Powder Ridge project continues to stir up Middlefield officials
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Thursday, January 7, 2010 - 1:22pm
“What’s going on at the Ridge?”
That’s a question on many people’s minds and much discussion took place at the Jan. 4 Middlefield Board of Selectmen’s meeting about plans for Powder Ridge, as well as whether or not those plans were being developed using proper procedures.
First Selectman Jon Brayshaw’s contention that discussion of plans can continue in executive session was largely upheld by a phone call to the state Freedom of Information Commission the next morning, but the question of keeping at least the rest of the Board of Selectmen informed was less clear.
What is clear at this point is that Brayshaw, with support from select members of the ad hoc committee on Powder Ridge, are continuing to negotiate with Dan Frank, a principal of Snow Time Inc. According to Frank, who was enthusiastic in a phone interview on Wednesday, the plans of his company are to get everything settled as soon as possible so as to break ground by April 1 on needed improvements for the facility.
Meanwhile, some members of the ad hoc committee, as well as selectwoman Mary Johnson, are concerned that they don’t have enough ongoing information. “I’d love to stand up at a public meeting and support this plan,” said Johnson, “but I don’t know enough about the details to do that at this moment and it makes me sad.”
“That’s not to say that the plans are bad,” she hastened to add. “I just can’t tell you. The devil is in the details.”
That perceived lack of information may be remedied next Thursday, Jan. 14, when the Board of Finance, Board of Selectmen and ad hoc committee meet in joint session to discuss the proposed Memo of Understanding being negotiated with Snow Time.
A key sticking point in beginning negotiations, after the ad hoc committee recommended Snow Time, Inc. in late summer, was the question of whether the state water diversion permit (to take water for snow-making out of Lake Beseck) would be transferable. Based on a special legislative act inserted by State Senator Tom Gaffey into the budget passed in December, that diversion permit can now be passed on to Snow Time.
“That was critical,” said Brayshaw. “We would have preferred the Department of Environmental Protection to act, but we’ll take a legislative remedy if that’s what we’ve got.”
Another remaining sticking point is whether or not the town will get a state grant from the Department of Economic Development (EDC). According to Brayshaw, “Everyone I have talked to in Hartford says the right things, but it’s not signed yet. Until it’s signed, we can’t count on the money to fix some infrastructure problems like septic and electric and so we can’t finish negotiations.”
Brayshaw said on Wednesday that he had sent another letter to the commissioner, asking for an answer, any answer, as soon as possible. “We can deal with yes and we can deal with no,” he explained, “but we can’t deal with maybe.”
Meanwhile Frank of Snow Time frets about the deterioration on the Ridge while he makes plans with an engineer for what he’d like to see there – as soon as an agreement is reached and signed. Snow Time has experience in “snow business” as the owner-operators of three resorts in Pennsylvania – Liberty Mountain, Ski Roundtop and Whitetail Mountain.
Any agreement will eventually face a public hearing and voter scrutiny, and both parties are hoping that will come within the next six weeks.