Today Steamboat Springs has one major ski resort. It didn’t always appear that would be the way it is, however. Several other ski resorts have come and gone in Steamboat Springs and Routt County in the last 60 years. At one time they were a part of big plans by city officials, by real estate developers and by eager skiers. Today, all but one are lost in the snow.

While initially more expensive to build than a conventional home, a passive house utilizes passive solar design, super insulation and mechanical ventilation to ultimately create a space that most homeowners say is worth the extra initial cost.

By changing the light configuration and geometry of the intersection of Pine Grove Road and U.S. Highway 40, the Colorado Department of Transportation and the city of Steamboat Springs are aiming to prevent tragedies like the death of Robert "Bob" Bear.

The new hotel would be built a short distance from Bob Amin’s existing Fairfield Inn across U.S. Highway 40 from the Steamboat Christian Center. And the new hotel won’t necessarily be branded a Marriott product.