Rutland Herald
By Bryanna Allen
staff writer | April 15,2014
staff writer | April 15,2014
KILLINGTON — Killington is known for its
vast amounts of fresh powder, extreme terrain parks and active
nightlife. But when the snow melts and the skiers leave, another side of
Killington emerges — a side less known to the rest of the world. Other
than weddings and a few festivals, Killington isn’t as famous for its
summers.
Town manager Seth Webb wants to change that.
Webb has a plan to bring more activities and attention to Killington during the summer as way to make the area more of a tourist destination and bring in more revenue for the town.
“There is so much to offer in this part of Vermont in the summer, as well as in winter,” said Webb, who brought the idea of a mountain biking trail to the town Select Board on April 1. The board voted unanimously to bring the application to the U.S. Forest Service, where it awaits approval.
Webb’s plan is to build a 15-mile mountain biking trail in the Green Mountain National Forest. A similar system of trails was built in Burke, a small town in the Northeast Kingdom. Those trails became nationally recognized when Bike Magazine! named them the “2008 Best Trail Network in North America,” which attracted an additional 40,000 tourists annually, according to Burke town officials. That influx of people brings in an estimated $4 million dollars per year to the local economy.
Seth Webb imagines something similar for Killington.
“This will encourage fun for all ages and boost our viability as a summer destination,” he said. The plan in the town’s application would have the trails ready for summer 2015.
Kaleb Charles is an avid mountain biker and frequent skier at Killington, and said he would love the chance to ride somewhere new in the area.
“I’ve been to the trails in Burke, and they’re amazing,” Charles said. “If we could have trails like those close to home, it would be a great way to spend the weekend and a great way to keep it local.”
Webb predicts the project will cost between $300,000 and $400,000, and much of that cost could come from funding, such as the Vermont Mountain Bike Association and the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. The town plans to pursue all sources of possible funding.
The U.S. Forest Service is reviewing the project, along with analyzing how trail construction and bike traffic will affect the biological and ecological aspects of the forest.
Phil Black, owner of the Lookout Tavern, has wanted more mountain biking trails in the area for the past decade.
“We’re behind in the tourism industry,” said Black, who wants the trails for economic as well as personal purposes. “People want a green, outdoor experience. We have the green land, we just need a great way to utilize it. This is the way.”
bryanna.allen @rutlandherald.com
Town manager Seth Webb wants to change that.
Webb has a plan to bring more activities and attention to Killington during the summer as way to make the area more of a tourist destination and bring in more revenue for the town.
“There is so much to offer in this part of Vermont in the summer, as well as in winter,” said Webb, who brought the idea of a mountain biking trail to the town Select Board on April 1. The board voted unanimously to bring the application to the U.S. Forest Service, where it awaits approval.
Webb’s plan is to build a 15-mile mountain biking trail in the Green Mountain National Forest. A similar system of trails was built in Burke, a small town in the Northeast Kingdom. Those trails became nationally recognized when Bike Magazine! named them the “2008 Best Trail Network in North America,” which attracted an additional 40,000 tourists annually, according to Burke town officials. That influx of people brings in an estimated $4 million dollars per year to the local economy.
Seth Webb imagines something similar for Killington.
“This will encourage fun for all ages and boost our viability as a summer destination,” he said. The plan in the town’s application would have the trails ready for summer 2015.
Kaleb Charles is an avid mountain biker and frequent skier at Killington, and said he would love the chance to ride somewhere new in the area.
“I’ve been to the trails in Burke, and they’re amazing,” Charles said. “If we could have trails like those close to home, it would be a great way to spend the weekend and a great way to keep it local.”
Webb predicts the project will cost between $300,000 and $400,000, and much of that cost could come from funding, such as the Vermont Mountain Bike Association and the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. The town plans to pursue all sources of possible funding.
The U.S. Forest Service is reviewing the project, along with analyzing how trail construction and bike traffic will affect the biological and ecological aspects of the forest.
Phil Black, owner of the Lookout Tavern, has wanted more mountain biking trails in the area for the past decade.
“We’re behind in the tourism industry,” said Black, who wants the trails for economic as well as personal purposes. “People want a green, outdoor experience. We have the green land, we just need a great way to utilize it. This is the way.”
bryanna.allen @rutlandherald.com
Comment:
Well I sure hope this is not a case of, "Here we go again." like what happened with the Green Mountain National Golf Course (GMNGC). In that case the town of Killington duplicated an already existing amenity in the town, which only cost the town signifcant amounts of money which we are still paying for. These funds were diverted from essential municipal projects such as road maintenance for which the town recently approved borrowed millions to address and taxes are going up to pay for now and in future years.
This proposal also flies into the face of the hypocritical "non-compete with local businesses" philosophy that the town has espoused in the management of GMNGC thereby hamstringing its operations by not allowing it to engage in revenue generating activities such as after hours restaurant and lounge operations, crosscountry skiing, clubhouse rental for functions, etc., which further increases its dependence on taxpayers to payoff its debt. Killington Resort already has an extensive mountain bike trail facility as well as a golf course. Mike Solimano has also announced plans to expand the trail network this summer. This proposal would directly compete with their operations. I thought we were in kumbaya mode with the resort wherein the town and resort would partner in economic development and not compete with each other. So much for that partnership.
Additionally the townspeople were promised that the golf course would not cost them a penny as it would be self sustaining. While not exactly the same situation as this proposal which looks to get some funding from other agencies, the promise again seems to be the townspeople will fund little to nothing for this project. My fear is that the ball will get rolling on this, little to no money will be forthcoming from outside sources and the taxpayers once again get stuck with the bill.
Vito
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