Pitkin County Buys the Droste Family Land as Public Open Space, ADN

“This is really a capstone project and acquisition for the county,” Pitkin County Commissioner George Newman said recently. “There have been other great projects over the years. But for what it offers to the community, this is as great an achievement as we’ve ever had.”

ASPEN REAL ESTATE - After more than decade-long fight over the fate of a prominent 800-plus acre plot of land at the entrance to Snowmass Village ended this year when Pitkin County bought the land from the Droste family, who had planned to build a subdivision there.The deal closed this week, at a final price tag of $17 million. Along with the county’s $10 million contribution, it was paid for with $2 million from Snowmass Village — where voters approved new taxes to cover the sum — and $1 million from the City of Aspen. The state put up $2.5 million, and the county’s open space department is counting on private donors to fill the remaining $1.5 million.Coming during the 20th anniversary year of the county’s open space fund and program, local officials have hailed the purchase as the crowning achievement of the county’s conservation efforts.
By Andrew Travers, Dec. 31, 2010 Aspen Daily News

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12/31/10 Aspen Daily News - Pitkin County bought the 800-plus acre Droste property between Aspen and Snowmass this year, one of the most significant open space purchases in the program’s history.