Developer gets OK for road on public land at remote ski area

DENVER (AP) — A company that wants to build residences and businesses at a remote Colorado ski area has received permission from the U.S. Forest Service to construct an access road across public land.

Wednesday's decision was the latest milestone in a 33-year battle between the developer and environmentalists over the scenic landscape around Wolf Creek Pass.

The Forest Service says the developer, Leavell-McCombs Joint Venture, is legally entitled to build the road to reach its property at the base of the Wolf Creek Ski Area.

The road would be 1,610 feet (490 meters) long.

Leavell-McCombs wants build a complex called the Village at Wolf Creek that would include up to 1,711 residential units.