Baldy Master Plan - Skimap

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Mount BaldyResort ExpansionMaster Plan February 2005Brett Sweezy, Director and President: Brett brings capital fund raising and formation, investorrelations and over 15 years of financial experience to the corporation. Brett is a Certified PublicAccountant and recently resigned as the Chief Financial Officer of Lifestream Technologies,Inc., a publicly traded medical device design and marketing company. At Lifestream, Brett waspersonally involved in securing nearly USD $20 million of new financing, management of nearly30 employees and Lifestream’s growth from $0 sales to over $5 million annually. Prior to 1999,Brett served as CFO and Treasurer of Secured Interactive Technologies, Inc., and President ofBrett R. Sweezy, CPA, PA, a public accounting firm.1.3 PLANNING PROCESSIn the Spring of 2004, Brent Harley and Associates Inc. were retained to create a ResortExpansion Master Plan for Mount Baldy. This work was initiated with a detailed terrain analysisof the proposed Study Area. Using preliminary large-scale topographic mapping (BC TRIM), anassessment of the study area’s potential to support additional alpine ski resort developmentpotential was determined. Subsequently, the range of resort expansion opportunity wascompiled and presented to MBSC. As the results of this analysis proved the technical feasibilityfor expansion consistent with the proponent’s anticipated plans for the area, a more detailedproject visioning session was conducted, and more detailed mapping was obtained.Building upon the opportunities inherent in the local terrain – and anticipating a growing marketdemand for a resort product, somewhat different than the “typical” ski area offering – acomprehensive vision for the new resort was created and detailed conceptual planning wasundertaken. The results of this process provided the foundation for the Master Plan, and willguide the implementation of these plans, both on the mountain and in the base area well intothe future.1.4 THE PROJECT VISIONMt. Baldy currently is a “hidden gem” where skiing today can be compared to what it was twentyyears ago: friendly, un-crowded and affordable. The MBSC intends to protect these attributes;to elevate the resort’s infrastructure and ability to support current skier expectations; and totransform Baldy into a profitable enterprise capable of becoming a significant driver of the SouthOkanagan’s regional economy.A Time For New Resort Development PrinciplesThe mountain resort product in British Columbia has evolved greatly over the last 20 years.Blessed with a vast network of lofty peaks and abundant snow, BC has transformed itself fromrelative obscurity to a primary tourism leader in less than a generation. Today resortcommunities like Whistler, Fernie, Big White and Silver Star are regularly cited as “Best InClass”. Tourism professionals come from all over the world to study how things are done in BC.Awards, citations, substantial media attention – international success has come rapidly.Some feel that the once-wildly successful 1980’s resort model is potentially reaching the end ofits conceptual lifespan. Perhaps a new model should be devised to better address the changingsocial practices and new environmental constraints of 21 st century life. The MBSC believes thatMt. Baldy provides exactly this type of opportunity.Page 3Brent Harley & Associates Inc.The Resort Planning Group
Mount BaldyResort ExpansionMaster Plan February 2005In an effort to complement the existingregional ski-products, to provide thewinter-resort marketplace with a greaterdiversity of product, and to remain true tothe unique Baldy character, MBSCbelieves that there is an opportunity toprogressively redefine their winter-resortproduct. They believe that it is time to getinspired by the sport’s pioneering yearsas a means of stimulating a prosperousand self-sustaining future.Mountain recreation is all about gettingback in touch with nature. It’s not aboutimposing urban values on a rural sector.Rather, mountain recreation shouldprovide visitors with a respite from theall-too-hectic pace of modern urban life,to provide them with an, ‘escape’. Theintent is to inspire visitors and patrons tovisit these mountain oases time and timeagain.The intent is to create a successful 21stcentury mountain resort, a resort whoseconceptual foundations are based on itsown unique personality rather than onthe dominant trends of the day.The Challenges of the Current Model‣ “How many customers are too many?” The convergence ofhigh-speed technology and mass-market business practiceshas created a level of on-hill congestion that is increasinglybecoming a liability for some big BC resorts.‣ “Profit at all costs?” Mountain communities suffer greatly whenthe cost of owning a home becomes unbearable to all but thevery wealthy. So what happens when no one can afford to livewhere they work and play?‣ “What price haste?” The rapid changes in once-pristinemountain locales have created a growing conflict betweenmountain resort developers and environmentalists. It begs thequestion: when will we start developing the next generation of“green” resorts?‣ “Business before culture?” Even the once ubiquitous day-lodge(traditionally the heart of any thriving ski area) has beenjettisoned in favour of income-producing hillside properties. Sohow do people meet each other anymore?‣ “Nature -- What nature?” Most resort managers today are sointent on finding corporate dollars to underwrite their on-hillprograms that the slopes and lifts are becoming ugly billboardsfor consumer products. Where did the trees and the forestsgo?Where is the re-creation in all this? Where is the simple joy ofplaying in the snow in the mountains with people of like mind?Where, finally, are the life-affirming values that once constituted thevery backbone of the ski experience?- Michel Beaudry, Ski Area Critic and Journalist -Consider Mount Baldy’s attributes:• A high-elevation base area well above the winter freezing level;• A physical environment that features accessible terrain suited to a wide range of users ina variety of mountain modes (cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, backcountry touringand classic lift serviced boarding and skiing);• Proximity to a distinctive valley ecosystem (the ‘pocket’ desert);• A relatively gentle winter climate with ample sun and snow;• A rich and inspiring history of local use of the area• Located in the extreme south of the Okanagan – closest resort to the US skier market• Located in one of the fastest growing destination skier markets in BC – the Okanagan.All these traits suggest that there is an opportunity to craft a gentler, kinder resort model atBaldy than what is currently considered the, “industry norm”. A model where “intimate” stillmeans something real; where “community” is a living, thriving concept, and where the openspacequality of the skier experience is preserved - a model that respects the unique characterof the area’s natural surroundings while acknowledging that there are real limits to development,and growth beyond a threshold point can slowly suffocate the very magic that drew people therein the first place.While Mt. Baldy’s physical attributes pale in comparison to the grandeur of Whistler/Blackcomb,its unique layout and user-friendly terrain provide a rare opportunity to create a more intimatePage 4Brent Harley & Associates Inc.The Resort Planning Group
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