Estes has been changing for 150 years.
We’ve built buildings, changed the water flow, carved out roads, initiated services and activities, erected water plants, rebuilt buildings that fell apart or burned up, remodeled, rezoned, added roundabouts, and Wonderview, and the Loop, and the Riverwalk, and much more.
In time, corrosion and erosion creates the need for removal or replacement. Buildings from the 1800s aged and fell apart and new ones arose. Buildings and pipes and water tanks from the 1900s, same deal.
And a national park opened right beside us.
All the while the mountains stood silent, while Estes became a hub of human activity. The forests have been reshaped by fires, mudslides, insects, weather, and human activity, but they still surround us with green. The rivers cascade to and meander through town.
Estes will change again.
While the pace of new building seems slow, change will continue. We’ll see a new water plant, the film center, a new sanitation facility, the fate of the Middle School, and more housing where it’s permitted and where it fits.
And the people change.
We’re a completely different group than those who were here 100 years ago. We’re the ones now entrusted to keep the quality, character, and beauty of this incredible valley. In 100 years, a completely new group will carry on the work to preserve, protect, and alter.
Certain sites have such a history, footprint, and resonance: They are our cornerstones. Some are large lodges that were —and maybe still are — hubs of all manner of activity.
The Stanley is the most prominent of these; it continues to evolve.
There’s Taharaa, the gem on the south side. Thad and Sandra have done a wonderful job of rejuvenating that spot, making it a place for events, meetings, dinners, lodging. It’s nice to see that beautiful venue as it becomes lively.
Mary’s Lake Lodge has a long history, though it’s been lower key since the last fire a few years ago. Perhaps we’ll see activity soon that will bring that back into the fold as a cornerstone.
The Elkhorn Lodge renovation project has stretched out for some time. The new rooms, when they’re generating income, will help finance the work on the old lodge. I think we’re all eager to see the lodge restored, with all due respect to its historical appearance, while recognizing the need for some upgrades.
Estes Park is noted for resisting change. Things can become contentious when a developer wants to build new or modify the old.
There are many reasons for the pushback: concerns about overcrowding an area or blocking established views, erasing historical value, childhood memories, belief that builders or the Town are “only it for the money,” or opinion that a change doesn’t fit the character of Estes or that it disturbs our ecology.
A recent example is Crags Lodge. A couple who has done some remarkable developments elsewhere in the world is now focusing on turning Crags into an attractive, modern cornerstone on the hill overlooking Moraine and downtown.
Some feel that preservation of certain features is fundamentally important. Will developers respect our Estes history? Will they preserve as well as refresh?
I understand the sentiment but I also recommend looking at the works that this couple, John and Melanie McCallen, has done in their other investments.
They’ve created some impressive, lasting developments, and added to the culture of the places where they’ve built.
Our cornerstones are part of our history, but they will change. We should welcome those who come in with the energy and vision, proven track record, and financing. Let the future come to us.
Yes, we can suggest preservation of certain elements and help them shape it. Perhaps preservation is possible; perhaps it’s unreasonable. Most important is that they create a new, beautiful, inviting chapter in the Crags Lodge history.
Welcome them with Estes warmth.
The ruins of old castles throughout Europe are amazing, but Estes is alive, and vibrant, and multidimensional. We don’t want ruins and dilapidation.
From what I’ve seen, the Crags redevelopment will get us a new, strong castle on the hill, replacing the antiquarian piece. From what I’ve seen, Crags Lodge will represent the character of Estes of this century.
Change does not mean degradation. Life is an ongoing adventure of change. One hundred years, one thousand years from now, and longer, those mountains will still surround what we build now and in the future.