Forest Lakes

Details

• Approx. # of lots: 1,528
• Size of Lots: From 1/8 acre to 3 acres, but the majority are either one third of an acre or one full acre
• General Location: Due north of Bayfield 6.6 miles on the east side of County Road 501
• Price Range of Lots: $25,000 – $150,000
• Price Range of Homes: $175,000 – $650,000
• Schools: Bayfield Elementary, Bayfield Middle School, Bayfield Senior High
• HOA and/or Metro District: Mandatory Metro District, but the HOA is no longer operational
• Manufactured Homes Allowed: Some areas allow modular homes but the vast majority of the homes are all built on site

Description

Easily the largest subdivision in the County, there are 5 separate phases. First, however, let me tell you a little about the lay of the land. There is an east to west valley that runs through the bottom of the subdivision and would be the lowest point in elevation. This is where phase 4 is situated. The other phases are all North of this and go up the side of the mountain rising perhaps as much as 1,000 feet in elevation above the valley floor. That south facing mountain side is covered in pine trees and has numerous benches creating good spots to build. At the same time, many lots are what I would call reasonably steep where excavation work would need to be done in order to create your building pad. Phases 1, 2 and 5 are all on this side of the hill. Phase 3 is platted and some very rough roads are cut in, but it is not buildable in that particular phase and there are no utilities extended.

Amenities: There is a man-made lake in the development that is available for fishing and kayaking to all of the property owners in Forest Lakes. The lake is fed by Little Bear Creek, natural run-off from the subdivision, and the spring-fed Wommer Draw. The very north end of the subdivision adjoins Colorado State land which then connects to national forest. There is also a 40 acre BLM in-holding within the subdivision. Central water and sewer are available through the Metro district for the lots under 1 acre and central water only for the lots 1 acre and larger in size. One must be careful when buying a vacant lot, however, because not every single lot has water and sewer in front of it yet. There is natural gas available in the subdivision. Lots that are 1 acre or larger require you to install your own individual septic system to take care of sewer service. Across the street from the project is a large dumpster area for people who want to take advantage of trash service in that manner. If you want mail service, it is provided at a central location near the entrance to the project.

Metro District: This is a quasi-governmental entity that maintains the roads, water and sewer plant, the common grounds (the lake, entrance) and the mailbox area.

The valley floor where phase 4 is located, contains all of the smaller lots which are anywhere from 1/8 of an acre to perhaps as large as one half of an acre. These properties tend to be out in the meadow area with only trees that have been planted recently although there are a few areas where some of the original pine trees still exist. South of this meadow area and still in phase 4 are perhaps 50 or 60 one acre lots that would actually be north facing. Homes in this area range from perhaps 700 ft. in size and maybe some larger than 2,000 ft. Originally designed as a vacation retreat for Phoenix residents, the subdivision ultimately became a haven for first-time home buyers who were unable to afford the higher prices of Durango. It wasn’t that many years ago when you could buy lots in Forest Lakes for as little as $4,000.