Record voter turnout delivered developer Bobby Ginn a decisive victory for his planned private ski and golf resort above Minturn.
A record 367 voters cast ballots in Tuesday’s special election, and 87 percent supported the Minturn Town Council’s decision in February to annex the Ginn project.
Ginn, a developer of several luxury golf resorts in Florida and the southeast, plans 1,700 homes in three villages, a 1,200-acre private ski hill and a golf course on 5,300 acres above Minturn that he bought in 2004 for $32.75 million.
He requested that the town annex his Battle Mountain property. In exchange, Ginn promised $180 million in benefits to the town, including ski passes, a new community center, a bike trail, parks and a water-treatment plant.
After three years of negotiations over 19 meetings, the Minturn Town Council in February unanimously approved Ginn’s annexation request with several conditions, which included employee housing, traffic restrictions, mine cleanup and wildlife protection.
A group of local residents pushed the vote, arguing that the town’s 1,000 residents needed a voice in the annexation decision.
