Balsams Wilderness

[billski]

Balsams blunder: What's going on with the resort?



Published May 7, 2012 at 3:00 am (Updated May 6, 2012)

Are the new owners of the Balsams Grand Resort trying to annoy their neighbors and customers? Judging by recent events, it would seem that way.
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The fourth was not rejected, the board just wanted a few more weeks to gather information. That drew a sharp response from the Balsams' owners. They might just have to scuttle the whole $12 million to $20 million renovation, they said through a spokesman. That sounded a lot like a threat.
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They had to communicate that message through a spokesman because they did not attend the planning board meeting at which the decision was made.

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the way they are going about things is raising a lot of questions. They might want to explain themselves before they generate more ill will.

Source: Manchester Union Leader

I wonder if this guy has ever lived in a remote village....

[billski]

Cleared out in one day
Conway Daily Sun

[drjeff]

The thing about the Balsams, is that it really was almost its own culture, and a culture that unless you've experienced 1st hand, it's tough to fully grasp. I know there's some AZ folks who have been there in the winter (myself included) and it's possible to get a bit of what the special, oldtime, almost a bit eclectic vibe that the place has, but compared to what the summer experience was there, the winter one is minor. My family courtesy of my grandparents, had 5 family summer reunions there, and some of it's distinct charm and ambience had to do not necessarily with what it had, but with what it didn't have. No TV's in the rooms, no air conditioners, no wifi, just a setting that allowed one to relax, and if in the case of my family (and many other familes too) get to spend some quality time together. Very often in the various sitting areas/pubs that they have in the main hotel, or down by the pool or even up at the Panorama Golf Course clubhouse, you'd talk to other people there and find out that this was their families 5th, 10th, 15th + trip back to The Balsams, almost always at the same week of the summer. It was that type of place where even though on the outside it seemed to be lacking many modern ammenities we've all come to take for granted, it offered so much more than any modern hotel could.

Then with the reopening of the Mountain View Grand and the "modernizing" of The Mount Washington Hotel, and even to some extent places such as the Sagamore on Lake George in NY, the idea that you could still have a "classic" early 1900's "Grand" hotel, but tastefully add in modern features really started to appeal to more and more people, some of those at the expense of longtime Balsam's guests.

I sincerely hope the new owners of the Balsams and their plan works out, since it really is a special place. At the same point I can totally see how especially with the locals there's a bunch of skepticism around them, since it's a HUGE change for an employer that when up and running is a MAJOR employer in that region. I look forward to hopefully upon completion making the drive back upto the Notch and hearing the doorman say "Welcome Back!" as they open the door of my car and then handing me a small bottle of NH maple syrup as they do(or atleast the old owners did) for any returning guest upon their arrival

[bobbutts]

I like that they dub the youtube slideshow and unwatchable video footage "Indie Film"

[billski]

1:37 AM WED MAY 23, 2012
Colebrook Planning Board Resolves Concern Over Balsams Tract
NH Public Radio

The Colebrook Planning Board Tuesday night removed what the new owners of the Balsams Grand Resort have said was an impediment to the redevelopment needed to allow hundreds of people to get back to work.
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The issue was a 28-acre parcel the owners wanted separated from the rest of the property because for decades about two acres of it had been used as a dump.
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That prompted the new owners, Dan Hebert and Dan Dagesse, to issue a news release complaining that the Planning Board was needlessly holding up renovation of the facility.
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But the Planning Board members said they were just trying to make sure they fulfilled their duty to protect the town.
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“The data don’t suggest there is a huge problem here,” Warzocha said. “This is not Three-Mile Island.”
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He said there is a ground-water quality violation but it is barely over the limit.
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The board voted unanimously to approve the subdivision contingent on another approval Thursday night by the Coos County Planning Board.

[billski]

7:10 PM MON MAY 21, 2012
NHPR

In some good news for the North Country an old family business is coming back to life. NHPR’s Chris Jensen reports.

Starting in 1931 Neil Tillotson made his fortune manufacturing natural latex products including balloons and later gloves.

That allowed him to purchase the Balsams Grand Resort.

Tillotson died in 2001 and a latex plant located near the resort closed in 2010.

But Tillotson’s son, Rick, purchased the equipment and recently bought a 103,000 square foot building in Colebrook.

He plans to use part of it to make latex products there and hopes to open later this year.

[billski]

Auction stuff is showing up on eBay
Prices seem a little outrageous.



$20 for this sign. Seriously?

[from_the_NEK]

Seriously, a laminated peice of paper that could be created in a word processing program in five minutes. I guess it does have the authentic staple holes in the top

[bobbutts]

This seller has 0 feedback and insane prices. I'm guessing they never sell or don't until the prices drop significantly.

[snowmonster]

I'm always in the market for a tie. But, I'm not that attached to the Balsams to drop that much coin on that piece of silk.