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Contributed by: YourHub.com on 9/22/2006

BY JENNIFER WILSON The Slice

A Palmer Lake business several years in the making finally has opened its doors - or at least, a few of them.
The Inn at Palmer Divide, about one mile southwest of Palmer Lake on Highway 105, doesn't have guest rooms yet, but its Mozaic restaurant and conference center quietly opened for business in mid-May.
Though at times the project faced opposition from some town officials, developers said the business will earn people's respect over time.
"We believe that we have created a wonderful community asset," said Jim Jannette, one of six partners - or three couples - who owns the business.
The restaurant and event center inside the Inn's 17,000-square-foot main building began serving customers May 12, Jannette said.
So far it has hosted weddings, graduation parties and business meetings.
More than 20 weddings already have been scheduled for the rest of the year, Jannette said, and so have a few Christmas parties.
But those looking to spend the night at the Inn at Palmer Divide will have to wait several months. The four buildings that will house 39 guest rooms still are being built. Developers hope to finish those by the years's end, he said.
The Inn idea originated 10 years ago when Jannette and Monument resident Al Fritts were brainstorming ideas about a project both could undertake after serving together in the Air Force.
In 2003, developers lost funding for the project, then regained it several months later. Construction on the main building began in 2005, Jannette said.
The project's latest challenge came this spring when Fritts asked the town council to allow developers to divide the 27-acre Inn property into two lots - one 14 acres and one 13 acres. The Inn sits on the 14 acres.
Developers asked for the subdivision at the urging of their lenders, Fritts said. Lenders didn't want all 27 acres locked up into the project's loans, he said.
"Basically, we would have tied up all the property in our collateral for all our construction project," he said.
Dividing the land opens up the possibility of selling the 13-acre parcel, Fritts said. There are interested buyers, but the developers aren't willing to sell yet, he said.
The project originally sat on 37 acres before developers sold 10 acres to Mission Training International in 2000, Fritts said.
The council on May 11 approved the first step of the subdivision process by a 5-1 vote. Only trustee Gary Coleman voted against it.
Coleman said he's against the subdivision because he's worried a nonprofit organization might buy the land and wouldn't provide any tax revenue for Palmer Lake.
"I just felt that we needed to wait until he actually had a buyer," Coleman said.
Since the land is zoned as Planned Urban Development, or PUD, town officials still control what's built there.
Coleman, who lives near Mission Training International, denied that his proximity to the Inn property affected how he voted on the project. But he admitted the Inn was the main reason he ran for town council.
Palmer Lake Mayor Max Parker said the Inn should bring in additional tax revenue to the town.Parker said he's impressed with what he's seen at the Inn so far.
"The restaurant looks really, really nice. They've done a wonderful job there," he said.
Council member Susan Miner, the town's economic development trustee, said bed and breakfasts are ideal businesses for small towns. People who stay there spend money at restaurants, gift shops and more, she said.
The Inn also benefits Palmer Lake by bringing in jobs, Miner said.
"They hired 50 people - that's a big employer in Palmer Lake," she said.
c Reach Jennifer Wilson
at 636-0274 or jennifer.
wilson@gazette.com

Inn a contentious project

It hasn't been smooth sailing for the Inn at Palmer Divide. Dealings with town planning regulations have been particularly bumpy.
A visit to the most recent Palmer Lake Planning Commission workshop, June 14, made that clear as talks became heated.
After long discussions with owner Al Fritts concerning property drainage, commission chairman John Cressman told Fritts the lights in the Inn's parking lot are too bright.
"I think it's a huge mistake. You don't need that much light, for one thing," Cressman said. Fritts said he followed original lighting specifications calling for "dark sky" lights that are 14 feet tall. Cressman said that in earlier planning meetings, commissioners requested downwardfacing, indirect lights. "You have $50,000 to change our lights?" Fritts said. "It's almost as if there's a bare bulb up there, Al," Cressman said. "Send me a letter with your specific concerns, and I will do my best to address it," Fritts said.
- Jennifer Wilson/The Slice

Inn at Palmer Divide and Mozaic restaurant

Address: 443 Highway 105, Palmer Lake
Phone: 481-1800
On the Web:
www.innatpalmerdivide. com
Mozaic restaurant:
Seats 188; open 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday; includes private and semi-private dining areas
Event center: Holds up to 270 people
Guest rooms: 39 rooms in four buildings (scheduled to be finished by the end of the year); one building will have an additional event center with space for 130 people and a workout center

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