County Planning Group Greenlights Vail Health’s Northstar Center Proposal
The Northstar Center is a proposal from Vail Health, Eagle Valley Behavioral Health, and several partner organizations to redevelop the former Northstar Lumber site located at the southwest corner of the Edwards Interstate 70 interchange. The plan includes construction of a new 40,000-square-foot building at the location that would include a 28-bed in-patient facility to provide stabilization care for patients who are experiencing a mental health crisis. As plan proponents note, currently local residents who require stabilization care must be transported to Denver or Grand Junction if there is a space for them in one of those locations.
After a nearly four-hour hearing Wednesday, the planning commission voted 4-2 to accept the county staff’s analysis of the proposal and recommend approval of the ambitious project. That clears the way for the plan to go before the Eagle County Board of Commissioners for final action.
While there was some opposition by neighboring Old Edwards Estate residents, during the session, several local residents also offered impassioned remarks about the need for Northstar Center and the benefit it would bring to the community.
