The Montezuma County Planning Commission stepped quickly through eight proposals Thursday night, then spent an hour hearing pros and cons about the Double H Women’s Adventure Ranch, proposed to be built two miles north of Mancos on County Road 42.

In the end, the board forwarded it to the county commissioners with a recommendation for a public hearing and a list of concerns to be addressed if the requested high-impact permit is approved.

Marcia Walker and Carey Boyce, partners in Double H Women’s Adventure Ranch, Inc., said they plan an $11 million "luxury resort and spa" development on Randy Spencer’s 141.73-acre property two miles north of Mancos on CR 42.

Walker emphasized the focus of the ranch would be on educating women about outdoor recreational activities, creating an "opportunity for women to learn these types of activities" in a non-competitive setting.

If approved, the ranch would include a main lodge, four cabins, three staff cabins, five outbuildings (barns, laundry and storage) and two false-fronted "Old West Town" buildings, one containing guest suites, the other, shops.

The total area of the buildings would be 45,220 square feet, less than the 50,000-square-foot threshold standard established in the Montezuma County Land Use Code.

At full operation, the partners envision it as a women’s adventure ranch in summer and as a site for corporate retreats, family reunions and small conferences in the off-season, when there would be no gender limitations. Walker estimated "90-95 percent of guests will not have their own vehicles"; they will be flying in and will be brought by ranch vehicles to the site.

The anticipated level of travel — 20-25 vehicle round trips per day on CR 42 — exceeds the county’s threshold standard of 15 vehicle round trips per day, requiring a high-impact permit.

The structures would be built to code by Mountain State Log Homes, Inc., of Olathe and would have a western look. Boyce later said the partners would be buying locally as much as possible, that they had already selected a local bank and a local accountant, and that they would be hiring 40-60 people each summer when the ranch is up to full speed, in about two years.

Commission member Joe Arado, who owns land across CR 42 from Spencer’s property, recused himself from the commission when the Double H item came up.

When Chairman Dudley Millard asked if there was any public comment, Arado took a seat at the head of the table and asked about funding, traffic, visibility, entertainment, the developers’ experience in similar ventures, marketing, the Old West Town, possible future development and the location of the access road.

Walker said the funding was in hand, that it came from a foundation of donors who wished to remain anonymous and "we’re in charge." Arado returned repeatedly to complain about the anonymity of the funders, until Millard told him "it’s inappropriate to even ask" about the source of the money.

In response to Arado’s other questions, Walker and Boyce assured the commission they intended to keep the structures out of sight, except for a barn that will be visible in a higher part of the property.

"Absolutely!" was their response when Arado asked if they would be willing to make a commitment in writing that there would be no further commercial development on the site.

Boyce said there would be "no loud noise after 10 p.m."; having loud outdoor music, she said, would be inconsistent with the purpose of the ranch.

Walker, who is from Coaldale, Colo., said she grew up on a guest ranch and described the proposed ranch as being similar to Lake Mancos Ranch and Echo Basin Ranch. Boyce later told the Cortez Journal she and Walker had recently completed a training program in management of hospitality businesses.

The marketing, according to the developers, would be national and worldwide. Europe, Japan and Taiwan are especially promising markets, they said, for the type of experience they will offer.

The "Old West Town" Arado asked about will consist of two buildings in the main complex, offering guest suites and shops for guest use only. "It’s not open to the public," Walker said.

Arado wanted the entrance road moved down CR 42 to where the road makes a 90-degree bend westward. Spencer’s drive is at that corner and he said Arado’s pond blocks his view of oncoming traffic.

County Administrator Tom Weaver pointed out that road standard would never allow the access to be put at the curve, as it requires 1,000 feet of unobstructed sight in each direction.

Realtors Jill Battle and Diane Purdy, both of whom acknowledged an interest in the transaction, followed Arado to comment in support of the Double H proposal. (The name comes from the names of the principals’ mothers: Hampton and Hollenbeck)

The planning commission unanimously approved sending the proposal forward to the Montezuma County Commission with a recommendation for a public hearing on the high-impact permit, but without a recommendation in favor or against.

In addition, the commission recommended the county consider stipulations in the permit, if granted, that would require: