Breckenridge Real Estate Blog

Summit County, Colorado real estate surrounds the popular Breckenridge Ski Resort.  Its Upper Blue Basin extends through and around Breckenridge real estate and Blue River real estate.  Upper Blue’s 80,400 acres extend from Lake Dillon CO real estate to the Hoosier Pass—a region known for tremendous natural assets and recreational opportunities.  Within the Upper Blue Basin, the primary areas of real estate development are in the towns of Breckenridge and Blue River.

However, within the vast expanses of the Upper Blue Basin with its White River National Forest, there are about 500 private, patented mining claims.  If these claims were to be developed, the natural ecosystem and the aesthetics of the region would be affected.  That could in turn affect the recreational tourism.  In an effort to find a win/win solution for the owners and concerned citizens alike, during the 1990s a Transferable Development Rights (TDR) project began.

In a nutshell, there are TDR Sending Areas and TDR Receiving Areas.  Sending areas are located in the backcountry.  Receiving areas are located in the valley floor, primarily in Breckenridge since Blue River is all residential.  A series of joint master plans and intergovernmental agreements between the Town of Breckenridge, the Town of Blue River, and Summit County, through the Upper blue Basin TDR Committee has made it possible for any of the owners of the 500 mining claims to go to the “TDR Bank” and trade for developmental rights in a receiving area.  Developers are other key players in helping to keep the back full of developmental rights ($30,000 per right).

Maybe the cooperative spirit of a long list of agencies and individuals is the real gold mine in Summit County.  The model being implemented was so carefully and organically designed that it is working.  With the goal of preserving the rural backcountry areas of the Upper Blue Basin, the TDR project in the Upper Blue Basin to this date has saved approximately 1,000 acres from development.  Though our four TDR areas—Upper Blue, Lower Blue, Ten Mile and Snake River—are continually looking at ways to fairly preserve the backcountry, the Upper Blue Basin TDR program is cited in the Smart Growth Hall of Fame as an example for good planning decisions in Colorado.

As time goes on, the TDR project has been evolving.  With Summit County as the common denominator, the four basins may be able to trade amongst each other if they can find greater consistency between one another.  The new countywide Comprehensive Plan also supports a countywide TDR program.

Apparently, not all TDR programs have reached the levels of cooperation between so many individuals and agencies as the Upper Blue Basin.  Our hats go off to all who are bending their branches to ensure the protection of our backcountry areas through equitable and creative solutions for all parties.

For information about real estate in the Upper Blue Basin, contact Rick Allemang at (970) 547-1002.