Insigniaresidential - FSBO

FRISCO - The Town of Frisco recently launched a free Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) internet hot spot to serve citizens, business owners and guests at the Frisco Historic Park and Museum, located at 2nd and Main streets.

Now, people can “relax in the gazebo or in the picnic area at the Historic Park at the same time you are working on the internet,” said Town Clerk Deborah Wohlmuth who managed the installation of the new service.

The town has offered wireless internet service since 2004 at Town Hall and the Frisco Copper Information Center, she added. Also, Wi-Fi will be coming soon to the Frisco Bay Marina.

SUMMIT COUNTY - A county plan to rezone several hundred mining claims in the Snake River and Tenmile basins would result in new rules on development of backcountry parcels, including limits on house sizes and changes to road standards.

Based on master plan language that emphasizes preservation of the rural, natural characteristics of the backcountry, the county wants to reclassify 275 properties in the Snake River Basin and 66 properties in the Tenmile Basin into a backcountry zone.

The proposal is up for a public hearing May 7 in front of the countwide planning commission. Since a large number parcels, totaling 3,615 acres, is up for rezoning, the application is being processed as a “quasi-legislative” action, with multiple public hearings scheduled. At the same time, the planning commission will consider changes to backcountry zone district regulations that are related to the rezoning move. Based on public feedback from a previous Snake River planning commission meeting, county planners will revisit the proposal to specifically address concerns of a few property owners who said their parcels shouldn’t be subject to the new rules.

The backcountry zoning district is determined by several characteristics, including:

• a rural, undeveloped characteristic;

• a lack of improved or maintained roads;

• a distance from major roadways and exisiting infrastructure;

• environmental constraints (wetlands, steep slopes and tundra); and

• visually sensitive areas (prominent ridgelines, hillsides or viewsheds).

Several long-time residents and property owners in the Snake River Basin characterized the proposal as a down-zoning that would diminish their property rights and lessen the value of their land. The rezoning would apply similar development rules already in effect in the Upper Blue Basin. In conjunction with a transfer of development rights (TDR) program, the Upper Blue backcountry zoning has helped steer development toward areas deemed for suitable, with existing access and infrastructure. The house-size limit on backcountry parcels drew the most criticism during the Snake River planning commission meeting, with several property owners claiming that the restrictions aren’t realistic. Under the rules, a property owner with a two-acre parcel could build a 750 square-foot cabin. On a five-acre parcel, an owner could build a 900 square-foot cabin. The square footage increased with the size of the parcel, up to a maximum of 2,400 square feet.

Property owners can assemble several parcels to reach that maximum size, and the land doesn’t have to be contiguous. In other words, a person could own several scattered parcels totaling 35 acres, and use the development rights to build the maximum-size house on one of them. The developments rights would be extinguished on the other parcels.

When it comes to Denver’s real estate market, there’s no sugarcoating things: It ain’t pretty out there.

For the past year or so, sellers have been in a wide-eyed state of emergency, struggling to get the prices they want—if they’ve been able to unload their properties at all. Buyers have found some good deals, but they’ve often been left wondering if having a little more patience could’ve gotten them a better one. And those not in the market are agonizing over when and how to finally pull the trigger. It’s enough to make a homeowner more than queasy.

It’s not just a feeling of unease—the numbers don’t lie. In March, a federal housing report said that home prices in Denver and Aurora appreciated 1.3 percent in the last three months of 2006, the lowest quarterly rate since 1990. The same study reported that homes in this market had appreciated a mere 16.8 percent over the past five years, compared with a national rate of 55.2 percent. The recent nationwide numbers aren’t so hot either, with new homes sales down 17.3 percent in 2006.

Summit County -2006 was yet another record year in real estate sales (dollar volume) in Summit County and the market remains incredibly strong. The dollar volume of sales in Summit County rose 11%; the market continues to hold with amazing strength and new high prices are showing up on every new listing.

The market is driven upwards due to a massive lack of supply right now. Sellers are bullish and holding on to their investments. As of the New Year, there are a total of 620 residential listings in all of Summit County (237 in Breckenridge & Blue River). Without previous logged statistics, this very well could be a record low number of listings. Today, there are 645 listings in the county (278 in Breckenridge). An amazing search came to me mid-March when I saw only 11 total listings in Silverthorne under $540,000. There are usually 90 or more listings in that price range.

For about two years, Breckenridge saw an average appreciation of 15% - 25%. Keystone, Frisco, Silverthorne saw 10% - 15%. The market has changed a small amount this year, and the lower end of the valley seems to have really tightened up more than Breckridge. I wouldn’t be surprised to see 15% growth in Breckridge this year and 15% - 20% in the rest of the county (10% in Copper). Only time will tell and the busy summer season is coming.

FRISCO —The Town of Frisco has completed a survey of public and private property within Town limits to identify pine beetle infested trees. More than 1,501 trees have been marked with a circle of red paint indicating that homeowners must remove the trees from their property. Letters were sent in October 2006 to notify homeowners about the trees that must be cut down and removed by May 18.

Stopping the beetles’ lifecycle will prevent them from infesting more trees and producing another brood. Infested trees cannot be saved from the damaging effects and need to be removed. Felling the tree, emoving the tree from the area, peeling the bark or chipping the tree is the best method of control.

The Town has started cutting and removing more than 700 trees on town-owned land and rights-of-way. In total, there are 1,989 “hit” trees in Frisco that need to be removed by homeowners and the Town of Frisco. The fall 2006 survey of pine beetle trees in Frisco shows nearly 2,000 trees affected compared to 745 trees hit in the 2005 survey. This increase in hit trees follows the pine beetle pattern of close to a three to one increase year to year if diseased trees are not treated or removed.

Public Works Assistant Director Rick Higgins advises that spraying lodge pole pine trees for the pine beetle is an effective way to save trees that are still healthy. “We are finding that small diameter trees are now being hit by the pine beetle, so spraying even the smaller trees is advisable. In other words, homeowners should contact tree services and spray any trees that have a high value on their property, in order to save them,” added Higgins.

Attempts to control previous Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic in this area relied heavily on chemical treatment. Because the use of chemicals was controversial then and probably more so today, it is unlikely that the widespread use of chemicals for MPB control will be repeated.

Treating infested trees in high value areas is justifiable and should reduce future losses to the beetle. There is no guarantee that MPB will not infest trees in your area. Non-infested but “at risk” trees can be protected by preventative spraying, following the removal of the infested trees. Initial attacks on most pine species occur at about eye level and trees immediately surrounding infestations are at higher risk of becoming attacked.

Following are some facts about the Mountain Pine Beetle (MPB):

•Trees infested with MPB cannot be saved. The usually die and turn red within one year.
•Infested trees must be cut and treated to prevent the spread of MPB.
•Leaving infested trees untreated will result in more trees being infested the following year.
•Trees infested in the late summer or fall should be treated by the following June.

Methods of treatment include:

•Peeling the bark
•Chipping the tree
•Remove wood to a site where there are no pine trees within two miles.
•Burn or scorch the logs; wood does not need to be burned completely.

Spraying of non-infested trees:

•Spray is applied to the trunk only.
•Apply spray up to 20 to 40 feet.
•Apply spray annually between May 1 and July 1 for best results.
•MPB have a one year life cycle – starts in mid to late summer and lasts until early September.
•New adults fly from July through early September and lay eggs in a new host tree.
•Eggs hatch into larva in late summer or fall and then mature into adults in mid to later summer.
•MPB favor larger diameter, low vigor trees (80 years and olders and larger than 7” in diameter. However, there is evidence that MPB is attacking younger and smaller trees.
•Visibile signs of infestation include pitch tubes and boring dust around the base of the tree.

Homeowners are urged to check the local newspaper and the Yellow Pages for tree service contractors.

For more information please call Frisco Public Works at 970-668-0836.

CONIFER — A woman checking on her barking dog was attacked by a small bear, and wildlife officials Monday followed tracks and killed a bear.

The 38-year-old woman suffered non-life threatening injuries after the encounter early Monday, officials with the Division of Wildlife said in a statement.

Food placed in snow banks during a power outage and unsecured garbage cans in a shed may have attracted the bear, DOW officials said. The woman’s 10-year-old daughter witnessed the attack and estimated the bear at about 50 to 60 pounds.

A wildlife official followed tracks leading away from the home and encountered three bears. One of the bears charged the officer who drew a firearm and shot the animal. It was unclear whether the bear shot by the officer was the same bear that attacked the woman, whose name has not been released. Traps were set for the additional bears and testing and necropsy will be performed on the dead bear.

Bears have been sighted in many Mt. Vernon Canyon neighborhoods this summer— Riva Chase, Lininger Mountain, Genesee, Genesee Park Ridge, Panorama Estates, Paradise Hills, Cody Park, Mt. Vernon, Moss Rock and Rainbow Hills.