From groundbreakings to elections: The 2021 Town of Vail year in review

The Town of Vail this week issued the following press release on its 2021 year in review:

Groundbreakings, ribbon cuttings, new initiatives and an election highlighted the year in 2021 as the town transitioned to varying degrees of state and county public health orders as the community worked to help keep Vail safe and open for the winter season while grappling with the personal impacts of living with COVID-19.

Vail’s economic resiliency continued to exceed expectations as the town welcomed back the GoPro Mountain Games and other special events throughout the summer and fall as restrictions were rolled back to a more typical format. Together, these efforts helped stimulate record sales tax collections for much of the year.

Celebrations recognized significant community milestones with the opening of the new $3 million Children’s Garden of Learning facility which made way for ground to be broken to build homes for as many as 200 year-round and seasonal residents with construction of The Residences at Main Vail. A public financing model was used to leverage record low interest rates for the housing development with construction to be completed in summer 2023.

Voters turned out in record numbers for the November coordinated Municipal Election to seat four Town Council members and approve a half-cent sales tax increase that provides a permanent funding source for housing for the next 30 years. During the leadership transition, Kim Langmaid became only the second woman in Vail’s history to become mayor, while Dave Chapin was recognized for finishing out his third term as mayor.

Vail’s legacy of environmental sustainability and innovation took hold with introduction of a pilot program to improve loading and delivery operations in Vail Village through use of electric carts and underground delivery bays. The community also welcomed its first electric buses on the way to transitioning to a clean energy fleet by the year 2032.

Looking to the future, adoption of the West Vail Master Plan set in motion a series of actions that will be used to retain and expand housing opportunities for full-time residents and improvements to the commercial core area as well as transportation and mobility functions. Plans to reactivate implementation of the Civic Area Plan were approved as the town set out to solicit partnership ideas from development partners to redevelop town-owned properties in the heart of Vail.

As the year was coming to an end, a spike in local COVID-19 cases caused Eagle County to impose an indoor mask mandate just as the community was preparing to offer its best holiday experience possible. “Be kind and be patient” was the message of the day as guests and locals experienced the many challenges associated with the impacts of COVID-19.

Examples of these and other activities attributed to the Town Council, staff and members of the community are detailed here.Click here for more information