To the Massanutten Community:
It’s been a while since my last post, so I’d like to cover several things – including the MPSC situation, some information on future plans, a change in Festival schedule, and some new toys.
MPSC: The elephant in the room, of course, is the proposed Rockingham County buyout of MPSC. As we all know, MPSC’s parent company is not a willing seller; in fact, they just formally rejected the County’s offer.
MPSC is attempting to bring political pressure against the buyout; many area residents have received numerous mailers from the company, inviting them to “town-hall” style meetings where residents can “learn” the truth.” Interestingly, it’s not just MPSC customers who are getting the mailings. We’ve heard reports of people receiving them all over Rockingham County. It certainly appears that MPSC is attempting to divide the County and create opposition by incorrectly suggesting that residents outside of MPSC’s franchise area will share in the costs of the acquisition.
In watching the discussions on the Massanutten NextDoor page, we’ve seen area residents from outside of the Massanutten community asking questions about this. But Massanutten residents clearly understand the issue and what MPSC is trying to do here, and are quick to correct people who join the conversation.
To that, we can only say: BRAVO. Keep it up! There are plenty of Rockingham County residents who are only hearing about this via MPSC’s mailers. Any time you have an opportunity to help them understand what’s really going on, we encourage you to do so.
New Toys: The weather has turned colder – finally – and we’re reopening for skiing on Thursday, and expect to ski until April. There’s going to be one significant change in operations, however: the quad to the Summit will remain closed for the remainder of the season. That’s because in the next few weeks, we’ll start dismantling that lift in preparation for the installation of our new high-speed quad, which should be ready to go for the 2023-24 ski season.
Another potential new toy: a Mountain Coaster. If you’ve not seen a mountain coaster before, they’re very different from roller coasters. Riders and their sleds are pulled up a track using ropeway technology similar to that of ski lifts. At the top, the sled disconnects from the haul mechanism and riders enter the gravity-powered part of the ride. Users control their speed (there are also automatic braking systems). There aren’t any long, steep drops or sharp uphills like roller coasters have; rather, they offer a long, gradual descent with lots of turns. It’s a lot of fun!
We’re in the final stages of gaining various real estate approvals for a Mountain Coaster in our Family Adventure Park (adjacent to snow tubing hill and where our canopy tours used to be.) At present, we’re working with our neighbors in Grenoble Woods to achieve the best design possible for all parties. More to come about this in a future post.
ValleyFest Beer and Wine Festival: This one’s related to the new lift. A traditional schedule for this event would slot it on Saturday, May 27. But there’s a catch this year: the parking lots near the Ski Lodge are going to be filled up with chairlift parts – old and new. As a result, we’ve rescheduled ValleyFest for Saturday, August 26, from noon to 6:30 PM.
Sustainability: We’ve received a shipment of solar panels for the new installation near the WaterPark. The site plan has been approved by the County; all we await is the building permit. Assuming that approval comes through in a timely manner, we anticipate a construction start in early April.
The Future of Massanutten: Back in December, we invited area residents to our first “visioning sessions” related to potential future residential development at Massanutten for active adults, seniors and employees. You may have already received a mailer, but if you missed it, we’re coming back for a more detailed presentation. Taking your questions and ideas into consideration, we’re ready to discuss the next phase of the visioning process. There are four sessions scheduled: two for Massanutten residents, and two for residents of surrounding communities.
Registration is required, as follows:
Massanutten/MPOA residents: Wednesday, March 29, 4-5:30 PM or 6:30-8:00 PM; Elevations Lounge at the Ski Lodge, 4260 Massanutten Drive. To register, Click HERE.
Residents of surrounding communities: Thursday, March 30, 4-5:30 PM or 6:30-8:00 PM; Elevations Lounge at the Ski Lodge, 4260 Massanutten Drive. To register, Click HERE.
And one peek at the future will come to life this May: our new Farmers’ Market has been approved by the County. It will be located between Woodstone’s Virginia Barbecue & Pizza and the Woodstone golf course; local agricultural products and finished goods will be featured – as will live music. We’ll keep you updated!
Open House at Splash’s: Finally, we recently held an Open House for area residents at the new Splash’s Restaurant in the WaterPark. Turnout was great! We appreciated seeing everyone and showing off our newest F&B option. There are some images of the party below.
Cordially,
Matthias Smith, VP/General Manager, Massanutten Resort
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