BETTER THAN HEARSAY - Smooth or Slippery Slope

WINDHAM - An historically transformative public hearing is slated to take place August 15 at the Windham planning board, related to the newly-named Windham Mountain Club and its development Master Plan.

Ski slope president Chip Seamans is expected to attend the hearing along with engineers and attorneys representing the cornerstone business.

Considerable controversy has surrounded the housing and recreational Master Plan since it was unveiled by new ownership, last summer.

It revealed a move toward privatization and $175,000 memberships that sent shock waves through the community, fearing the impacts the exclusivity might have on the rural, small town’s economy.

Many unknowns surfaced about the announced construction of 60-plus luxury homes and townhouses on land that had been largely used for visiting skier parking lots.

Fears deepened as people learned about the number of parking spaces being eliminated and whether they would be replaced, continuing to welcome non-member skiers.

Those non-members include the day-trippers, weekenders and families looking for affordable fun who packed the parking lots, overflowing into adjacent highways, frequenting local restaurants and hotels.

The ski slope started its routine site plan review and approval process on December 21, 2023, before things suddenly stalled amid planning board demands for many more particulars on the massive project.

Windham Mountain was looking to move forward as soon as possible but a showdown ensued over the required State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR), which can unfold simply or become very complex.

A lengthy memo was delivered by the planning board engineer, Delaware Engineering, to Windham Mountain Club at that December 21 meeting.

The memo stated that the planning board “is not in receipt of all information it may reasonably need to make the determination of [negative or positive SEQR] significance.

“We recommend that the planning board provide [Windham Mountain Club] time to provide said information,” the memo stated.

The planning board engineer, at that time, also posted a preliminary SEQR report on the town’s website, making it clear the Master Plan, as it was formed then, was most likely going nowhere fast.

Numerous standards must be met. Virtually every box was checked “yes” in the report, declaring in no uncertain terms the Master Plan would have serious local impacts, necessitating extensive and expensive review.

The ski slope was invited back for the next planning board session, in mid-January, 2024, to begin providing the seemingly endless list of requested additional information, but they chose to wait.

Little or nothing was publicly heard from them until the past month or so as they again approached the planning board with fresh documents.

The hearsay is that conversations have been ongoing between the involved parties, trying to find middle ground before the ski slope formally returned to the planning board.

It was everybody’s wish to avoid a dragged out and potentially ugly SEQR review, instead finding a way to allay growing angst and anger within the town while letting the ski slope slowly progress with its Master Plan.

The upcoming public hearing apparently is sending the message that has been accomplished, although the final result remains to be seen.

Clarity has been added to ski slope documents on key issues regarding the maximum number of visiting skiers that will be allowed on any given day and on parking capacities (Please see related story).