look at details like building height and architectural appearance.
“It’s a pretty outdated building,” Potter said. “It’s not centrally located, and so they want to consolidate the two Alpine stops. With that consolidation, it’s moved into the middle of the parking lot.”
Potter said the rationale behind consolidating the bus stops is that one of the stops is on the far northern end of the parking lot and the other is to the rear, and resort officials believe combining the stops in the middle of the lot will make it more efficient, accessible and able to accommodate more buses. Scott noted that many people forget which bus stop they got on at and consolidating the stops alleviates that problem.
“This minor amendment is part of a larger development plan for Copper Mountain, and currently there are no projected timelines for the project,” Prather wrote in an email.
Prather added that the resort is focused on two projects that are underway: the Sky Chutes Landing workforce housing development and a midmountain lodge that will take the place of Solitude at the top of the American Eagle lift in the 2021-22 season.