Town In The Sky

In just three decades, Mountain Village has transformed from a quiet mountain enclave to a dynamic, thriving destination

by MARTINIQUE DAVIS

Some towns come into being over the course of decades, their character molded by the gradual progression of growth and time.

But Mountain Village has evolved on a more accelerated timeline, its development shaped by the ambition of its original architects. As it celebrates its 30th birthday this year, Mountain Village is planning a year-long schedule of events to commemorate its arrival into its 30s.

“It took a lot of heavy lifting to get it as vibrant as it is now,” says Kim Montgomery, who worked for the Town of Mountain Village for over 20 years, many of those as town manager. The town and ski resort grew hand in hand, with visionaries like Ron Allred and Jim Wells, former owners of the Telluride Ski Company (now Telluride Ski Resort), playing pivotal roles in shaping what would become a world-class destination.

The Mountain Village community originally existed as an unincorporated region of San Miguel County when development began in 1981. By the mid 1980s, the Mountain Village Metropolitan District (MVMD) and Mountain Village Metropolitan Services (now known as Telluride Mountain Village Owners Association) were formed to provide essential services like water, sewer, law enforcement and fire protection.

“It really didn’t have the teeth or the quality of being a town though,” recalls Dave Flatt, one of Mountain Village’s early residents and a member of its first town council. “Basically, we wanted to be the creators of our own destiny,” he says of the push to incorporate the town in 1995.

The following 30 years transformed the once quiet “village on the mountain” into a vibrant, world-class destination. From the development of the first major hotel (Doral Telluride, now The Peaks Resort & Spa), the golf course, and the iconic free Gondola, to the establishment of the Telluride Conference Center and the construction of hundreds of affordable housing units at Village Court Apartments.

Yet, as one of the youngest towns in Colorado, Mountain Village still has some lofty aspirations.

Two large hotel developments have been approved in the Mountain Village core, with the Four Seasons Hotel & Private Residences and Six Senses slated to break ground this year. The addition of branded five-star hotels has been one of the town’s long-standing goals, as outlined in its master plan.

As the newest member of the regional family, alongside Telluride and San Miguel County, Mountain Village has quickly become a key collaborator on regional issues. Recently, the town acquired property in the Ilium Valley, which could host the region’s next wastewater treatment plant, as well as a major new workforce housing development.

As Mountain Village enters its third decade, the community stands as a testament to the vision and ambition of those who have shaped it from the ground up. With its foundation firmly in place, the future holds limitless possibilities for where the next 30 years will lead.