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HomeMy WebLinkAboutArticles& ea ` xw WEDNESDAY, March 22, 2006 Bringing Communities .Together VailDaily.com Cro road app d ■ Ice rink, bowling alley, a public plaza and condos are approved in a narrow vote by the Vail Town Council Tuesday. It remains unclear whether developer Peter Knobel's plan to renovate the Crossroads building will face a ballot challenge PAGE A3 ■ `Green building' The Summit Recycling Project aims to make construction more eco friendly. PAGE A2 ■ Decision by voters Mintum Town Council wants input from voters on proposed private resort. PACEm ■ Speak your mind Eagle County residents attend political caucuses Tuesday. PAGE A7 ■ Heading to trial Rape suspect Jonathan Schut rejects a plea offer from the prosecution PAGEA9 . � ■ Man gets sentenced Russell Thompson faces six years in a state penitentiary. PAGE A10 Vol. XXV, No. 280 A& E ...................... ............................... B1 BUSINESS ............ ............................B24 CLASSIFIEDS .......... .............................C1 COMICS ............. ............................... 1331 COMMENTARY ........ ............................A16 COMMUNITY .......... .............................A5 COMMUNITY CALENDAR .....................Al2 HOROSCOPE .......... ............................B31 MOVIES ................ ............................... B2 OUR WORLD .......... ............................A22 SCOREBOARD ........ ............................A31 SPORTS ................. ............................A23 STOCKS ............. ............................... B29 Phone: 949 -0555 E -mail: newsroom @vaildaily.com "It soon became obvious that Crossroads had to be something special, something that would be much more than a building." Peter Knobel PAGE A16 " e4 #1 T _.Arkamoio The group plays at the Sandbar at 10 p.m. Friday. PAGE B1 Wall Street Closing: DAA: 11,235.47, - 39.06; NASDAQ: 2,294.23, -19.88 r Seats McCormick Meadow Mountain Elementary Light snow High 23; low 8 See Weather, PAGE B32 Shane Macomber /smacomber@vaildaily.com Kell Purcell, manager of Haagen -Dazs, speaks in favor of the Crossroads proposal at the podium at the Vail Town Council meeting Tuesday. The proposal was approved by the council. THE VAIL DAILY 970.949.0555 /vaildaily.com Wednesday, March 22, 2006 - Page A3 Ice rink, bowling alley narrowly approved Construction of project, now called `Solaris,' would begin in spring 2007 By Edward Stoner DAILY STAFF WRITER VAIL — Ice skating, bowling, movie theaters and condos — all in a 100- foot -tall building — fmally have approval from Vail. Council members gave the final OK to the Crossroads proj- ect at the Town Council's Tues- day meeting by a 4 -3 vote, 19 months after the proposal was first submitted to the town. The building will have 69 con- dos, a public plaza with a skating rink, a 10 -lane bowling alley, a three- screen movie theater, stores and restaurants. Now, the project only needs approval from the town's design board. Construction on the proj- ect, which will be called "Solaris" — not Crossroads — could start by spring of 2007. This type of project is the only way Vail will get a movie theater and a bowling alley, which figure to operate at a loss, said Councilman Greg Moffet, who voted "yes" along with council members Mark Gordon, Farrow Hitt and Kim Newbury. "(The movie theater and bowling alley) would never occur ever on their own in this town with real estate values what they are," Moffet said. But Councilman Kent Logan, who voted "no" along with Mayor Rod Slifer and Council- man Kevin Foley, said the town is allowing developer Peter Knobel to build too much valu- able condo space. He also said there's no plan to ensure the extra parking spaces will help the town's parking problems. "I sort of feel like the Indians that sold Manhattan Island for a couple of bags of beads and a sack of potatoes because that's the deal that the town of Vail is get- ting tonight," Foley said. The vote attracted a nearly full house in the council chambers. Opponents objected to the pro- ject's design and size. "We've decided that what Vail really needs is to become more lifeless and sterile like Beaver Creek, Keystone and Copper Mountain," said Jonathan Staufer of Vail. But Vail resident Kell Pur- cell, manager of Haagen -Dazs in the existing. Crossroads build- ing, said his customers will want the amenities that the proj- ect will bring. "They feel that the town has not become as family friendly as it could be, and they look forward to this development," he said. Knobel has said the project will create a more lively Vail Village by providing activities for families. "We will follow through' on making this the best project Vail has seen," Knobel said after the vote. Last summer, Knobel pulled the proposal off the table after the council voted against the propos- al. Crossroads figured prominent- ly in last November's election, which saw two opponents of the proposal voted off the Town Council. Knobel. resubmitted the project after the election. Under an agreement with the town, the Crossroads developer will also pay for heated side- walks, streetscape improvements for surrounding roads, a new median on South Frontage Road, employee housing, $442,000 to offset traffic impacts and $1.1 million in public art. The project could still go to voters in an election if opponents gather signatures from 10 percent of Vail voters in the next 30 days. It was unclear Tuesday night if opponents are planning to chal- lenge Knobel. Shane Macomber /smacomber@valltlally.com Vail Town Council members Greg Moffet and Kim Newbury listen to comments from the audience on the Crossroads proposal Tuesday In the Vail Town Council chambers. Council gave final approval to the proposal by a 43 vote, with both Moffet and Newbury approving the plan. Page A16 - Wednesday,. March 22, 2006 THE VAIL DAILY 970.949.0555 /vaildaily.com STEVE POPE Publisher, publisherCCvaildaily.com COMMENTARY DON ROGERS Managing Editor, editor @vaildaily.com A place to be proud of My wife, two children and I left the East Coast four and a half years ago in search of a permanent residence that would provide us with a quality of life that we could embrace and partici- pate in: great schools, recreation, communi- ty, culture, small -town character and health and safety. We found all of this in Vail. We built a home, PETER enrolled our children in school and looked KN OBEL forward to a slower- paced life in which we could make a difference. Not long after settling into our new life, we received a phone call from the owner of Crossroads asking if we were interested in purchasing the property. For Don't be late, and answer the phone I have two pet peeves. I with a group. An M View day, got there on Web site sets out appropriate mean serious ones. I have a lot appointment. An y time and showed ways for companies to interact of things that bother me. Yet assignment. Whatever. respect for others. I could go on, . with their customers, encour- there are two things that push It also means they have con- but you get the picture. I have no ages customers to rate these me over the edge. They are tar- sideration for someone besides tolerance whatsoever. experiences and publishes diness in general and automated themselves. It is my observation Then there's the automated secret codes for ways to "cut phone systems. that being late is a selfish act that phone mania that has overtaken through the automation" of I'll start shows the ultimate disrespect for American business. I'll start with over 400 companies. with the others and their time. the first question asked, "Do you The Center for Client Reten- lateness It says to others that my time want to continue in English ?" tion in New Jersey is quick to ICCII _. _ _[lf —.LII w. .. gli ' - acvxa.a -'S. —a V—.. "* - I A— M:. .a. A muwrn r+...r.f ....4 4...4 ..A... at least 20 years, many developers had tried to rede- velop this property. We purchased Crossroads and, in doing so, embarked on a journey that would become much more than a real estate investment. We took the responsibility of recreating the Crossroads site very seriously. My Our goal was to create a space that would revitalize the area con- necting our neighbors from east to west on Meadow Drive. To that extent, we assem- bled a team of local experts, as well as nationally recognized specialty- design firms, who collectively wanted to create a project that gave back to Vail by providing uses, spaces, amenities and entertainment opportunities thaf would help revitalize a core village economy. It soon became obvious that Crossroads had to be something special, something that would be much more than just a building. After examination of the town's goals for the village core, we decided that a public plaza was the appropriate instrument for meeting the View objectives of all. A large pub- lic plaza will open up the pedestrian area created by the intersection of Willow Bridge Road and East Meadow Drive. The plaza will be a haven for picnic lunches, numerous special events such as Street Beat concerts, and ice skating under the stars. From pop -jet fountains to benches con- structed from living plant material creating interesting and interactive art, from restau- rants to shops, to public art and a free ice skating rink, the design of the plaza is meant to attract locals and guests to Vail Village. It will be available to the public 365 days a year. A 10 -lane bowling alley, a three- screen movie theater and an arcade will provide much - needed entertainment for children of all ages. We will be very conscious of the materials we use throughout the project, from the residences to the retail buildings to the public plaza, with a primary empha- sis on using the elements of nature. Our goal is to be compatible with the existing beauty of the alpine architecture and envi- ronment of the village. It is my deep- seated respect for Vail's longtime residents and business owners, as well as the alpine mountain environ- ment, which serves as the foundation — in both design and use — for a revitalized Crossroads. See Knobel, page A18 THE VAIL DAILY 970.949.0555 /vai!dai!y.com WWW.VAILDAILY.COM On the Vail Daily Web site, you can comment on each story or editorial you read there. Here, in old- fashioned print, we publish excerpts of those comments: Re: Critic wants students to skip CSAP At 'last, people are beginning to speak out and stand up to the Eagle County School District! Maybe, if enough people continue to voice their opinions, our chil- dren will get the educations they deserve! My congrats go out to Mr. Harakal! Re: Quick, kill it before it can work Try running for office yourself, big- mouth Don. Most of us are too busy trying to make a living and pay taxes. Re: Quick, kill it before it can work Glenn Harakal lives in Eagle. As I recall, the Eagle school board seat was not open this past election. Secondly, I know Mr. Harakal has tried to work with the cur- rent school system. His young.teen is now succeeding in his education through a unique combination of homeschooling and attending college. His other child is still an ECSD student. Our kids don't have unlim- ited time for the adults to get things work- ing in our schools. They are young just once.... KNOBEL: Moving ahead From page A16 But Vail must move forward. This is a sentiment that I think we all share. In designing Solaris — the new name for the development at Vail's crossroads — we are striving for a project that, once completed, will be a place that all of Vail is proud of and enjoys daily. The design of Solaris will be timeless and the benefits unrivaled in all of Vail. The redevelopment of Crossroads was approved as a special development district Tuesday. The purpose of a special develop- ment district is to implement "creativity and flexibility." As a full -time resident of Vail, it is my desire that beginning with Tuesday's vote, we can move forward together to ensure the pulse of Vail only beats stronger as we bring families — guests and locals alike — back to North Ameri- ca's No. 1 resort community. I apologize that the Crossroads project has, in the past, focused more on the devel- oper than the project. It was never our intention for this to become such a turbu- lent and drawn -out process. Unfortunately, this is the nature. of the development process. It is often difficult for others to be able to see a developer's vision. If this were an easy, project to create, it would have been accomplished years ago. o f Our vision is to create not just a build- ing but a community center. Our next step is to meet with Vail's Design Review Board. During this process, you will be able to examine the multiple unique components of our project as they take shape. I want to thank my friends, my neigh- bors, fellow business owners and the town council for their input in creating Solaris. My colleagues and I will continue to field your questions or concerns. Feel free to call us at 479 -7566. Like the rays of the sun, Solaris will touch and be enjoyed by everyone. Peter Knobel is the principal of Cross- roads East One. Page AIS - Wednesday, March 22, 2006 WISDOM FROM THE WEB THE VAIL DAILY 970.949.0555 /vaildaily.com Friday, June 16, 2006 - Page A15 STEVE GALL 0M X4 I V T A R V DON ROGERS Publisher, publisher @vaildaily.com Managing Editor, editor @vaildaily.com Sizing up Crossroads election Size matters in the election July 11 over rebuilding Vail's Crossroads. The size of the building. The size of the inevitable rhetoric about the size. The ability of the electorate to put the opposi- tion's outsized gossip into perspective. That's pretty much the size of it. Let's start with the size that actually matters: the building itself. Take a look at the image to the right. The blue, red and green represent the rebuilt Crossroads (blue) and the now - under- construction Four Seasons (red) and Vail Plaza Hotel as viewed from the Frontage Road toward Vail Mountain. The tallest point is not on Crossroads. It is the Vail Plaza Hotel. The highest roofline is not Crossroads, either, but the Four Seasons. Crossroads is the widest, but it's also on the biggest property of the three neighbors. As for bulk, going by square feet per acre, you guessed it, Crossroads still is not the biggest of these three. So how does this all square with the rhetoric of the opposition? Where's the monstrous, abominable, huge, hulking, community- changing crazy structure the Old Guard aims to kill in its tracks? Look again. Take your time. The true plan does not exactly match the rhetoric, does it? If these folks had issues with "tall" buildings, where were they when the Vail Plaza and Four Seasons were approved? If they are so very concerned about "public benefits," why didn't they How neighborhood stacks up Frontage Road Elevation Comparison swasr Four Seasons Vail Plaza Crossroads demand any from the developers of the other two? The opponents complain that Cross- roads doesn't offer enough. But let's see. Public plaza, to handle the concerts that the Bridge Street merchants and hote- liers complain about bruising tulips and blocking their doors. An upscale bowl- ing alley, like the successful one in Eagle. And quite probably the only movie theater in Vail, when the Cascade closes. There's also this claim — a wild one completely at odds with history — that the Crossroads plan sailed right through Vail's Planning Commission and Town Council. In a word: Huh? The gantlet in reality ran for two long years and lots of concessions before developer Peter Knobel won approval from these bodies. And Vail will go through the time and cost of an election next, based on assertions with precious little factual merit. The alternative to the new Crossroads is the same, dilapidated one. Knobel does not threaten to leave the old Crossroads in place — as previous owners did while the eyesore aged. It just is. He sees no reason to go through the trouble for a building sub- stantially smaller than its neighbors, with the onus of providing benefits the others most assuredly do not. A particularly ugly clique among the Old Guard also is spreading gossip about the developer in a frankly depressing, below- the -belt personal attack. It's also rather desperate. If you can't compete with relevant facts, try to tarnish the person. Knobel, in addition to doing well in New York real estate and residential development, also ran a telcom company a dozen years ago that did business with pornographers. So did such companies as AT &T and others. The gossip is about as correct as the claims about the "monstrous" size of the building compared to its neighbors. There are no indictments pending, no investigations of criminal behavior. There's no there, there. In short, the opposition has made itself very, very small. And the gossipy subset has demeaned an entire community. We hope the voters have a somewhat higher perspective on Election Day. D.R. lVail IA Bringing Communities Together VailDaily.com 01ari wins in - land 11 0 de M 0 M Vail voters approve Crossroads renovation plan, which includes a movie theater, bowling alley, ice rink, shops and condos, despite arguments that the complex would be too big. SEE COMPLETE COVERAGE, A2 -4 Solaris developer Peter Knobel, left, is congratulated by Paul Ferzacca, executive chef and owner of La Tour, and his wife, Lourdes, Hartman le he talks his wife Tuesday in front of the restaurant in Vail Village after hearing the news that the Solaris project was overwhelmingly approved by voters in the special election. CROSSROADS SPECIAL ELECTION Yes: 1,110 No: 467 P TM . WALL STREET CLOSING DAA 11,134.77, +31.22 NASDAQ 2128.86, +11.93 COMMENTARY INDEX " I believe in God, Vol. XxVI, No. 28 and I believe in evolution. BUSINESS .........B17 It is faith in whatever we CLASSIFIEDS ........C1 COMICS ...........C39 believe that us COMMUNITY gives answers for our own CALENDAR .........Al2 FOOD & WINE .......B13 purpose." OUR WORLD ........A22 SPORTS ........... A27 Wisdom From the Web A15 Web, Phone: 94 E -mail: newBroom sroom@vaildaily.com f d Cas Sheridan Meadow Mountain Elementary A few showers High 69; low 41 See Weather, PAGE C40 WEDNESDAY, July 12, 2006 Page A2 - Wednesday, July 12, 2006 LOCAL &REGION THE VAIL DAILY 970.949.0555 / va Voters say `yes' to bowling, ice rink Crossroads renovation plans draw record turnout for a Vail election By Edward Stoner DAILY STAFF WRITER VAIL — Build Solaris, Vail vot- ers said overwhelmingly Tuesday. Voters approved the Crossroads proposal with 70 percent of voters casting ballots in favor. "I'm just ecstatic that so many people came out and voted either way for the project," said Solaris developer Peter Knobel. The election — with Cross- roads as the only item — had the highest turnout for any Vail munic- ipal election, with 1,577 voters, or 39 percent of the electorate. The proposal includes 69 condos, a three - screen movie the- ater, a 10 -lane bowling alley, an ice rink/public plaza, stores and restaurants. "I think it'll really bring energy back to Vail, and it'll give things for families to do," Knobel said. The proposal was first submit- ted to the town 23 months ago and was approved by the Town Council by a 4 -3 vote on March 21. But opponents gathered enough signa- tures to force a referendum on the proposal. Tuesday's vote upholds the council's decision. Demolition of the aging Cross- roads building, built in 1968, is supposed to start after next ski sea- son with completion of Solaris planned for summer 2009. "I think that it's my job now to build such a great project that the 467 people that voted against it say, `What's the big deal? "' Knobel said. `Better place' Supporters say the project will bring life back to Vail Village. Joe Curtes, a 15 -year Vail resident, said Solaris is going to be "insane." "It's going to make Vail a better place, a cooler place in the long run," he said. Councilman Mark Gordon, who voted in favor of Solaris, said he feels validated. "The people who have their fin- gers on the pulse of this town were the four who voted for Cross- roads," he said Greg Moffet, another council- man who voted for the proposal, said the vote confirms the results of the last election, which saw two opponents to Crossroads proposals — Diana Donovan and Dick Cleveland — voted out of office. Moffet said the implications of Tuesday's vote are limited to the Crossroads site and won't signifi- cantly affect other development in Vail. Councilman Kevin Foley voted against the Crossroads proposal in March, but he said he is excited for Knobel. "The citizens should always have the referendum process avail- able to them," he said. "The people have spoken." Some painted the two sides of the debates as "new Vail" vs. `old Vail." Some prominent opponents are longtime town residents con- sidered "Vail founders." Gordon said it's `old power structure" vs. "new power structure." But Kno- bel said he has supporters of all FOR MORE ON T uESDAY' S SPECIAL ELECTION, SEE PAGES A3 -4 WATCH THE NEWS See vaildaily.com for video footage of the celebration. ages. "It's a cross - section," he said. `Appreciable change' Opponents said the proposal was too big and too bulky and would hurt the village ambiance of Vail. They also said it will set a precedent for "overdevelopment" in Vail. Town Council meetings on the proposal were filled with people who spoke in favor and against the project. The council voted against the proposal last year, after which Knobel pulled his proposal off the table. He resubmitted it after the November election. In the last month, ads from both sides filled the Vail Daily, and multiple mail- ings were sent to Vail voters. Both sides have spent thousands on their campaigns. Elaine Kelton, one of the organ- izers of the petition drive to force the election, said Tuesday the vote will have wide implications for development in Vail. "I think you will see an appre- ciable change in the scale and size and what the expectation of devel- opers is in the future," Kelton said. She said Knobel ran a well- funded, well- orchestrated and well - marketed campaign. "This has been a campaign unlike any other campaign that's been run in Vail," she said. Andy Wiessner, another of the organizers of the petition drive, said he congratulates Knobel. He said he doesn't regret bringing for- ward the petition. "How can you regret bringing forward something that you thought was right ?" he said. In April, Wiessner said the peti- tioners turned in more than 550 signatures. About 380 were needed to force the vote. On Tuesday, 467 people voted against the project. No surprise I think that it's my job now to build such a great project that the 467 people that voted against it say, `What's the big deal ? "' Peter Knobel DEVELOPER when 555 people voted to fill a council seat. The previous record turnout for a regular Vail election was 1,356 voters, in 2005. "When the issues were out on the table, people from the demo- cratic point of view voted," Knobel said. "The process was great from my point of view." Three months ago, Knobel started polling Vail voters. Even before the numbers were released Tuesday night, Knobel said he knew he had about 850 "yes" votes with some 400 "unknown" votes. "We started three months ago polling people so we knew if they voted what the conclusion would be," Knobel said. Knobel has also pledged $4 mil- lion in street improvements, $1.1 million in public art, a publicly accessible loading dock and public restrooms. He must now get approval from the town's design board, work to finish building plans and apply fo building permits. The turnout almost triples the Staff Writer Edward Stoner number of voters who came out for be reached at 748 -2929 or the last special election, in 2004, er@vaildaily.com. Bret Hartman /bhartman@vaildaily.com Supporters of the Solaris project gather Tuesday at La Tour in Vail to celebrate voters passing the project. THE VAIL DAILY 970. 949.0555 /vaildaily.com Wed nesday, July 1 2, 20 06 - Page A3 R esiden t s turn out i force to vot Bowling alley popular among supporters; size main complaint of opponents By Edward Stoner, Brooke Bates and Nic Corbett DAILY STAFF WRITERS VAIL — A steady stream of residents came to the Vail Municipal Building to vote on the Crossroads proposal Tuesday. Bill Sulze said he voted in favor of the controversial project. "I just see the entire town being developed," he said.. "You look at Cross- roads and it looks like it needs to be done. And I want a bowling alley." But Claire Connors said the proposed building is too big. If residents vote against the project, Con- nors believes developer Peter Knobel will resubmit a smaller project, she said. "He's going to come back with another proposal, I would expect," she said. Knobel wants to build 69 condos, a three- screen movie theater, a 10 -lane bowling alley, a public plaza/ice rink, stores and restaurants on the Cross- roads site. The Tuesday townwide vote reconsidered the Town Council's approval of the project, called "Solaris," in -.. March. Katy Hughes said Tues- day she voted against the proposal because it's too big. Also, she doesn't think the amenities — such as the bowling alley — would remain in the building, even though any change would require approval from Town Council. "I raised a family here, and they are wonderful and productive people without having an arcade and a bowling alley," she said. Almost 1,000 people cast ballots in early voting, which ended Friday. There are 4,045 registered voters in Vail. `If you love Vail ... ' Stennor Dahlen was wearing a "Vote for Cross- roads" shirt and waving -another while dancing in front of the Municipal Building. Dahlen, a Vail resident who works at the Crossroads building, and his fellow employees were recruited by his boss to rally for the project, he said. "I want a bowling alley and a great movie theater," he said. "I hate going to Eagle to bowl." Tom Steinberg, a former Vail councilman and long- time town resident who organized the effort to force a vote on the project, was standing alone opposite the pro- Crossroads demonstra- tors. He held a sign that read, "If you love Vail, vote no." See Voters, page A4 IseN.... 1 Shane Macomber /smacomber @vaildaily.com Voters hit the polls to decide the fate of Crossroads Tuesday in Vail. M I raised a family here, and they are wonderful and productive people without having an arcade and a bowling alley." Katy Hughes 170 GROUSE COURT Offered at $569,000 Brandess- Cadmus Beal Estate, Inc. Located in the heart of Vail Village 281 Bridge Street, Vail (970) 476 -1450 • Denver Toll Free 893 -3101 .........t.___a ------ 1_.... ___ Sully Summer Styles — For Guys Too! r Consignment Clothing & More Open 10.6 M -F • 10.4 Sat &Sun • 827.4299 (Please, no drop-offs on Weekends) Located in Minturn on the Corner of Main & Toledo Shane Macomber/ smacomber@ vaildaily.com Opponents of the plan to renovate Vail's Crossroads building campaign outside Town Hall Tuesday. FOR EXTENDED COVERAGE OF TUESDAY'S SPECIAL ELECTION, SEE PAGES A2 AND A4 M I want a bowling alley and a great movie theater. I hate going to Eagle to bowl." • iTunes Digital Jukebox • VGA camera with 4x digital zoom, video capture & playback • Bluetooth wireless. synchronization Stennor Dahlen X cingular� VA"k%" Authorized Retailer 949 -6702 Mountain Communications Motorola SLVRV and electronics, inc. Dowd Business Center, Eagle -Vail Since 1878 see store for price ,' e BY Limited time offer. Other conditions and restrictions apply. See contract and rate We transfer Ufti;urr plan brochure for details. Up to $36 Activation fee applies. Phone price and avail- phonebook ability may vary y market. ITunes: The amount of music your Cingular Itunes numbers! phone can hold depends on the compression rate of your songs and the amount ALWAYS LOW PRICES of media stored on your phone. ©2006 Cingular Wireless All rights reserved. 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VAP7E9 M.D. BOARD CERTIFIED DERMATOLOGIST Over 30 Years of Experience in Medical, Surgical and Cosmetic Dermatology Offering Urgent Care for Acute Skin Disorders (970) 845 -7872 70 Benchmark Rd, Suite 203, Avon 926 -3811 • Next to Fiesta's M -F 9:30am- 5:30pm Sat. 9:30am- 4pm THE,VAIL DAILY 970.949.0555 /vaildaily.com Lawsuit changed to target anti = Crossroads rou g p Roost Lodge developer not satisfied with group's apology for mistake in campaign ads By Edward Stoner DAILY STAFF WRITER VAIL — The developer of the Roost Lodge has amended a lawsuit so an anti- Solaris "issue committee" and three Vail residents are named as defendants. Timberline Roost Lodge LLC names Friends of Vail Village as the defendant in addition to Solaris oppo- nents Andy Wiessner, Tom Steinberg and Joe Staufer. When it first fled its suit last week, Timberline Roost Lodge mistakenly named as the defendant a limited liabil- ity company, also called Friends of Vail Village, created by one of developer Peter Knobel's staff members. Kno- bel's plan to renovate the Crossroads building is called " Solaris." The amended lawsuit says Friends of Vail Village made false statements in its newspaper ads, mailings and on its Web site about the Roost Lodge proposal. The June newspaper ads said the Roost was proposed for seven stories, FOR EXTENDED COVERAGE OF TUESDAY'S SPECIAL ELECTION, SEE PAGES A2 -3 but the proposal has between one and four stories. The Web site said the pro- posal was eight stories tall, the lawsuit says. The Roost developer said it asked the defendants to stop publishing the statements that are false but that Friends of Vail Village continued to publish the statements. The suit says Wiessner, Steinberg and Staufer are leaders of the group. Friends of Vail Village opposes overdevelopment in Vail as well as the Solaris proposal. It says the "purported retraction was nothing more than another advertise- ment published by Friends of Vail Vil- lage to further its anti- development campaign, which is based on disinfor- mation and misrepresentations." The claims against the defendants exceed $100,000, the lawsuit says. Timberline Roost Lodge attorney Matt Ferguson said he believes the people who were disseminating false informa- tion would be liable. Delays in the Roost development that may be caused by the claims hurt his client, Ferguson said. "Their obvious intent by including the Roost Lodge was trying to foment opposition at the citizen and (planning and zoning) levels," Ferguson said. "Tine is money." Wiessner had no comment. Staufer said he didn't know about the lawsuit. Steinberg, who was named in the law- suit filed Friday, said last week that he had no comment. John Dunn, an Avon lawyer, said Tuesday that he has done work for Friends of Vail Village, but he hasn't seen the'lawsuit. An apology Friends of Vail Village published an apology in an advertisement in Friday's edition of the Vail Daily. _ "We regret our oversight, and apolo- gize to the Roost and its owner," the ad said. "We are re- publishing future ads and other campaign materials on the Crossroads project to delete any refer- ence to the Roost Lodge." Timberline Roost Lodge acknowl- edges the apology in its lawsuit. VOTERS: Vail residents break record From page A3 Other opponents would be joining him throughout the day, he said, and would also be calling voters reminding them to vote. He said he didn't know how the vote would turn out. "I've been through too many to pre- dict," he said. Steinberg said he was here for the birth of Vail, and he considers Vail a child. "If they want to reproduce it, they can reproduce it and live with the con- sequences," Steinberg said. `A few extra feet' Mike Mathias said he voted in favor of the project and that the positives out- weigh the negatives. "It seems it's a win - win -win situa- tion," he said. The bowling alley, the restaurants and the ice rink would attract people to Vail, he said. Plus, the circa 1968 build- ing needs to be redeveloped, he said. "They say aging," he said. "Boy, that really doesn't quite describe it It does need to be fixed up. And I'm not so personally concerned about a few extra inches or a few extra feet on its 524 -0503 • Across from Columbine Market M -F 9am -6pm Sat. 9am- 4pm p. The town has already approved similar projects, she said. It's wrong "to punish this one devel- opment because, oops, everybody went `I forgot to vote for the other two or maybe I should have stopped it before- hand,"' she said. height." Sandra Smith said she voted against the project. "I would love to have the amenities, but I'm also a little put off by the devel- oper saying it's this or nothing," she said. Smith said she would like to see one floor removed from the proposal. But she said she thinks the proposed build- ing will be approved by voters. Diana Honeykiss said the project will bring things for kids to do in Vail. Staff Writer Edward Stoner can be reached at 748 -2929 or estoner @vail- daily.com. Brooke Bates and Nic Cor- bett can be reached at vdeditintern @vaildaily.com. Steaks, Seafood and Wild Game LARGE SELECTION OF (TAME, HAND CUT STEAKS AND MUCH MORE... Potter douse • Filet Mignon - NY Strip Buffalo Ribeye • Elk Tenderloin - Duck Boar Sausage • Wild Game Grill Quail • Rack of Lamb • Ribs • Chicken Pastas - Wild Game • 1 /2 lb. Burgers & more... LARGE SELECTION OF SEAFOOD Soft Shell Crabs • Lobster Tails • Shrimp lting Crab • Crab Cakes - Salmon • Mahi Trout • Stuffed Sole • Rock Shrimp Calamari - Little Neck Clams • Clams Casino • Malpaque Oysters • Baked Oysters TODAY'S LUNCH SFECIAL Chicken Fried Steak or Chicken, Mashies & Veggies KIDS MENU AVAELABLE 926 -3613 Serving lunch & dinner daily llam -10pm Largest selection in the valley Shane Macomber/ smacomber@ vaildaily.com Supporters of the Solaris plan wear their trademark orange shirts outside Town Hall Tuesday. EDWARDS. CO THE VAIL DAILY 970.949.0555 /vaildaily.com STEVE GALL Publisher, publisher@vaildaily.com DON ROGERS Managing Editor, editor @vaildaily.com Out on a short, stout limb It's Monday, so I don't really know the results of the election — although I really do know. No, you're not con- fused. It actually is Wednesday as you read this, but due to my deadline, I'm writ- ing this column on Monday. So the reality is I don't know the election results, even KAYE though I do. And I'm FERRY sure we all celebrated - - – last night. But I'll wait until next week to do my Crossroads recap, when I have all of the facts and figures. In the meantime, on this Monday, I'm sure I'm safe in saying, "Con- gratulations, Peter." So this week, I'll catch up on a few items that have been on the back burner. I'll begin with Vail Village. If you M haven't gone in yet, please do so. It's been a pretty painful experience up until now, but finally the results of the tor- ture are starting to be evident, and it's real- ly quite amazing. Gore Creek Drive is particularly 'impressive. I know for many of us, it was difficult to envision exactly how the street was going to be leveled. At least it was for me. Now that it's done, it's hard to imagine why it wasn't this way from the beginning. It looks terrific and gives a whole new feel- ing to the street and way better access to the businesses. While you're there, stop in at Sweet Basil. The new layout is much bigger and quite sophisticated. It has a "city" feel, which I'm sure will help it maintain its his- torical position as a much - favored place to dine. View Then get over to Meadow Drive. One Willow Bridge is putting on the final touches. They took advantage of the new code changes that apply to exterior color, and I must say it looks great. There's stone and wood and green and gold. A major improvement! What a welcome relief from beige and tan and white and beige and tan and brown and more beige ... and white. Then there's the Sonnenalp. The final build -out of this magnificent hotel is truly great for Vail. Of course, the return of the Alpenrose. That too is a long- awaited event for a much- missed restaurant. But probably one. of the biggest sur- prises is the Crossroads Market. What a renovation, and the sandwiches are terrif- ic! Be sure to stop in for lunch and see the transformation. For me personally, I am also grateful for the return of the theaters. We need them Wednesday, Jul 12, 2006 - Page A1 until we get some new ones, and I'm excit- ed about the new format. They'll be show- ing first -run movies, but not on the first run. So if you miss a movie when it's released, you'll be able to catch it a month later. Additionally, they'll be showing clas- sics. And I'm putting my vote in for some foreign films. And finally, the Tivoli. The rooms are great, and you can't beat the location. Meeting rooms and a variety of other amenities make it worth the wait. So there you go. The village at least is moving along. And as for Lionshead, well, there's a long way to go. No doubt about it, it will be a show - stopper at some point, but at this stage you still have to have a good imagination. But at least they're making progress. And for some reason, the Arrabelle doesn't seem as big as I thought it would be. See Ferry, page A16 A happily `materialist' worldview By Eric Collier SPECIAL TO THE DAILY Why is the poor theory of evolution being so mercilessly flogged by the ayatollahs of intellectual regression in our society? Well, it may be because it's entirely false — that is, someone may eventually come up with an alternative paradigm to both evo- lution and creationism that is consistent with the evidence and is better than both. But creation- ist Elijahs like Bob Branden are not making the case and should better familiarize themselves with the theory, and science gen- erally, before flogging it. He repeatedly says "physi- cists" have shown conclusively that God created the universe fully formed. What physicists? Albert Einstein? Stephen Hawk- ing? Einstein did not believe in a personal god of the Judeo- Christ- ian type, and Hawking is an out- right atheist. There are varying degrees of faith among mainstream scien- tists, with much higher levels of atheism/skepticism in those ranks than among the general public. But all look for "material- ist" — that is, scientific — expla- nations for phenomena such as the existence of ordered matter and energy in the universe. That's simply their job, and we A owe them a huge debt for doing it. Certain memes and mantras have spread through the creation- ist community like brain - viruses, such as "the fossil record entirely discredits the theory of evolution." What- ever can they mean by that? Again, evolu- tion may turn out to be way off base, but for now it is beautifully consistent with the evidence, including the fossil record, which not only indicates the appearance of progressively larger, more complex, more "modern" organisms over time but has yielded many beautifully transitional fossils, such as (in phylogenic order) tiktaalik, feathered reptiles, archaeopteryx, and Homo habilis. Branden spouts the sopho- moric creationist parody of evo- theory that "purely by chance" atoms and molecules lined them- selves up in random configura- tions till they happily found themselves arranged into func- tional DNA. No, Bob, it didn't exactly hap- pen that way. Molecules will spontaneously combine into complex polymers — not purely by chance but according to cer- tain physical laws and con- straints. They do, for example, spontaneously form into amino acids, the building blocks of pro- teins, even in sterile outer space. Over enough time, there is no reason why they can't eventually form proto - biological entities that can make crude copies of themselves and further evolve from there. The point is that fully func- tioning organisms don't spring head and shoulders out of the primordial soup by completely random recombinations of mole- on here. Maybe we just need to Yup, proof positive start drilling our own oil wells and manufacture our own gas Amazing that the gas station across from the high school in Gypsum is $3.14, and the same gas station, Phillips 66, by the highway is $3.09. Pretty much the same in Eagle, too. It's just all over the place. $3.07 at the Conoco by the Justice Center, and whatever it is by the high- way. You can't tell me there's not price gouging and fixing going and keep it off the market. Still arguing For historical accuracy, the U.S. involvement in Vietnam, the Vietnam War, began in 1960, started by John E Kennedy, that liberal icon, when he turned a couple of hundred armed U.S. observers into something like cules starting entirely from scratch each time. It's a gradual, pro- gressive process wherein each new configuration builds on the "success" (whatev- er that consists of under the con- ditions of the environment) of the previous configuration. Yes, this as much theoretical as observational. In the same way that the models in which "irreducibly complex" organ- isms and pathways such as the blood - clotting system, which so baffle Branden and Belie, are theoretical. But very detailed and credible theoretical models exist, contrary to what Mr. Branden claims. Even Belie admits this. Check the blogs. Like the supposedly irre- ducibly complex eye, numerous examples exist in nature of sim- pler organisms that actually pos- sess and successfully utilize sim- pler forms of the blood- clotting system, with fewer parts, that Behe implies wouldn't work. Irreducibly complex systems do exist, but evolutionary biolo- gists have shown how they can in fact evolve through various means, such as "co- option," in which systems co -opt the use of an adjunct or adjacent system with a different function into use for the primary system, which so improves the performance of the primary system that the modifi- cation eventually becomes essen- tial to it. Again, a certain amount of this is "theoretical" — scientists have never denied that evolution is a theory — but there is a lot more evidence to back it up than there is to back up the creation - ist/intelligent - design alternative "theory," which seems to amount to: "This is just too complex for us to figure out. Ergo, God must have done it." Not much different from saying, "Well, uh ... it's magic." This is "science "? While evolution is just a "worldview "? Branden hails the work of Watson and Crick, who cracked the mystery of the structure of DNA. Watson and Crick were both atheists and evolutionists who pursued that mystery the same way Darwin pursued the mystery of biological diversity — like scientists. If they had abided by the revolutionary prin- ciples of "intelligent- design theo- ry," here's how it would most likely have gone down: Crick: "I say, Watson, this DNA thing is proving a bit much for me." Watson: "I concur, Crick. What say we just chalk it up to God and go have a Guinness ?" Now people with the same mindset seek to quash stem -cell research. Why? Two reasons: One, they seem to think that some amorphous, microscopic ball of cells possesses a humanity that equals or supercedes that of fully formed and suffering human beings. Second, they fear that the more we learn about the nature of life, and learn to use that knowledge, even to the ben- efit of humanity, the more God becomes marginalized. See Worldview, page A16 6,000 armed fighting advisers within the first thousand days of his presidency before he got shot, unfortunately. That's the way it is, from someone who was there and experienced it in real life.... Bigger the better I'm calling about the alpine slide in Beaver Creek. I think it's a great idea. I think they should run it all the way down Straw- berry Park and create the largest alpine slide in the country, or the world. We should go internation- al. Who cares what the home- owners think? ... They don't want the kind of resort where people might have fun and enjoy themselves.... 328 -Tips 0 What's on your mind? Call the Tipsline and share your insight or concern at 328 -8477. -s )No ut pROCIp� ;.� Ar kST! WISDOM FROM THE WEB WWW.VAILDAILY.COM On the Vail Daily Web site, you can comment on each story or editorial you read there. Here, in old- fashioned print, we publish excerpts of those comments: Re: Letters to the Editor To the woman who almost missed her flight at the Eagle County airport: Unless you've been living in a cave, you should know to arrive at any airport at least an hour before your flight, not 35 to 40 minutes. You say the airline never told you this? Every time you purchase a ticket there is always a note saying to arrive at least 90 minutes to two hours before your flight. Even at the lit- tle old Eagle County airport, you have to follow the rules. Do you really expect to roll into the parking lot and just walk onto the plane? Take some per- sonal responsibility for your actions, and stop blaming others. Call the airline if you have a beef. They operate their flights, not the airport. Better yet, get with the program, forgo some of your beauty sleep, and get to the airport just a wee bit earlier. Re: Hippies headed to northern Colorado forest The Rainbow Family is cele- brating the 35th anniversary of joining for peace in the state it all originated in, Colorado. We are people with jobs, family, homes, committed relationships, and some with no job, no food, no clean clothes. Bottom line, we celebrate one another for who we are, not who society wants us to be. We live on the land a lot cleaner than cities. We are resourceful, by using downed trees for construction See Web, page A17 Worldviews Send an essay on yours to editor@validally.com Page A16 - Wednesday, July 12, 2006 e mix 2 oppos M a our July Special. This luxuri body wrap removes toxins, cleansd softens and cools your skin. Enjoy #ull- body massage and a day pass t our "EXCLUSII Y" THE HOTS GS 1I�LPt) 704 E. Sixth! Spring``,, For lWorniation & Reservations CAVES'. . R CA THE VAIL DAILY 970.949.0555 /vaildaily.com FERRY From page A15 Which brings me to "LionsHead." I surely hope that our editor has spelled it with a capitol H, as I have written it. He and I have entered into a debate as to the correct spelling of the commercial core at the west end of the village. You know, the area of town that includes such things as the gondola. Now I'm not sure when the spelling was changed from Lionshead to " LionsHead." And furthermore, I don't know why. I just know it has. At least by a lot of people, but not by everyone. For example, the post office still officially uses the small "h" for addresses such as Lionshead Circle. But the town, which I would think would be the final arbiters in such matters, uses "Lions - Head" in all of its references to that area. This issue came up last week when I submitted a column with " LionsHead. It appeared in the paper as " Lionshead," so I e- mailed Managing Editor Don Rogers to ask who changed to spelling. He did it, and the explanation he gave eluded me — com- pletely — and still does. Apparently he views it as a marketing ploy that the Daily is not interested in. I'm not sure why the newspaper gets to make the call on the spelling of a very significant piece of town real estate. Perhaps someone can explain it to me. And lastly, a couple of heads -up: On July 18 the Town Council will be starting the discussion on the fate of the Lionshead (is it spelled right ?) parking structure. I have been asked to reserve judgment until I see what's on the table. And I will. Reserve judgment on the pro - posals.What I don't need any more time to consider is the process so far. It has been anything but open. So now it's up to us to make sure that the next steps include public input — and of course we know there'll be debate. But better that than a fast track that leaves us all without a say, which is what it's been so far. Always makes me wonder who's up to what and why. And then on July 24 the Planning and Environmental Commission will be mak- ing a decision on a new "hazard" regula- tion concerning wildfire zones. I'll do more next week, but this could affect your property values, insurance rates and con- struction costs. It's definitely worth paying attention to. Do your part: Call them and write them. To contact the Town Council, call 479- 1860, ext. 8, or e-mail towncouncil@vail- gov.com. To contact Vail Resorts, call 476- 5601 or e-mail vailinfo @vailresorts.com. For past columns, go to vaildaily.com and click on "Columnists" or search for key- word "ferry." Kaye Ferry is a longtime observer of Vail government. She writes a weekly col- umn for the Daily. WORLDVIEW From page A15 Dr. Branden sprays venom on the "materialist" worldview. Got a flash for you, Bob. We all have a materialist world - view. Well, all except for true ascetics who repudiate all the benefits of science, tech- nology and civilization itself and live in caves; and who truly, to their core, scorn all apprehension of death. Darwin was not an atheist who set out to overturn the Christ- ian worldview. Neither was Galileo, New- 1 ton, Lyell or Rutherford, or any number of other movers and shakers. He was a scien- tist who in the best tradition of science set out to follow the evidence wherever it led. It led to the best and most illuminating the- ory we have for the diversity ,of life on Earth. You may hate it. You don't have to believe it. Most Americans apparently don't. But they may have to live with it. Contrary to another creationist myth, sci- entists are not abandoning the theory in droves. Every day seems to turn up more scientific evidence in its favor. Eric Collier lives in Silverthorne. 1 Learn about the proposed Nome Rule Charter for Eagle County. Last November, Eagle County voters elected 11 repre- sentatives to the Home Rule Charter "Commission. After six months of work, the commission has com- pleted its recommendations and draft charter. Over the next 60 days the commission will hold five informational meetings across Eagle County. We invite you to join members of the commission to learn about the draft charter and offer your comments prior to finalizing the charter for a countywide vote on November 7, 2006. Thursday June 8 6 -8 PM Eagle Building Thursday June 15 6 -8 PM Singletree Community Center Thursday June 29 6 -8 PM Avon Town Hall Thursday July 13 6 -8 PM Vail Town Hall For more in -depth information visit.• www.eaglehomerule.org THE VAIL DAILY 970. 949.0555 vaildaily.co Thursday, March 4, 2010 A3 Solaris seen as big bus iness generator Movie theater, bowling alley and public plaza seem to make size OK By Lauren Glendenning LGLENDENNING @VAILDAILY.COM VAIL — As the Solaris develop- ment takes shape on Meadow Dri- ve, local business owners and pedestrians are generally excited about what the building will bring to Vail. Many say the project is big some call it massive, but the overall con- sensus is that the public benefits are greater than the building's size. Mike French, a salesman at the Bag and Pack Shop, directly across Meadow Drive from Solaris, said Solaris will hopefully revitalize the neighborhood. "These businesses are going to do a lot better," French said. "Hopefully this will be Vail's new central hub' French's coworker, Clay Wal- berg, agrees that the project will energize the area, but he thinks it's just too large. "It's kind of a gigantic eye sore," Walberg said. "We used to be able to see mountain (outside the win- dow), now we see building" ` That said, he likes what the proj- ect is bringing to town — a bowling alley, movie theaters, a public plaza and ice rink- That's exactly what Craig Cohn, the project's sales director, tells people who say it's too big — that the project couldn't have provided the amenities it's providing with- out its size. Cohn revealed several retailers set to move into Solaris Wednes- day, including Betteridge Jewelers, Alpine Bank, Vail Fine Art Gallery, American Design Galley, Slifer Real Estate, Generation Vail (a kids' ski apparel shop), and of course, the bowling alley and movie theater. Cohn said he is excited about the quality of the building and is happy people can see it now. "The materials used on this building are the highest quality for a commercial building;' he said. "I'm hearing very positive respons- es' Bryan Hutchinson, the owner of Pazzo's Pizzeria, also right across from Solaris, is thrilled about the upcoming opening. He said he and his wife voted for the project and can't wait for the public benefits. 'HOPEFULLY THIS WILL BE VAIL'S NEW CENTRAL HUB: Mike French Neighboring business employee He's raising his children in Vail and is excited there will be things like a bowling alley, ice rink and movie theater right in town. "It's awesome — it's going to be beautiful," Hutchinson said. "I felt we really needed something to do here in Vail:' Hutchinson has high hopes the public plaza area will be the new draw in Vail, bringing people to the neighborhood and, of course, into his business. He's already enjoyed some benefits during the construc- tion process — workers have been eating in his restaurant almost dai- ly throughout the construction. He thinks Solaris could be the new place for outdoor concerts, too. It's the perfect venue, he said. "This is going to be good for the town" Hutchinson said. Aaron and Brit Savage were sit- ting in front of Solaris Wednesday afternoon — the couple is in town from Ohio, and Aaron Savage has been coming to Vail since 1973. They knew the project had to be done, because redeveloping the Crossroads area was necessary, but they agree the building is too tall. "We think it blocks the views of the mountains;' Brit Savage said. Mason Davey, who works at Eye Pieces of Vail, across from Solaris, thinks the building is looking beautiful. What's also beautiful is the business Davey thinks it will bring to Eye Pieces and other busi- nesses nearby. "I think it's coming along great" he said. "I voted for it in the elec- tion:' As Janis Von Rueden walked by Solaris Wednesday with her daughter, the two commented on the building's beauty, too. Von Rueden, from Littleton, said her family used to own a condo just across the street. "I think it looks gorgeous," she said. Steve and Liz Virion, owners of La Bottega, which is down the block from Solaris, are excited about the vitality in the neighbor- hood. Liz Vuion thinks Solaris and the Four Seasons will make Mead- ow Drive the "Fifth Avenue of Vail :' Across the street at Due Luca Bruno, a designer clothing store, owner Luca Bruno is just happy the construction will soon be over and that Vail can get back to busi- ness. "I think it's positive for every- body," Bruno said. "It's time to bring back the economy" Community Editor Lauren Glen- denning can be reached at 970- 748 -2983 or Iglendenning@ vaildaily.com. LAUREN GLENDENNING I Iglendenning @vaildaily.com Solaris, a development that Vail voters approved, is starting to come together in Vail Village. The project is set to open in July, and locals are excited about the movie theater, bowling alley and public plaza the project is adding to town.