NH Governor’s Opposition Apparently Dooms Sunapee Expansion

[Charlie Schuessler]

The Concord Monitor on-line is reporting that a proposed expansion of the Mount Sunapee ski area apparently is dead in the water despite the endorsement of the state's resources commissioner.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/storie...HOL-?SITE=NHCON&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

The issue is the lessors of the ski area in Mount Sunapee State Park want to add 175 acres to the current 968-acre property for new trails and a chair lift to connect the resort to property they own in Goshen, where they want to build up to 250 condominiums.

I agree with the Governor on this issue. What do you think?

 

[riverc0il]

glad to see this news article, thank you.

 

[ctenidae]

I talked with a patroler at Sunapee about this not too long ago (seems like ages since I skied, though). They'd just had a meeting to discuss the plans and let them know what was going on. Management's opinion seems to be that it will likely go through in some fashion. I think Sunapee's willing to forego the full 175 acres, as long as they can get some sort of access through. The guy wasn't at all excited about the possibility of new trails, though, since the expansion wouold be on the skier's left side of the mountain, where the terrain's only good for greens and low blues, anyway.
I figure Sunapee will argue the expansion, in some form, is necessary for them to stay in business, and the state will cave to an extent in order to keep the money flowing.

 

[Sky]

Sunapee Expansion

I think the expansion (and I've never skied here so I'm way out of my league here) impacts the roads and the other infrastructure issues (water/private septic/etc).

Seems the local economy could benefit...but does the expansion help or hurt? Help with influx of $...Hurt with price increases affordable to the new buyers (and not so much for the locals).

Wachusett spent a lot of time and $ on their expansion *understatement* and had to trim it back to get it done. Different circumstances...but still dealing with state approvals/state lands.

And please, I'm trying to fix an existing dock on Lake Winnepasaukee...I mean reattach an existing piling...and the paperwork is just silly.

 

[Angus]

this may have been stated in another topic thread but my understanding from reading and discussing the issue on sunapee chair lifts with locals is that the property owned by the lessor (Okemo/Crested Butte owner) is located in an adjorning small town (goshen - maybe) & by and large, the town is against the expansion due to concerns over traffic/changes to the "character" of the community.

I don't know much about the ski industry - where, how they make profit, but it appears that real estate and the recurring revenues associated with property management/related service opportunities is a big part of how these ski areas fund expansion as well as generate profit (ie, the incremental revenue that puts them into the black).

i hadn't skiied at sunapee for 25 years until I started going there a three years ago, it is an outstanding family intermediate mountain with acknowledged limits of a mountain with smaller vertical that has an odd contour. wish the sunny-side (???) chair lift was faster (but that takes investment which requires $$$ justification) but the conditions - snow and grooming - are always excellent.

I agree with previous poster - negotiating strategy 101: you toss your "wish list" into the ring and then negotiate downward to something that is acceptable to both parties.

I do think there is a good question of what is in the public interest relative to the expansion.