The ideal New England winter home (for maximum snow experience)

[Damage In Tolland]

I suspected that that would be the case, but I know you'd know better than I.  I'm curious as to whether it gets any artificial enhancement from snow blowing down.  It's probably not 'ravine' enough for that to happen, but perhaps it does a little to pad the snow totals.

 

We've gone down this road of buying a place a few times over the years--maybe this is the time we'll pull the trigger. It's also the first time we've looked during the off-season.  I'll spend more time looking at the houses and less time estimating what the snow depth is.

So put in a $50,000 inground pool in a multi million dollar home..and then decide to move to NH?

[powderfreak]

I suspected that that would be the case, but I know you'd know better than I. I'm curious as to whether it gets any artificial enhancement from snow blowing down. It's probably not 'ravine' enough for that to happen, but perhaps it does a little to pad the snow totals.

What exactly do you mean by blowing down?

If you're talking like wind-transport that's probably very unlikely unless you are within like 1,000 vertical feet of a treeless summit...say maybe the top 1,000ft of Mansfield's east side or the Ravines on Mount Washington...like the Hermit Lake Shelter.

You'd probably need some serious, serious wind to blow snow from a forested mountain top down into any inhabited area. Any evergreen forest is going to act like a net for snow.

Now if you are thinking there's orographic effect up high and you might get residual fall-out prior to downslope drying, that's possible but that all gets put under orographic snows...ie the mountain created a snow shower and it didn't fully dissipate by the time it reached you.

The chances of having a backyard where snow is blown from a summit into your yard is very, very unlikely IMO.

[NEK_VT_Upslope_Event]

At the risk of sounding a bit polarizing, which is not my intent, just sharing other points of view:

 

Just adding a local color to all the VT talk, most of the locals outside of Stowe scoff at how touristy it has become. It doesn't represent 'true Vermont' and I'm afraid it will not represent the same ideal with the millenials as it has with the boomers and the generation x's. I don't necessarily agree, just afraid this may happen.

 

Also, the whole Queechee/Woodstock area, is similarly viewed.

 

If you are a natural loving person, beware of what you get in the more touristy towns, it may not be too dissimilar to the BS you put up with in the SNE suburbs. As for me, I'm incredibly proud that I chose the NEK to get away to. I feel like what I have is what Stowe/Queechee was 40-50 years ago, and I can play a role in helping make the community make the right choices to grow in a strong way, but avoid some of the traps that others have fallen into.

[moneypitmike]

So put in a $50,000 inground pool in a multi million dollar home..and then decide to move to NH?

 

LOL--I think you have me confused with someone else.

 

The new place would be a getaway.

 

What exactly do you mean by blowing down?

If you're talking like wind-transport that's probably very unlikely unless you are within like 1,000 vertical feet of a treeless summit...say maybe the top 1,000ft of Mansfield's east side or the Ravines on Mount Washington...like the Hermit Lake Shelter.

You'd probably need some serious, serious wind to blow snow from a forested mountain top down into any inhabited area. Any evergreen forest is going to act like a net for snow.

Now if you are thinking there's orographic effect up high and you might get residual fall-out prior to downslope drying, that's possible but that all gets put under orographic snows...ie the mountain created a snow shower and it didn't fully dissipate by the time it reached you.

The chances of having a backyard where snow is blown from a summit into your yard is very, very unlikely IMO.

 

Thanks--that's what I was wondering about. 

[CoastalWx]

At the risk of sounding a bit polarizing, which is not my intent, just sharing other points of view:

Just adding a local color to all the VT talk, most of the locals outside of Stowe scoff at how touristy it has become. It doesn't represent 'true Vermont' and I'm afraid it will not represent the same ideal with the millenials as it has with the boomers and the generation x's. I don't necessarily agree, just afraid this may happen.

Also, the whole Queechee/Woodstock area, is similarly viewed.

If you are a natural loving person, beware of what you get in the more touristy towns, it may not be too dissimilar to the BS you put up with in the SNE suburbs. As for me, I'm incredibly proud that I chose the NEK to get away to. I feel like what I have is what Stowe/Queechee was 40-50 years ago, and I can play a role in helping make the community make the right choices to grow in a strong way, but avoid some of the traps that others have fallen into.

It's part of the evolution. Tourist equal tax dollars and good services. The days of trailers and home schooling are going away.

[CoastalWx]

I second that - sometimes surprisingly well. Only been there for a season, but we even had a strange storm where we got a few inches of sloppy snow, and Wildcat got wet snow with no accumulation. Still have no explanation for that considering the difference in elevation - but all in all, the entire Bartlett-Jackson-Hart's Location area does pretty well. We are a couple of hundred feet higher than the valley floor, and I haven't really noticed much difference. North Conway, on the other hand, can be quite a bit warmer on some marginal storms, and clears up faster than we do. Several times I left No Conway with clearing skies, and it was still dumping at the house.

You can't lose there especially at that spot. You are nestled into the SE slopes of the whites. Even at a lower elevation it's fantastic. Upslope does not start at the bottom slope of a mtn. It starts actually a little before or upstream due to bottle necking and blocking of flow trying to move up the higher terrain. Get some flow just off the deck from the east and southeast such as an approaching SWFE and it's money.

[NEK_VT_Upslope_Event]

It's part of the evolution. Tourist equal tax dollars and good services. The days of trailers and home schooling are going away.

Actually, that's not the way it necessarily needs to be. Everything in balance...and in VT that means keeping it natural and not allowing zoning to put a storefront every 50 feet up the entire road. Again, the general view 'outside of the heavy tourist towns' is that, although the development is inevitable, there is a better way to do it.

[ORH_wxman]

Actually, that's not the way it necessarily needs to be. Everything in balance...and in VT that means keeping it natural and not allowing zoning to put a storefront every 50 feet up the entire road. Again, the general view 'outside of the heavy tourist towns' is that, although the development is inevitable, there is a better way to do it.

 

I love natural too...so I get what you are saying.

 

On the flip side, it could be argued that VT was the least natural region of NNE historically due to all the farm-cleared land.

[powderfreak]

NEK, yes it depends on what you are looking for. There are plenty of great spots in VT for living in the middle of no where without any tourists, but then you lose some of the creature comforts that those towns have. Like I grew up in the suburbs of Albany...I like having a movie theater that plays new releases, a place to go get Sushi one night, and Thai food the next, then go out to see Rusted Root play at the Rusty Nail. If I can do that in a place that gets a lot of snow and allows me to enjoy the outdoors all year round, that's what I'm looking for right now.

Again I'm in my 20s, so the thought of living in a place where I can't buy anything after 6pm doesn't appeal as much. It's a love hate relationship with the resort towns on RT 100...a longtime girlfriend's parents live up in Derby and hate Burlington, Stowe, Killington, Waterbury, Ludlow, all ski resorts, etc saying those aren't the real VT. I've had long debates with them about it...tourists bring money and money brings services. Resort towns and areas are just different from the rest of New England...I'm sure the people in Pittsburg, NH think the tourist towns further south like Lake Winni area or up toward Conway aren't the "real NH" either. Same thing in Colorado...every ranching town hates the resort towns for whatever reason.

I think it just depends what you are looking for. Plenty of folks buy places further out in VT as they get older...a lot of folks over the age of 40-50 that work at the ski resort have moved on to Hardwick, Hyde Park, Elmore. Which I think once married and settled with kids grown up, I'd move further out there. But coming from Albany to Burlington and being younger, this is a much better fit than living in Danville or Cabot where most folks under 30-35 years old seem to do drugs out of boredom.

[NEK_VT_Upslope_Event]

I love natural too...so I get what you are saying.

 

On the flip side, it could be argued that VT was the least natural region of NNE historically due to all the farm-cleared land.

 

Fair point. The truth is in how you define 'natural'. I define it as lack of asphalt and cement.

[moneypitmike]

You can't lose there especially at that spot. You are nestled into the SE slopes of the whites. Even at a lower elevation it's fantastic. Upslope does not start at the bottom slope of a mtn. It starts actually a little before or upstream due to bottle necking and blocking of flow trying to move up the higher terrain. Get some flow just off the deck from the east and southeast such as an approaching SWFE and it's money.

 

This post makes my day.  Now--I need to find a way to position this with the Mrs.  I'm not sure saying "It starts actually a little before or upstream due to bottle necking and blocking of flow trying to move up the higher terrain" will close the deal. 

 

That particular one is a bit secluded and she may be more inclined to one with closer neighbors to keep an eye on things when we're not around.

[powderfreak]

Actually, that's not the way it necessarily needs to be. Everything in balance...and in VT that means keeping it natural and not allowing zoning to put a storefront every 50 feet up the entire road. Again, the general view 'outside of the heavy tourist towns' is that, although the development is inevitable, there is a better way to do it.

I'm not sure there is though. I really don't have an issue with how Stowe and Ludlow and Woodstock are. They have kept the quaint village center with white steeple church, sidewalks, no fast food spots, zoning laws that don't allow commercial signs to be larger than like 6 feet off the ground, etc.

Stowe is the second largest town in terms of acres in VT. The commercial areas occupy literally a fraction of that. It's not like there's a Walmart next to a Home Depot next to a Best Buy. There are two roads (2 out of 100 in this town) that have businesses on them. Radders and I were discussing the other day how you can take a half hour or 45 minute drive in town on dirt roads through countryside residential areas and not see a business. I've been to Ludlow plenty of times and it's the same way, Main Street and the road to the ski resort (Okemo) have development. Most of it tasteful, but there are miles and miles of other roads with fields and residential areas that aren't like cookie cutter suburb houses.

In Stowe I can tell you all the downtown structures have been there for like 100 years. This wasn't some recent development. I'm not sure what else you could do to this?

The Mountain Road is more sprawl-ish, but I'd rather they keep it all on one road and not start sprouting stuff up out in the countryside.

[powderfreak]

Fair point. The truth is in how you define 'natural'. I define it as lack of asphalt and cement.

Take a good drive around some of these towns. I guess coming from suburbia and Burlington/Champlain Valley that we may have different views on "lack of concrete and asphalt"....but this is the view of Stowe from the eastern border, town is down there in the valley, and the western town border is the Spine of the Greens. I've heard VTers say they don't like stuck-up rich tourists, and I get long-timers don't like the resort towns and capitalist development in general...but that's the beauty of NNE, you can have it all. The foot-print in these resort towns are so small and contained usually compared to the surrounding land.

Even like Manchester VT or Conway, NH or Lee, MA...places known for shopping or outlet stores, the foot-print is so small on the bigger view. You drive one mile in any direction and you are back out in the middle of the woods or fields.

[NEK_VT_Upslope_Event]

@PF: I am speaking to non-tourist town sentiment. Within it are obviously a combination of truth, jealousy and rural pride. I agree with a lot of what you say. With that said, nothing beats the beauty of the more rural areas in VT, especially in the summer and after a fresh snowfall. Those areas could be in rural Stowe, NEK or Woodstock. I think we can all agree on that.

 

With that said, I just want to raise my hand and say that, contrary to your opinions on everyone who is <30 is doing drugs, this is not true and is a strong and negative stereotype. There are lots of good things going on the NEK. Even though the population is low, have you been to Hill Farmstead Brewery? Have you been to downtown St J and shopped recently? There are good things happening. We do need more and better paid jobs for the 20-somethings but I think that can and will happen with the right leadership, which is developing. My last point is that I expect, repeating what I said earlier, that millenials, when they become self-paid tourists and 2nd (or even primary) home buyers, may see a better opportunity in the NEK than in the Stowe area. In a day and age when you can buy everything you need materially over the internet, and shop for very high end organic food, grown next door, and that is preferable, as well as buy the same exact house for 1/3rd of what it would cost in Stowe, I think the formula may change. We could debate this until we are blue in the face and we wouldn't know until it really happens, but I think that it may end up that way. In fact, I think it would be preferable for areas like Stowe that new population gets better distributed throughout the state than creating more chaos and traffic up the mountain road.

[CoastalWx]

I'm not sure there is though. I really don't have an issue with how Stowe and Ludlow and Woodstock are. They have kept the quaint village center with white steeple church, sidewalks, no fast food spots, zoning laws that don't allow commercial signs to be larger than like 6 feet off the ground, etc.

Stowe is the second largest town in terms of acres in VT. The commercial areas occupy literally a fraction of that. It's not like there's a Walmart next to a Home Depot next to a Best Buy. There are two roads (2 out of 100 in this town) that have businesses on them. Radders and I were discussing the other day how you can take a half hour or 45 minute drive in town on dirt roads through countryside residential areas and not see a business. I've been to Ludlow plenty of times and it's the same way, Main Street and the road to the ski resort (Okemo) have development. Most of it tasteful, but there are miles and miles of other roads with fields and residential areas that aren't like cookie cutter suburb houses.

In Stowe I can tell you all the downtown structures have been there for like 100 years. This wasn't some recent development. I'm not sure what else you could do to this?

The Mountain Road is more sprawl-ish, but I'd rather they keep it all on one road and not start sprouting stuff up out in the countryside.

 

You are spot on I think. That's what I have in mind. You keep the natural charm, but build up in a "classy and New England" kind of way. I like having things more classic too. Part of the reason why as  I get older I find myself liking more rural areas. But, I don't want the nearest police or fire 20 miles away either...and schools that have text books from 1958.

[CoastalWx]

Those cheap home prices won't last forever though. Once tourists and people with big wallets come to buy land and houses...boom goes property values. That can be a great thing though. That leads to good schools and civil services.

[ORH_wxman]

 

@PF: I am speaking to non-tourist town sentiment. Within it are obviously a combination of truth, jealousy and rural pride. I agree with a lot of what you say. With that said, nothing beats the beauty of the more rural areas in VT, especially in the summer and after a fresh snowfall. Those areas could be in rural Stowe, NEK or Woodstock. I think we can all agree on that.

 

With that said, I just want to raise my hand and say that, contrary to your opinions on everyone who is <30 is doing drugs, this is not true and is a strong and negative stereotype. There are lots of good things going on the NEK. Even though the population is low, have you been to Hill Farmstead Brewery? Have you been to downtown St J and shopped recently? There are good things happening. We do need more and better paid jobs for the 20-somethings but I think that can and will happen with the right leadership, which is developing. My last point is that I expect, repeating what I said earlier, that millenials, when they become self-paid tourists and 2nd (or even primary) home buyers, may see a better opportunity in the NEK than in the Stowe area. In a day and age when you can buy everything you need materially over the internet, and shop for very high end organic food, grown next door, and that is preferable, as well as buy the same exact house for 1/3rd of what it would cost in Stowe, I think the formula may change. We could debate this until we are blue in the face and we wouldn't know until it really happens, but I think that it may end up that way. In fact, I think it would be preferable for areas like Stowe that new population gets better distributed throughout the state than creating more chaos and traffic up the mountain road.

 

One of the aspects I love about the SR area in Maine is how "un-resorty" it is compared to some of the other bigger ski areas. Don't get me wrong, I love Killington and sometimes the resorty part is fun, especially if you love nightlife...but I find myself as I get older, I like the less developed regions.

[NEK_VT_Upslope_Event]

Those cheap home prices won't last forever though. Once tourists and people with big wallets come to buy land and houses...boom goes property values. That can be a great thing though. That leads to good schools and civil services.

You've got bingo. Also, I think there is something which is really cool about being there for that development, and helping direct in a positive way. That's what excites me, not being the 10,001th person to come to a town/area that was already developed and is thriving with lots of money and Mass plates.

[CoastalWx]

The town my parents bought in, Moultonboro NH has the highest amount of property on lake frontage. The schools and police/fire etc are top notch actually. 

 

However, there are a lot of conservation committees, especially on Squam Lake committed to keep the charm too and I also agree with that. Luckily the state of NH is implementing some hefty fines if you break rules such as mowing down a forest so your 10 million dollar home can have water front views. 

[CoastalWx]

Another nice thing about Bethel and that area is that they can sometimes cash in on those storms

blowing up SE of PWM. Those ME specials.

But you can't lose in those spots suggested in VT, NH, and ME. Just depends on your flavor.

[powderfreak]

@PF: I am speaking to non-tourist town sentiment. Within it are obviously a combination of truth, jealousy and rural pride. I agree with a lot of what you say. With that said, nothing beats the beauty of the more rural areas in VT, especially in the summer and after a fresh snowfall. Those areas could be in rural Stowe, NEK or Woodstock. I think we can all agree on that.

With that said, I just want to raise my hand and say that, contrary to your opinions on everyone who is <30 is doing drugs, this is not true and is a strong and negative stereotype. There are lots of good things going on the NEK. Even though the population is low, have you been to Hill Farmstead Brewery? Have you been to downtown St J and shopped recently? There are good things happening. We do need more and better paid jobs for the 20-somethings but I think that can and will happen with the right leadership, which is developing. My last point is that I expect, repeating what I said earlier, that millenials, when they become self-paid tourists and 2nd (or even primary) home buyers, may see a better opportunity in the NEK than in the Stowe area. In a day and age when you can buy everything you need materially over the internet, and shop for very high end organic food, grown next door, and that is preferable, as well as buy the same exact house for 1/3rd of what it would cost in Stowe, I think the formula may change. We could debate this until we are blue in the face and we wouldn't know until it really happens, but I think that it may end up that way. In fact, I think it would be preferable for areas like Stowe that new population gets better distributed throughout the state than creating more chaos and traffic up the mountain road.

All fair points. Regarding the rural drugs type deal...that is a lot of media generated, but I also work and know a lot of people that grew up in other rural parts of VT and there is some truth to that that those areas have higher-per-capita rates of that type of stuff. But that's also because the populations are smaller. Kids I know that grew up out there say it is boring, especially if your folks can't afford skiing/snowboarding or buying snowmobiles or whatever. I would have to have an internal discussion with myself if I would raise kids in some of the more rural areas... But could certainly see myself move out there as I get older too.

I studied Resort Management in the School of Natural Resources at UVM for two years before going to Economics, but we did a lot of work on just these issues...tourist towns vs rural areas and there's like an unspoken rivalry for some reason haha. You said it right when you said town pride...there's a lot of that in this thread and you'll never change it. Like someone who lives in Boston says it's better than NY, and the reverse is true for the other guy lol.

I think the development will come in the NEK at some point, but it will be slower and may not come completely. People won't move there in full unless there are more services or jobs or some other driver. Some people don't want that to happen (the debates at Jay Peak and that area were interesting prior to their recent construction)...others want more jobs and tourism to feed the local economy.

It's a delicate balance. Good debate and rebuttal dude. I could talk about tourist development all day long.

[powderfreak]

One of the aspects I love about the SR area in Maine is how "un-resorty" it is compared to some of the other bigger ski areas. Don't get me wrong, I love Killington and sometimes the resorty part is fun, especially if you love nightlife...but I find myself as I get older, I like the less developed regions.

Killington is by far the worst resort sprawl in VT. Possibly New England. That was not a town prior to the ski resort. The ski area incorporated it. That's the difference between Ludlow, Woodstock, Stowe, etc which were towns with main streets where horses pulled carts prior to the automobile. They were towns before the ski areas. They were resort towns even back when FDR would come stay at the Mansfield hotel on top of the mountain (no longer there). People came to these towns for a reason back then.

The funny thing is Will mentioned the agricultural period in VT and I've seen photos that I think the Stowe area looks much more wild now than it did in 1900 as hard as that is to believe. The entire valley was clear cut. There were no trees except on the mountain. I'll have to find one online that shows this. It "looks" more wild now if that's possible.

[BostonWX]

Being young, I like being near Boston. I live on an acre, bordering over 25  sq miles of conservation in the woods, all 7 miles from downtown. Jobs, food, and social life are all leagues above anything else in New England. That being said, the locale definitely lacks in the snowfall dept compared to most on this board...

 

Having spent much time in central NH (school), I grew to love the region and its climate. The real issue is picking spots and balancing a town/social life etc with snow. In NH, non downsloped parts of woodstock/lincoln/franconia are probably the best balance.

 

The Lakes Region has tons of great towns. Meredith and Center Harbor area is beautiful with a good amount of things to do, but if we're talking balancing max snow experience with a cool town in NH, it's gotta be a well sited place in Lincoln. I'm not as familiar with Vermont, but Stowe has to be one of the top choices for most.

[Nittany88]

At the risk of sounding a bit polarizing, which is not my intent, just sharing other points of view:

 

Just adding a local color to all the VT talk, most of the locals outside of Stowe scoff at how touristy it has become. It doesn't represent 'true Vermont' and I'm afraid it will not represent the same ideal with the millenials as it has with the boomers and the generation x's. I don't necessarily agree, just afraid this may happen.

 

Also, the whole Queechee/Woodstock area, is similarly viewed.

 

If you are a natural loving person, beware of what you get in the more touristy towns, it may not be too dissimilar to the BS you put up with in the SNE suburbs. As for me, I'm incredibly proud that I chose the NEK to get away to. I feel like what I have is what Stowe/Queechee was 40-50 years ago, and I can play a role in helping make the community make the right choices to grow in a strong way, but avoid some of the traps that others have fallen into.

 

Ah yes the Vermont "holier than thou" "I hate tourist attitude" that penetrates backwoods Vermont. Yet that's where virtually all the income in the entire state comes from (tourism).

 

Not directing that at you, but that attitude that you're speaking of annoys me to no end (right up there with what I call "Fake Green Attitude").

[Nittany88]

Is there a better way than strip malls? Of course, but I highly doubt any town board up here would ever approve of some way of expanding the town center to keep the village intact while still allowing for tourists and development. Hence why you get the strip malls outside of the town. No one up here ever wants to improve infrastructure (Lol the Circ) or expand town centers. I think Stowe would be improved if they expanded the town center (while keeping its integrity) outward adding in stores and hotels around the center or the ski resort, creating a little more pedestrian friendly resort/town rather than the strip mall feel you speak of.

[mreaves]

Both PF & NEK have made some good points. I think some of the rivalry aspect is due to how different towns are treated by the State. Take Barre for example. The State has made Barre the center in Washington and parts of Orange counties for all services such as probation and parole, courts and other services. Since there is no real transportation system in VT, most of the people who get released from jail and have to check in with their PO every other day have to be within a reasonable distance. At one point, Barre had nearly 500 furloughed prisoners living in the city. Many called it a prison without walls. Do you think this would ever be allowed to happen in Stowe or Woodstock? No friggin way!

The other thing is that it is just too expensive to live in those towns for the average, non-trust funded Vermonter. The workers may have to work there but most of them are commuting in. I wonder how many teachers or cops live in the towns they work for. This is a big reason why many Vermonters outside of these towns view them as virtual amusement parks with a "Vermont" theme.

[powderfreak]

Is there a better way than strip malls? Of course, but I highly doubt any town board up here would ever approve of some way of expanding the town center to keep the village intact while still allowing for tourists and development. Hence why you get the strip malls outside of the town. No one up here ever wants to improve infrastructure (Lol the Circ) or expand town centers. I think Stowe would be improved if they expanded the town center (while keeping its integrity) outward adding in stores and hotels around the center or the ski resort, creating a little more pedestrian friendly resort/town rather than the strip mall feel you speak of.

I get that along the Mountain Road here but I've never felt it was excessive. At least most of the businesses are stand-alone structures but I can think of two strip-mall type structures (one the town wants to rip down) that are eyesores. Those are a by-product of the 1970s I'm afraid haha.

But most of the restaurants are stand alone structures, and a lot sort of look like they belong. In fact there used to be a McDonalds in town that was eventually removed because it didn't "fit."

If anyone wants to see a VT town with no planning or care, check out Morrisville. Big Lots, Sears, huge supermarkets, etc...there's your concrete sprawl. It's sort of like there are a few types of towns in VT: 1) tourist towns that are classic VT towns but have been commercialized. 2) towns that want nothing to do with commercialism. 3) Towns that just don't give a F and decided they are getting their tax dollars from big businesses/box stores like Williston and Morrisville and White River Junction/Lebanon area.

[Nittany88]

I get that along the Mountain Road here but I've never felt it was excessive. At least most of the businesses are stand-alone structures but I can think of two strip-mall type structures (one the town wants to rip down) that are eyesores. Those are a by-product of the 1970s I'm afraid haha.

But most of the restaurants are stand alone structures, and a lot sort of look like they belong. In fact there used to be a McDonalds in town that was eventually removed because it didn't "fit."

If anyone wants to see a VT town with no planning or care, check out Morrisville. Big Lots, Sears, huge supermarkets, etc...there's your concrete sprawl. It's sort of like there are a few types of towns in VT: 1) tourist towns that are classic VT towns but have been commercialized. 2) towns that want nothing to do with commercialism. 3) Towns that just don't give a F and decided they are getting their tax dollars from big businesses/box stores like Williston and Morrisville and White River Junction/Lebanon area.

 

Oh I agree with you, its not excessive to me, but I could see where people would find it a bit much. Personally while I love Stowe, I would like it even more with a better centralized location where you can walk from place to place, whether that would be in the town itself or surrounding the resort.

 

Also I agree that any expansion should be done with care and planning, and Morrisville is a great example of how that wasn't done haha. And your spot on with your three types of towns.

[Nittany88]

Oh I agree with you, its not excessive to me, but I could see where people would find it a bit much. Personally while I love Stowe, I would like it even more with a better centralized location where you can walk from place to place, whether that would be in the town itself or surrounding the resort.

 

Also I agree that any expansion should be done with care and planning, and Morrisville is a great example of how that wasn't done haha. And your spot on with your three types of towns.

 

I'm actually surprised Stowe hasn't made their resort at the base of the mountain more like a "village" like a Stratton or a Tremblant. Any particular reason why that you know of?

[powderfreak]

I'm actually surprised Stowe hasn't made their resort at the base of the mountain more like a "village" like a Stratton or a Tremblant. Any particular reason why that you know of?

 

One big reason and really the only reason: It is state land.  A large part of the ski area is part of a lease with the state for the land.  The state says what they can and can't do on a lot of it...recreation opportunities like skiing, mtn biking, zip lining, etc is a yes...after lengthy environmental impact studies and meetings, etc.  Development for real estate and structures just for the sake of making money is a no (which is how it should be).  I'm a big fan obviously of using state and federal land for recreation.  The ski area actually owns the land at the base of Spruce Peak (on the north side of the road) which is why that's where the hotel, performing arts center, and golf course went.  There's very limited space up there to develop though, so therefore no real base village (although they are now putting in an outdoor ice rink and a few more things at the base)...basically doing what they can to make somewhat of a nucleus at the base.  But development at the base of Mansfield on the south side of the road is not going to happen anytime soon aside from ski-related structures (base lodge, mountain operations offices, etc).  That's also why the only real development in the 1960s and 1970s was at the base of the Toll Road (those older condos and conference center you pass on the road), because that was the closest privately owned land at the time.