Should the Town of Brighton Be Liable for Solitude’s Loss in Land Value? YES!
Updated 10/21/25
I didn’t notice this until I listened to this for the second time. At the 10/15/25 Brighton Planning Commission meeting, Amber Broadaway, GM of Solitude Mountain Resort, stated:
“I think you should make sure you understand what the risks are in downgrading and downzoning privately held lands. If those no longer have the value they had at the time of acquisition, what are the liabilities related to that?”
Amber seems to be suggesting that the Town of Brighton may be liable for the diminished value of the Old Stage Road property. After all, Solitude purchased the land for somewhere around $1.5 million, and now it will be worth significantly less due to the Town’s zoning changes and exclusion from Solitude’s Ski Resort boundary map.
Let’s play this out:
Suppose the zoning change diminishes the land value by 98%, making it worth only $30,000 on the open market. That creates a loss of $1,470,000 in value for Solitude. Could Solitude attempt to sue the town to recover their loss in the Old Stage Road land value? Yes, probably, but I don’t think we should let that happen.
The Town of Brighton should do the right thing and take full responsibility for Solitude’s loss. We do this by reimbursing them the entire $1.5 million they invested in the purchase of the property, before the town’s downgrading and downzoning of the land.
In return, the town becomes the new owner of the commercially worthless Old Stage Road property. What should we do with the land? Simple: place it into a permanent conservation easement and turn it into a public park for Brighton residents and visitors.
The town currently has over $6.6 million in our Public Treasurer’s Investment Fund. Spending $1.5 million to secure this property for public use is a sound investment in my book. Of course, public input and due diligence are needed, but this represents the most practical and constructive plan I’ve seen so far.
This approach:
- Provides a graceful exit strategy and PR boost for Solitude
- Prevents future parking lot development
- Uses public funds responsibly
- Avoids costly litigation
It’s a win-win-win. We step up and do right by our partners at Solitude, the town avoids potential litigation, and the residents of Brighton have their interest in preservation of the property locked up forever.
Let’s start the process now!
Click here to go to Old Stage Parking Lot Essay.