The expansion plans have been reduced to 72-30 units of accommodation, according to Summit County Community Development Director Peter Burns.
“What you allow on the East Side is a ‘cluster bonus’ plot. This is under existing zoning regulations,” Burns said in KPCW’s “Local News Hour.”
The Summit County Council created a cluster bonus incentive in 2008 to protect its farming operations as the East Side grows.
This area is zoned at 1 unit per 40 acres, and Blue Sky Ranch can build 30 units – otherwise it’s twice the number allowed – 541 acres for agriculture Over 80% of the lot is set aside.
The county would have been allowed to deny the Blue Sky Rezone needed for 72 new guesthouses or suites.
However, 30 units are compliant with existing zoning, so the commissioner must approve it as long as the resort can adequately reduce the negative effects. The Planning Commission, not the county council, will have the final vote, but it is not currently on Thursday’s agenda.
Burns said at a November 2024 meeting that there was “something like a public protest” at the meeting where Blue Sky debuted its expansion plan.
About 12 residents of the Wanship area opposed the expansion, saying the area needed to be maintained as a rural area. Blue Sky owner Mike Phillips said his goals minimized the impact on the “rural nature” of the area.
In addition to the reduced density, Burns said the proposal “does not have any new amenities.”
