FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 10, 2006
Media Contact:
Michelle Olson
Abshire Public Relations
480.368.7999
UNIQUE RANCH PRESERVATION COMMUNITY IS UNDERWAY IN WESTERN COLORADO
MARABOU PROTECTS RANCH LAND WHILE OPENING IT FOR CUSTOM HOMESTEADING
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, COLO. - Close to 1,800 acres of productive ranch land on the shores of Colorado’s renown Elk River will soon be home to approximately 62 families seeking to live on a working cattle ranch. Offering a relaxed, yet adventurous lifestyle, MARABOU will preserve the land’s ranching and farming way of life, with more than 1,300 acres of it remaining a working, sustainable cattle ranch.
Here, residents and their guests can participate, at their discretion, in all aspects of ranching, from herding cattle, mending fences and baling hay on the property to caring for the horses that live there. Or they can simply kick back and enjoy the many amenities built just for them on the edge of the Elk River, a renown private fly fishing retreat. Marabou is three miles outside of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, an authentic Rocky Mountain town widely known as Ski Town USA.
Homesteads will average 6.3 acres and are carefully placed on the land to maintain privacy and protect the overall viewshed of the property. Homes can consume less than three-quarters of an acre, preserving the remaining land as open space, left undisturbed and cared for by the ranch association. More than 1,300 acres will remain common open space.
“When designing this project, preserving the land and protecting the wildlife was our first priority and will continue to be the most critical part of this community,” said Jeff Temple Marabou Development Managing Partner. “Marabou families will have the unique opportunity to enjoy the adventures of ranch life and the variety of year-round outdoor recreation right in their own backyard.”
At Marabou, no homes will be built on ridgelines, protecting views of the ranch and surrounding mountain ranges. Home sites are situated on the edges of meadows, outside of agriculture areas and wildlife corridors. The remaining land will continue to be farmed and ranched, as it has been for the past 105 years. Only now Marabou residents will have partial ownership and will be able to hone their skills and learn new ones, all under the watchful eyes of the masters.
Marabou’s Master Guide Program is a defining characteristic of the community. The Marabou Master Guides are experts in areas such as fly fishing, horsemanship, hiking, skiing, snowshoeing and snowboarding. They will mentor and educate residents about how to have safe and enriching adventures while living on the ranch. U.S. Olympian skiers Nelson Carmichael and Todd Lodwick, fly fishermen Steve Herter and Steve Henderson, master snowboarder Erin Simmons and ranch manager Chad Bedell are among the masters at Marabou who will be sharing their passions and experience with residents and their guests.
Like many Colorado ranches, the gateway into Marabou will include a ranch compound, caretakers’ home and an organic garden. The heritage of the region will be prevalent throughout the ranch, from the entry to the many amenities. Meandering roads hug the landscape and lead to private homesteads, set aside from riparian, agriculture and wildlife corridors. To further limit the human impact on wildlife and endangered species, limited fencing will be permitted.
Already well known among champion fly fishers, the Elk River runs for two miles through Marabou, creating a private recreational amenity for people passionate about the sport. Over the next year, the Marabou development team will improve the fish habitat and embark on a river bank preservation program that will improve the safety and character of the river, making it an even better fishing environment.
“Marabou will take our residents back to a simpler time, when life’s principles were taught through driving cattle, mending fences and exploring the land,” said Mark Hall, Marabou Managing Partner. “Service and comfort are paramount, but our residents really want the rural, authentic experience of a working Colorado cattle ranch. We provide both for them,” he said.
A well appointed yet rustic owner’s lodge, outfitter’s center, wellness center, workout facility, theater and children’s activity center will become gathering places for residents and their guests. The horse barn, round pen, arena and tack room will be active year round and will be managed by the Marabou Ranch Manager. Residents can participate in ranching operations at their discretion, and under the leadership of the Ranch Manager and the Marabou Master Guides.
The initial offering of Marabou Homesteads will be available in spring 2006 and are priced from $1.8 million to $5 million. Construction of the Marabou Lodge and Owners’ Retreat Cabins will commence in summer 2006.
Marabou is a unique custom home community that preserves the rich ranching heritage of the region. The community is named after marabou, the soft downy feathers often used as the plume when tying a trout fly - the material that gives the fly its life and action in the water.
The Marabou community is being developed by Elk River Partners L.L.C., a partnership between North Point Real Estate of Savannah, Georgia and Due West Land Ltd. of Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
North Point Real Estate has developed more than 8.5 million square feet of commercial properties and more than 10,000 acres of master-planned residential communities throughout Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. Due West Land Ltd, a land development company, has created environmentally sensitive living communities throughout Western Colorado for more than a decade, including Storm Mountain Ranch in Steamboat Springs – winner of the Colorado Governor’s Smart Growth Award.
For more information on Marabou, visit www.marabouranch.com or call (970) 879-7919.
