A new Colorado development set to open later this year will keep its residents in the dark.
Summit Sky Ranch in Silverthorne, Colo., is the first community in central Colorado designed to meet the requirements of the International Dark-Sky Association’s Dark-Sky Community designation. With the use of thoughtful and minimal outdoor lighting, the development will cut down on light pollution, allowing residents and visitors a better view of the night sky. After Summit Sky Ranch’s lighting standards were adopted, the town of Silverthorne’s lighting code was also updated to ensure that new projects utilize lighting that is not visible outside of the property boundary and that light sources are shielded and downcast.
Located in a deep valley and surrounded by groves of aspen trees, the site is shielded from ambient light and wind, says developer Tom Everist. This location, combined with carefully chosen lighting products, will make for ideal stargazing opportunities. “By using only downcast, shielded, and minimal lighting throughout the community, we will preserve the darkness and accentuate the incredible nuances in the night sky,” he says.
Clubhouse rendering
When completed, the community will be home to a state-of-the-art observatory with a 20-inch refractor telescope that can be used by professionals and students, and enjoyed by residents via live stream at the development’s community center.
At buildout the community will encompass 240 single-family homes on 416 acres, maintaining 60 percent open space bordered by a historic working ranch to the north and White River National Forest to the west. The collection of three- to five-bedroom mountain modern homes range between 1,550 square feet to almost 4,000 square feet and start in the $600,000 range. The community’s first homes will be completed this winter.
Summit Sky Ranch’s outdoor activities and family-centered amenities will include a 20-acre lake, a boat house with kayaks and paddleboards, miles of trails, an outdoor pool, private fishing spots, and a 20-acre community park. Sales at the new community, the largest in the county, have been brisk, says Realtor Tricia McCaffrey Hyon, vice president of sales for IMI Mountain Region. To continue selling during the typically slower winter months, sales associates have been resourceful, leading prospects on tours via snowshoe when necessary.
“Despite coming out of a time of year that is typically slower for mountain real estate sales, coupled with heavy snowfall that makes property tours a challenge, we are thrilled with the pace of activity at Summit Sky Ranch,” she says. “Summit Sky Ranch attracts outdoor enthusiasts, and true to form, our buyers have been willing and eager to tour the community by snowshoe with us. Their excitement is contagious, and certainly mirrors the rate at which buyers are signing new contracts.”
