Big Burke announcement

[Boardguy]

Nice logos there, FTN.

Interesting about Sherburne. I heard that the previous ownership was really begging the Burkeside owners to sell out so that they could demo those condos and expand the base area lodge over there.

We have had a condo at Burkeside since the late 90's and I have never received any offers from the any of the mountain owners. Quite a few units have changed hands recently and I don't think the mountain has purchased any of them but perhaps they have.

 

[from_the_NEK]

On another note, the mountain has been pretty quite this summer other than some expansion of lower mtn MTB trails. There hasn't been really any movement on the new hotel/lodge.
The Act 250 permit has yet to be approved and I can't really tell if the following is what is holding up the progress.

A neighbor (owner of the "Stone House") has filed a Party Status Petition stating the new development will create a traffic issue that will harm their home and make accesing the driveway of their home unsafe.

Initial Complaint - http://www.anr.state.vt.us/imaging/planning/7C0206-13-5/Compiano-Ryczek Party Status Petition.pdf
Q-Burke response - http://www.anr.state.vt.us/imaging/planning/7C0206-13-5/Applicant response-Compiano.pdf
Complaintant Response to the response - http://www.anr.state.vt.us/imaging/...ty Status Petition response June 11, 2013.pdf

That corner is kind of blind and it is easy to speed through there . Burke proposed some reasonable modifications to make things safer. However, other than an outright redesign of the road, I think the owner is going to have issues. I could see removing the curve altogether and bring the road down from the Mid-Lodge to a 4 way intersection with Pinkham Rd and Rexford Rd. The vast majority of traffic would have to make right turn going up the Mountain Rd. Traffic coming down would have to Stop and turn left.
Seems pretty simple, however I'm sure there are a whole range of additional permits and such that would need to be waded through to do something like this.

Solution A:

[/URL][/IMG]

Sounds like this is indeed holding up Act 250 approval. The owners of the Stone House want the road modified (widened shoulders) or realigned as I diagramed above. To redo this intersection would likely require additional permits from the town of Burke and another Act 250 application since it would technically be a separate project. Interesting to see if they can get this built by December 2014 at this rate. And they want the hotel to have an alternate access via Alpine Ln. Alpine Ln runs directly through BMA and has even more blind corners and steeper hills. Talk about trying to improve your situation by making someone else's worse. :roll:

 

[thetrailboss]

Sounds like this is indeed holding up Act 250 approval. The owners of the Stone House want the road modified (widened shoulders) or realigned as I diagramed above. To redo this intersection would likely require additional permits from the town of Burke and another Act 250 application since it would technically be a separate project. Interesting to see if they can get this built by December 2014 at this rate. And they want the hotel to have an alternate access via Alpine Ln. Alpine Ln runs directly through BMA and has even more blind corners and steeper hills. Talk about trying to improve your situation by making someone else's worse. :roll:

It was nice seeing you a few days ago, FTN.

When you get a chance, take a drive to the Sherburne Base Lodge and check out all of the modular units that are parked in the parking area. Word has it from my sources that those are the components for the NEW hotel just waiting to be put into place. So it looks like they are actually moving ahead and will have to get this Stonehouse issue resolved sooner rather than later.

 

[from_the_NEK]

Seems a bit bold ordering all of the prefabbed units before they even have the permits to break ground. I wonder if they are the virtually same design as the units that are being used to construct the new Stateside Hotel/Lodge and they saved a ton of money ordering enough for all three hotels (technically the new Mid-Burke hotel is two hotels joined by a common area). Maybe I'll take a spin up there tomorrow.

 

[thetrailboss]

Seems a bit bold ordering all of the prefabbed units before they even have the permits to break ground. I wonder if they are the virtually same design as the units that are being used to construct the new Stateside Hotel/Lodge and they saved a ton of money ordering enough for all three hotels (technically the new Mid-Burke hotel is two hotels joined by a common area). Maybe I'll take a spin up there tomorrow.

A little birdie just whispered in my ear that the word now is that these modular units are actually for Bear Path and not Mid-Burke. Sorry about that confusion.

 

[from_the_NEK]

Ahh yes, that is the "Landowner project" that closed down the Knightslayer lift served MTB trail for a few days last month. Interesting that they are going with modular units. I wasn't really paying close attention to it but I wonder if the units that were built a couple of years ago also used the same approach?

 

[thetrailboss]

Ahh yes, that is the "Landowner project" that closed down the Knightslayer lift served MTB trail for a few days last month. Interesting that they are going with modular units. I wasn't really paying close attention to it but I wonder if the units that were built a couple of years ago also used the same approach?

The ones that Masskier built in 2007-2008 were stick built from what I saw as I was skiing by.

 

[from_the_NEK]

That is what I was thinking as well.

 

[thetrailboss]

I recall seeing several different local contractors' trucks there during that winter.

 

[Masskier]

The ones that Masskier built in 2007-2008 were stick built from what I saw as I was skiing by.

The first two Bear Path buildings were panelized and stick built. This phase is a combination of stick built and modular.

 

[from_the_NEK]

QBurke received approval of its Act 250 permit last Monday. http://www.anr.state.vt.us/imaging/planning/7C0206-13-5/Findings.pdf

 

[thetrailboss]

Hotel going in...subdivision going out it looks like. So much for Camber Heights!

 

[Masskier]

They should begin construction very soon

 

[thetrailboss]

They should begin construction very soon

Please tell us that Bear Den Lounge and Mid-Burke will be there at least one more season.

I hope that the Bear Den will be rebuilt somewhere on premises. That is a classic.

 

[from_the_NEK]

The Mid-Burke and Bear Den will be there this season. Not sure how long it will take them to tear it down once the season is over. My guess is the bulldozer will be parked outside ready to go the morning after the lifts shut down in April. Every indication I've seen has the Bear Den meeting the fate bulldozer as well. Although it sounds like a new bar will be furnished with much of the memorabilia from the current bar :roll:. It just won't be the same for many reasons described in past posts. I get the feeling Stenger sees the entire Mid-Burke/Bear Den complex as an outdated eyesore. Replacing the lodge I can handle, but losing the bar makes me :sad:.

 

[dlague]

The Mid-Burke and Bear Den will be there this season. Not sure how long it will take them to tear it down once the season is over. My guess is the bulldozer will be parked outside ready to go the morning after the lifts shut down in April. Every indication I've seen has the Bear Den meeting the fate bulldozer as well. Although it sounds like a new bar will be furnished with much of the memorabilia from the current bar :roll:. It just won't be the same for many reasons described in past posts. I get the feeling Stenger sees the entire Mid-Burke/Bear Den complex as an outdated eyesore. Replacing the lodge I can handle, but losing the bar makes me :sad:.

+1 Makes me sad too! It was the site of our graduation party when I was at LSC, not to mention all of the happy times during ski season!

 

[thetrailboss]

+1 Makes me sad too! It was the site of our graduation party when I was at LSC, not to mention all of the happy times during ski season!

You went to LSC? What year? Cool.

Masskier and others need to convince Bill to re-use/rebuild the Bear Den.

 

[thetrailboss]

The latest: http://vtdigger.org/2013/08/12/northeast-kingdom-development-projects-change-shape/

Rendering as to what Mid-Burke will look like:

[h=4]Burke Mountain[/h]Estimated cost: $160 million
Project description: Phase I ($98 million) will see construction of two hotels, with a combined 112 suites. The company recently received project approval under Act 250, Vermont’s land use law; it anticipates breaking ground by the end of August or early September and welcoming guests in December 2014. Construction of an aquatic center, tennis facility and indoor mountain biking park will start next summer, with plans to open in summer 2015. In Phase II, two additional hotels, again with 112 suites, also are planned for construction starting in 2015.
Job creation projections: Development and construction will create about 2,000 full-time direct and indirect jobs. More than 400 permanent, full-time jobs in Vermont will support the resort’s ongoing operations.
- See more at: http://vtdigger.org/2013/08/12/nort...t-projects-change-shape/#sthash.hsg2xA75.dpuf

 

[thetrailboss]

...and they're already raising the $$$ for it:

Two other projects have received the foreign investment approval: expansions at Burke Mountain ski resort for $160 million, and a $110 million plan to build a biomedical research park on a hill overlooking the city of Newport. - See more at: http://vtdigger.org/2013/08/12/nort...t-projects-change-shape/#sthash.hsg2xA75.dpuf

 

[thetrailboss]

The total impact for Jay, Newport, and Burke projects:

The following projections total $465 million. In $500,000 increments, that would total 930 immigrant investors, if no additional, private financing were to be utilized. Multiplied by 10 jobs per investment, the combined projects could add up to 9,300 workers to the regional and national economy. - See more at: http://vtdigger.org/2013/08/12/nort...t-projects-change-shape/#sthash.hsg2xA75.dpuf