County moves ahead on Droste purchase

The Pitkin County Commissioners on Wednesday finalized a $500,000 contract to purchase 108 acres of land from the Droste family. The contract is the first phase of a three-part, $18 million agreement that will ultimately see the county control 742 acres of land between Brush Creek and Owl Creek for open space purposes. The first phase also includes an equestrian easement along the floor of the Brush Creek valley that will allow for a horse trail between Cozy Point Ranch and the rodeo grounds in Snowmass Village. The 108-acre parcel on the ridge will create a swath of public land on the ridge above Shale Bluffs. The "airport parcel," which is expected to be in public hands by September 18, is between the Cozy Point South open space at the bottom of the Brush Creek valley, and the public land controlled by the airport at the bottom of the Owl Creek valley. The photo above shows some of the Cozy Point South property above Shale Bluffs and Highway 82. It also shows a portion of the undeveloped Droste ridge, with its several conical landforms, stretching toward Snowmass Village.