There is pedestrian access between Clay Brook and the Sugarbush
Village. Sit in the parking lot on any given afternoon during the
season, and you will watch guests leave the hotel and the resort base
area, walk across the groomed hard-packed snow by the Village Double
chair, across a wide pedestrian bridge (installed by Sugarbush) and
into the Sugarbush Village parking lot. With kids in tow, it's
approximately a five- to seven-minute stroll. In the summer, the same
path is mowed to highlight the route and make for easy access.
However,
having a better interconnected Vermont mountain village has always been
and continues to be a priority for me and my team at Sugarbush. The
"original" Sugarbush Village is an important part of our history and
future, and Sugarbush has strived through the years to be a good
neighbor. If you want to see evidence of that commitment, simply take a
look at the base of Lincoln Peak: Sugarbush has invested over $60
million in a new hotel, base lodge, restaurant, parking lots, roads,
water-quality improvements, and stream restoration in an effort to
expand The Valley's appeal as a destination and encourage both more
skier visits as well as warmer season activities. Everyone knows that
more people visiting the resort means that more people will seek dining
at The Valley's restaurants and frequent our many shops. This means
more business not only for us at Sugarbush but also for enterprises in
Sugarbush Village and the entire Valley. But being good neighbors is a
two-way street and to date there has been no discernable attempt by
Village property owners to reciprocate our efforts.
There are
numerous grants and loans available to small businesses in Vermont
looking to increase their marketability through capital improvements.
The Rural Business Enterprise Grant administered by the Vermont
Community Loan Fund and the Vermont Economic Development Authority's
Small Business Loan program are just two. Business.gov has a Small
Business Loans and Grants search tool that opens the door to a dozen
others. Any one of these funding mechanisms could be obtained by the
Mad River Valley Planning District or the village property owners to
contribute to an expansion of pedestrian access. Sugarbush is still
committed to creating a vibrant ski village at the base of Lincoln
Peak, but it's time for all interested parties to join the effort.
Why
not form a Sugarbush Village Association? Collect dues that go to
capital improvements and connectivity initiatives? If village
properties want more people visiting, why aren't they taking the
initiative to promote such traffic? Is that not what businesses do when
they want to succeed?
Everyone, including Sugarbush Resort, is
feeling the pain of the times. If village property owners are unwilling
to contribute dues, use the formation of an association to research and
secure grant funding that will promote an increase in visitor traffic.
If village property owners take the initiative to form such an
association and commit to securing grant or loan funding, Sugarbush
will be more than happy to collaborate with businesses in the Sugarbush
Village so that everyone sees more people walking through their doors.
As
someone who is committed to this Valley for the long term, I am more
than willing to commit my personal funds to help everyone succeed, and
I think our record speaks for itself. But I have a fiduciary
responsibility to spend our money wisely, and I cannot be the silk
purse for everyone's desires. The Nobel Laureate economist Milton
Friedman said it best: "People spend other's money differently than
they spend their own." It is time for more to commit their funds to the
sustainability of the mountain and The Valley.
Smith is the president of Sugarbush Resort.
