Smith emphasized the necessity of the expansion for the continued sustainability of the resort which greatly depends on re-establishing a higher average of skier visits per season, which has fallen in past years.
NUMBER OF VISITS
Smith said Sugarbush's number of visits reached a peak of approximately 400,000 in the past, most taking place over 40 days of holiday and weekend days.
The sustainability of Sugarbush depends also on the number of rentable beds, according to Smith, and overall quality accommodations and amenities. He also emphasized the need for slopeside residences that appeal to the out-of-state families who prefer to avoid excess travel time to and from the ski area.
INCREASED SERVICE
The resort will expand, Smith said, according to market demand and necessity. The Castlerock Pub expansion, which added 80 seats and a patio deck, was a result of overcrowding and the perceived need for increased service.
The next phase, which Smith presented to members of the select board, is the continuation of skier amenities in the form of the ski and ride school. The three-building construction project (called 1B) will help "take away the perception of 44 stairs," Smith said, with a planned gradual change in elevation.
CURRENT GRADE
The ski school will utilize the current grade to allow children to exit (with their equipment) onto the snow level, which eliminates the previous long stair climb. Above the ski school there will be three- to four-bedroom residential apartments.
Smith said one of the goals of the redevelopment project is to further the "four season appeal" in the form of conference opportunities, special events, and Valley usage beyond the resort's primary purpose.
The second building, the Discovery Center, will be modeled after a Vermont sugar shack and will house guest services, a real estate center and perhaps, in the future, additional condominium units. Condominium units will not exceed 80 units and will be built in stages, Smith said, according to market demand.
MATCH THE VALLEY
Smith said the redevelopment will "match The Valley" focus on Vermont architecture, and "look and feel like a true Vermont ski village."
One of the objectives, he said, is to create a new village and tie it into the old village via pedestrian, skier and bike pathways.
Sugarbush has submitted an application for the first phase of the redevelopment project (1B) which they are seeking full approval on for all (10) criteria. If approved, construction will begin this summer and must be completed by December 2009.
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