New Hotel proposed on Mount Washington

deadheadskier · Dec 1, 2016

Not really skiing related as it will only be a summer operation, but certainly worth mentioning considering there are many back country skiers that will probably be opposed to this development.

http://www.unionleader.com/business...tel-below-summit-of-mount-washington-20161201

doublediamond · Dec 1, 2016

Maybe they should concern themselves with properly running their trains first.

Zermatt · Dec 2, 2016

Remember when the Cog tried running a ski operation a few years ago? Whatever happened to that?

Mountainside / mountaintop hotels are very common in Switzerland. Many with train only or cable car only access (And hiking).

I don't see it getting approved here. Not sure who could stop it though being on private land and there is a long history of hotels on the summit of Mount Washington.

doublediamond · Dec 2, 2016

It only lasted 2 or 3 seasons. They still have the snowmaking pipe installed along the tracks and the bridge across the river at the bottom.

thetrailboss · Dec 2, 2016

Two words: good luck.

As to the ski operation, I think that ended when the Cog Railway Ownership sold Bretton Woods ski area to Omni a few years back.

SIKSKIER · Dec 2, 2016

I have a bunch of friends that have a Ski The Cog vest.

from_the_NEK · Dec 2, 2016

The new facility, according to Wayne Presby, the Cog’s president, and Joel Bedor, one of the owners, would be built in an area known as Skyline, a former rail siding.

If that is where I think it is, that location is right near the Great Gulf headwall. Just above where the Westside trail crosses the tracks.
That would be quite a dramatic spot to have a hotel.

wtcobb · Dec 5, 2016

Coos County Planning Board meeting in Lancaster on Thursday at 8PM to discuss the permitting, open to the public:
http://www.cooscountynh.us/sites/coosconh/files/agenda/agenda-file/dec_8_agenda.pdf

The impacts of this will go far beyond a new building. They'll need to cut a new access road from the summit down to the hotel (or from the Cog station up). New hiking trails will be blazed. The construction equipment necessary to build the hotel will decimate the fragile alpine flora - the same happened when the second track was added.

The Presby's also tried to build an asphalt plant on 302 in Lisbon abutting the Ammonoosuc. Thanks to public opposition and a lot of legal work on behalf of the residents of the immediate area, that project was killed (for now).

wtcobb · Dec 5, 2016

A few more links to studies on ecological impacts in the alpine zone (not the forum ;-)):

http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/nongame/documents/appendixb-alpine.pdf

http://vtecostudies.org/wildlife/insects/butterflies/white-mountain-arctic/

http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/people/capers/CapersTaylor2014.pdf

Zermatt · Dec 5, 2016

wtcobb said:
Coos County Planning Board meeting in Lancaster on Thursday at 8PM to discuss the permitting, open to the public:
http://www.cooscountynh.us/sites/coosconh/files/agenda/agenda-file/dec_8_agenda.pdf

The impacts of this will go far beyond a new building. They'll need to cut a new access road from the summit down to the hotel (or from the Cog station up). New hiking trails will be blazed. The construction equipment necessary to build the hotel will decimate the fragile alpine flora - the same happened when the second track was added.

The Presby's also tried to build an asphalt plant on 302 in Lisbon abutting the Ammonoosuc. Thanks to public opposition and a lot of legal work on behalf of the residents of the immediate area, that project was killed (for now).

Don't forget, the Cog owns this land, they don't lease it from the US Forest Service. There may not be as many restrictions as you think. On top of that, they've owned it for 150 years (+?). About 10 years ago they ran a power line to the summit and dug a nasty looking trench parallel to the cog. Has anyone seen how that has recovered recently? In doing so they have eliminated the need for large generators at the summit fueled by multiple tanker trucks traversing the auto road.

Would they have to build a road? Couldn't the train haul everything needed to the hotel site?

There are currently three large hotels in the alpine zone. Greenleaf, Lakes of the Clouds and Madison huts that together house well over 100 people a night in the summer.

I think aside from the visual aspect the environmental impacts would be very small. The impact of the cog changing from coal to diesel has probably had a much larger positive impact.

wtcobb · Dec 5, 2016

Don't forget, the Cog owns this land, they don't lease it from the US Forest Service. There may not be as many restrictions as you think. On top of that, they've owned it for 150 years (+?).

Coos County Planning Board has restrictions for building on steep land and land at high elevations (above 2,700 ft.). Further there are setbacks (25 ft) and height restrictions (35 ft) that limit any construction to a 49 foot wide strip spanning the tracks. The Cog will need to apply for special permits to circumvent these restrictions.

The current owners have owned the Cog & property since 1983.

One of the studies I linked references how the terrain above treeline has recovered more slowly than that below treeline.

deadheadskier · Dec 5, 2016

https://www.change.org/p/hiking-community-stop-the-cog-railway-from-building-a-motel-on-washington

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snoseek · Dec 5, 2016

deadheadskier said:
https://www.change.org/p/hiking-community-stop-the-cog-railway-from-building-a-motel-on-washington

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Thanks

jimmywilson69 · Dec 6, 2016

deadheadskier said:
https://www.change.org/p/hiking-community-stop-the-cog-railway-from-building-a-motel-on-washington

Signed

wtcobb · Dec 6, 2016

Thursday's meeting is open to public but will not include a public comments period. There will be in the future, however.

Edd · Dec 7, 2016

Signed. I enjoy the idea in theory, but it doesn't sit right with me in reality, I guess.

I was considering the logistics of building a hotel in a location like that. It would be interesting to see.

deadheadskier · Dec 7, 2016

I know it's a big economic driver for the region, but it's kind of a shame that our highest peak has been turned into basically Disneyland (hyperbole) really since the mid 1800s. It's nice that Katahdin didn't suffer the same fate.

The hotel just seems like additional unneeded economic exploitation.

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snoseek · Dec 7, 2016

deadheadskier said:
I know it's a big economic driver for the region, but it's kind of a shame that our highest peak has been turned into basically Disneyland (hyperbole) really since the mid 1800s. It's nice that Katahdin didn't suffer the same fate.

The hotel just seems like additional unneeded economic exploitation.

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Man I would be thrilled if that cog and auto road didn't exist....but like you said, economics

New Hotel proposed on Mount Washington

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