LP Village Phase II: Almost Shovel Ready?

[HowieT2]

SB village needs to be linked to the base by some sort path/walkway without going down and around the parking lots or through an active ski slope. Moving the village chair up the slope a bit would help.

God yes. The current space between the two entities is so uninviting in all four seasons. You've got a muddy parking lot, a few dumpsters, some undeveloped scrubland and then another dirt parking lot before you approach civilization. I would hope that a more approachable and inviting landscape will be part of the plan, be it covered in snow or in the middle of summer.

This may be crazy, financially unattractive, and coming from the mind of a lawyer with no design skills or imagination, but it would be really cool if there was either a bridge or elevated path with tunnels that cut through to go from the plaza over Easy Rider towards SBV. What I am trying to describe is something that would not only provide a pathway, but also be a landmark and a great platform for parents to take photos/videos of the little ones coming down on their first runs.

[Jacksun]

My kids are 10 and 12, factory closed for me, too. Two comments:

1) Financial and code considerations are understandable, but competition for vacation/skiing dollars is no doubt fierce, and anything the resort can do to increase its user-friendliness would improve its competitive position. Remote day care, IMHO, is user-unfriendly and adds extra hassle for people with young children, especially those who have to go through the separation process twice, in two locations. Also, more difficult for those not staying at CB or in the village. Make it easier for people, and their experience will be more positive, and, they will make recommendations to their friends. Make it harder, and they'll think twice about coming back, never mind being positive about it with others. As they say, it's cheaper to retain an existing customer than it is to go get a new one or bring back one that's unhappy.

2) Very disappointed that food service in new facility will be minimal. GH can be a very negative experience, even on moderately busy weekends. Too many tables crammed too close together and way too much noise, jostling and jockeying for tables. Detracts from the overall ski experience. I thought (mistakenly) that the new facility would at least siphon off the Blazers and people in group lessons, and maybe families with younger kids, relieving the pressure on GH. I know, I know, Valley House is supposed is the safety valve...but, I don't believe that's the reality.

[Tin Woodsman]

This may be crazy, financially unattractive, and coming from the mind of a lawyer with no design skills or imagination, but it would be really cool if there was either a bridge or elevated path with tunnels that cut through to go from the plaza over Easy Rider towards SBV. What I am trying to describe is something that would not only provide a pathway, but also be a landmark and a great platform for parents to take photos/videos of the little ones coming down on their first runs.

I think a clear, wide path with benches and attractive overhead lighting would accomplish the same goal w/o the expense of tunnels/bridges etc..., except for the one over Hotel Brook.

[Yard Sale]

This conceptual path. Would it be maintained as a path in season? Would it be an obstacle to the skate over from the SBvillage?

Also, the new village lift, is it part of this off season's construction? Is it's location dramatically different from present?

[HowieT2]

This may be crazy, financially unattractive, and coming from the mind of a lawyer with no design skills or imagination, but it would be really cool if there was either a bridge or elevated path with tunnels that cut through to go from the plaza over Easy Rider towards SBV. What I am trying to describe is something that would not only provide a pathway, but also be a landmark and a great platform for parents to take photos/videos of the little ones coming down on their first runs.

I think a clear, wide path with benches and attractive overhead lighting would accomplish the same goal w/o the expense of tunnels/bridges etc..., except for the one over Hotel Brook.

Wouldn't the path have to cross Easy Rider?

[win]

Tunnel is not feasible for a least a couple of reasons. You have Hotel Brook between the Village and the Resort and secondly it would not be economically doable. There is a bridge over the streams and will likely be at least one more.

And, yes, once you are past where the new lift will be you will be on ski terrain so we would not want paths there in the winter. In the summer we will have walking and biking paths, but I am not in favor of paved paths there.

Jacksun, have you tried either Timbers, CR pub or Allyn's for lunch? Between these and GH cafeteria and VH there is plenty of room on most weekends. In the future, I would like to put another simple lodge in the plaza at the top of the GH lift. This is in our long-term master plan with the Forest Service, but is a few years out.

[HowieT2]

Tunnel is not feasible for a least a couple of reasons. You have Hotel Brook between the Village and the Resort and secondly it would not be economically doable. There is a bridge over the streams and will likely be at least one more.

And, yes, once you are past where the new lift will be you will be on ski terrain so we would not want paths there in the winter. In the summer we will have walking and biking paths, but I am not in favor of paved paths there.

I'm sorry I didn't appropriately describe what I'm talking about. I'm talking about something to go over Easy Rider. Either a bridge so skiers could go underneath or an elevated pathway with some tunnels going through it for skiers

[smootharc]

I think a clear, wide path with benches and attractive overhead lighting would accomplish the same goal w/o the expense of tunnels/bridges etc..., except for the one over Hotel Brook.

...the nice little skating rink lit at night. Waffles and cocoa on hand, along with lots of smiley faces ! While were at it, a bit of lit night time sledding would be popular, too !

[Tin Woodsman]

Tunnel is not feasible for a least a couple of reasons. You have Hotel Brook between the Village and the Resort and secondly it would not be economically doable. There is a bridge over the streams and will likely be at least one more.

And, yes, once you are past where the new lift will be you will be on ski terrain so we would not want paths there in the winter. In the summer we will have walking and biking paths, but I am not in favor of paved paths there.

I'm sorry I didn't appropriately describe what I'm talking about. I'm talking about something to go over Easy Rider. Either a bridge so skiers could go underneath or an elevated pathway with some tunnels going through it for skiers

I think that would get pretty expensive, especially in light of the width of that trail. What I'd love to see is a clear walking bath from the SBV down below the Village Chair loading area, and then up through into LPV. That should be the primary walking path during all four seasons, as it wouldn't cross any trails. They already have a pretty clear path to skate over from SBV via that bridge over Hotel Brook, though it would make sense to make that path a more clear and inviting connection via skis in the winter and via foot in the off-season.

[HowieT2]

I think a clear, wide path with benches and attractive overhead lighting would accomplish the same goal w/o the expense of tunnels/bridges etc..., except for the one over Hotel Brook.

...the nice little skating rink lit at night. Waffles and cocoa on hand, along with lots of smiley faces ! While were at it, a bit of lit night time sledding would be popular, too !

Agreed. skating and sledding/tubing would be very popular and bring traffic to the base at night.

Also, as previously stated I recognize my bridge idea (dream) is probably impractical, but it would be cool.
Ooh it's 3 Pm time to start preparing to leave the office.

[Tin Woodsman]

I think a clear, wide path with benches and attractive overhead lighting would accomplish the same goal w/o the expense of tunnels/bridges etc..., except for the one over Hotel Brook.

...the nice little skating rink lit at night. Waffles and cocoa on hand, along with lots of smiley faces ! While were at it, a bit of lit night time sledding would be popular, too !

That would be nice. Provide one thing that is sorely lacking at SB - a center of gravity. Anyway, at a minimum, something needs to be done about that wasteland looking area betwen the SBV parking lot and the future site of the residential bldg.

[daevious]

As far as the VH goes, it is staying at least for a while, and now that we have painted it, I am getting more of the opinion that we might must keep it and renovate it. That is not a firm decision yet, but that it where I am leaning today. A lot will depend on some engineering information.

That is awesome news! The Valley House Lodge is a classic piece of New England ski area history and architecture, well worth preserving if at all possible.

We were all set to mount a clandestine, grass-roots campaign to have it declared a historical landmark and placed on the US National Register of Historic Places, but we'll put that off for now.

[HowieT2]

As far as the VH goes, it is staying at least for a while, and now that we have painted it, I am getting more of the opinion that we might must keep it and renovate it. That is not a firm decision yet, but that it where I am leaning today. A lot will depend on some engineering information.

That is awesome news! The Valley House Lodge is a classic piece of New England ski area history and architecture, well worth preserving if at all possible.

We were all set to mount a clandestine, grass-roots campaign to have it declared a historical landmark and placed on the US National Register of Historic Places, but we'll put that off for now.

Not commenting on the building itself, but it's in the way of extending a new VH lift to the base

[Tin Woodsman]

As far as the VH goes, it is staying at least for a while, and now that we have painted it, I am getting more of the opinion that we might must keep it and renovate it. That is not a firm decision yet, but that it where I am leaning today. A lot will depend on some engineering information.

That is awesome news! The Valley House Lodge is a classic piece of New England ski area history and architecture, well worth preserving if at all possible.

We were all set to mount a clandestine, grass-roots campaign to have it declared a historical landmark and placed on the US National Register of Historic Places, but we'll put that off for now.

Not commenting on the building itself, but it's in the way of extending a new VH lift to the base

Howie -

It seems that the demolition of VH lodge and extension of the VH lift down to the base, which once were central parts of the plan (15 versions ago), are no longer part of the thinking, at least for the near term. Obviously you can't do the lift w/o removing the lodge, so they are either going to replace VH double in its current alignment, leave it as is, or wait for 5-6 years until the dust settles from the next phase or two of the LPV build out in order to determine what, if anything, is the ongoing need for that structure. One would think that some sort of magic carpet would be installed to help get people up there if it's going to be around for a while. That's not an easy walk for most flatlanders, present company excluded.

If we're really lucky, maybe they'll even have kiddie booster seats in the new buildings - not a single one exists anywhere in the GH lodge.

[HowieT2]

As far as the VH goes, it is staying at least for a while, and now that we have painted it, I am getting more of the opinion that we might must keep it and renovate it. That is not a firm decision yet, but that it where I am leaning today. A lot will depend on some engineering information.

That is awesome news! The Valley House Lodge is a classic piece of New England ski area history and architecture, well worth preserving if at all possible.

We were all set to mount a clandestine, grass-roots campaign to have it declared a historical landmark and placed on the US National Register of Historic Places, but we'll put that off for now.

Not commenting on the building itself, but it's in the way of extending a new VH lift to the base

Howie -

It seems that the demolition of VH lodge and extension of the VH lift down to the base, which once were central parts of the plan (15 versions ago), are no longer part of the thinking, at least for the near term. Obviously you can't do the lift w/o removing the lodge, so they are either going to replace VH double in its current alignment, leave it as is, or wait for 5-6 years until the dust settles from the next phase or two of the LPV build out in order to determine what, if anything, is the ongoing need for that structure. One would think that some sort of magic carpet would be installed to help get people up there if it's going to be around for a while. That's not an easy walk for most flatlanders, present company excluded.

If we're really lucky, maybe they'll even have kiddie booster seats in the new buildings - not a single one exists anywhere in the GH lodge.

I think that became obvious this summer with the new paint. Interesting how this is evolving. I wonder how much it's going to cost to rehab the VH lodge vs. the cost of adding the necessary space in the new buildings. Also, while the VH is beloved, if one of the main goals of the overall plan was to move the center of gravity north, this is inconsistent.