A groundbreaking ceremony was held Tuesday for Aspen Ridge Reserve, a 24-unit development marketing itself as “mountain modest living for the discerning few.” The two-bedroom units start at $1.2 million and feature quartz countertops, radiant heat, and a shared shuttle to the Mountain Village gondola.

Developer Trent Holloway of Holloway Mountain Properties described the project as “an attainable entry point for families who want authentic Big Sky character without the Yellowstone Club price tag.” He said the phrase “authentic Big Sky character” three times in four minutes.

Longtime residents watched from the parking lot of the Hungry Moose, where they have watched groundbreakings since 1994. “Authentic character used to mean a propane heater and a mouse problem,” said Marge Dobbs, who bought her cabin on Andesite Road in 1987 for $68,000. “Now it means a wine fridge. I got a wine fridge. It’s called the garage in January.”

The development sits on a former elk migration corridor that was rezoned in 2021 after a planning session attended by four people and a very engaged golden retriever. The units are deed-restricted to prevent short-term rentals, a restriction the marketing materials highlight as “preserving community fabric.”

“I just want to know if the shuttle runs at 5 a.m. for the lifties,” said Luis Ortega, who has driven the Swift Current 6 chair for eleven seasons and lives in a staff housing unit down by the meadow. “The fabric wears thin when nobody can get to work.”

A Yellowstone Club member who requested anonymity — “Call me Bill, I’m from Dallas originally, but I’ve summered here since ‘03” — said he might buy a unit for his nanny. “It’s nice to have help close by. The commute from Bozeman is brutal in March.”

The HOA fees are projected at $1,400 monthly, not including the special assessment for the heated driveway that was voted down twice before passing on the third try. Construction begins Monday. The elk have not been consulted.