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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us July 23, 2005 Mt. Ashland expansion still in planning stages New lodge, expanded parking lot among the features being discussed if lawsuits are won By Bill Kettler For the Tidings While the Rogue Valley sizzles through summer’s first heat wave, some people are thinking about fun in the snow. Supporters of Southern Oregon’s community-owned ski area on Mount Ashland have been meeting to flesh out plans for a new lodge that was approved by the U.S. Forest Service as part of an expansion plan that includes new ski trails and chair lifts. While new ski terrain is the most exciting part of the expansion, mundane issues such as parking and visitor services need to planned, too, said Jeff Hanson, the ski area’s general manager. “The whole idea is to make the services more convenient,” Hanson said. Ski area managers recruited about 100 people last fall to serve on committees that considered the aesthetics of the lodge and site planning, food and beverage services and communication technology. Mike Dadaos of Ashland led the discussions, which are winding down now. Dadaos said the new lodge will most likely be built in the area of a pathway that runs between the existing parking lot and the present lodge. The new three-level building will probably occupy a footprint similar to the existing lodge, with lockers in the basement, seating areas and a snack bar on the ground floor and a restaurant and bar on the top floor. Choosing a location for the new building was complicated by the site’s exposure to wind, said Tom Burnham of Ashland, a member of the aesthetics committee. “It’s guaranteed almost every day that there’s some wind in the parking lot,” Burnham said. He noted the preliminary designs include a wind-sheltered plaza between the two lodge buildings that could be kept snow-free to provide more outdoor space during mild weather. Placing the building to take advantage of scenic vistas could also make it more attractive for special events in the summer and fall, he said. Parking lot expansion will give the new lodge a more central location in relation to the parking area, Hanson said. New parking spaces will be created to the east of the existing parking area, just downhill from the Sonnet chairlift. A narrow “bottleneck” between the two existing parking lots will also be widened. Overall, about 220 parking spaces will be added to provide space for a total of about 850 vehicles. The existing lodge will be converted to handle equipment rentals and the ski school. “People in a group won’t need to split up and go to different places” to rent gear and arrange for lessons, as they do now, Hanson said. Construction work cannot begin on any of the projects while environmental groups challenge the expansion plan in court. In January the Rogue Group Sierra Club, Oregon Natural Resources Council and Ashland-based Headwaters sued the U.S. Forest Service, claiming that building new lifts, runs, a lodge and a bigger parking lot in Ashland’s municipal watersheds would harm wildlife and the city’s water supply. U.S. Magistrate John P. Cooney is not expected to take any action on the suit before late summer or early fall. Hanson said the lawsuit gives ski area managers extra time to develop plans that will provide the best service for skiers and snowboarders. “We’re trying to do good planning before we move forward,” he said. Even if the lawsuit were quickly resolved, Hanson said, the ski area probably won’t see any major changes for the coming winter. Things could begin to look different by the winter of 2006-07. Expanding the parking lot and constructing a new tubing hill on the south side of the parking area are likely to be high on the project list, he said. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Deep Muscle Stimulator Ceramic Piggy Banks FREE Entertainment Guide Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Backpacks Online Pharmacy Vegas Travel Guide Search Engine Optimization Student Loans Hotel & Airline Reservations Hammocks Water Filter Helzberg Diamonds Online Casinos Community Bonus Casino Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Mailing Lists Click Here Advertisement .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams