TO THE MASSANUTTEN COMMUNITY:
I hope you’re all enjoying the summer! If it seems like this beautiful mountain is busier this summer than last year, it is! We’re up about 10% for June and July is looking even better. After a bit of a contraction last summer with inflation and economy concerns, it’s great to see the operation back in full swing again.
A few updates for you. To start, on behalf of Great Eastern and its employee-owners, I’d like to thank the community for its involvement in our design process for the Active Adult Community, Massanutten Station and several modifications around the Woodstone area. Your participation in the planning process helped make it a better project. I’d also like to thank the MPOA Board of Directors, Administrator Bradford Dyjak and community members for their support at the recent Planning Commission meeting where the proposed projects were approved by a unanimous vote and were essentially unopposed.
We believe that reasons for approval include design quality, the fact that the proposed projects will add significantly to the tax base with minimal impact on public services including schools (the Active Adult community is 55+, year-round residences), covenants prohibiting use of these homes for short-term rentals, and the addition of employee housing – which is needed for both Massanutten and Rockingham County. We go before the Rockingham County Board of Supervisors later this month for their approval. We’ll be sure to keep you updated and will be back in touch for your input again as progress continues on 33.
THE NEW CHAIRLIFT: Because we were well ahead of schedule in June, we had hoped to have the new detachable high-speed quad operating by the end of this month. The heavy construction is largely complete, but we’re awaiting the delivery of a fiberoptic cable that transmits data between the top and bottom terminals, including the advanced safety circuitry on each tower. Once the cable arrives, it shouldn’t take long to make the connections – but we don’t yet have a delivery date. Doppelmayr is doing its best to expedite the delivery. We’re excited and almost ready to go – with resumption of scenic lift rides and with reopening the bike park, which will feature three new/expanded bike trails.
MOUNTAIN COASTER: We’ve received approvals from all relevant parties for the installation of our new Mountain Coaster attraction. Design and Engineering personnel from the manufacturer, MND of Chambery, France, are onsite this week doing survey work and analysis for track design/build. We expect this exciting new ride to be ready for operation next summer (click the MND link, above, to go to the builder’s website, where you can find a video of a similar ride in Switzerland).
Cordially,
Matthias Smith, Executive Vice President
Plans sound exciting. As a part timer I only just learned about them. Coul you please post a drawing of where the proposed new housing will be located. I can’t picture it from the verbal descriptions.
Thanks
That’s a great idea, Bobbie. We’re going to take you up on that! Look for a post including those images later this summer or early Autumn. Best way to stay on top of things is to subscribe to this page. Please see the tips given to Gwen Hughes, below, on how to do that.
Mathias, with the news announcement of Great Eastern’s planned development and discussions on Nextdoor, will you be holding more informational meetings for the public?? I think the timing is right. If do, please announce on Nextdoor also! Thanks!
Gwen – thanks for the query. We do expect to have more public meetings, the first possibly as soon as late summer or early autumn.
The posts from Matthias appear on this site. Mark Litz, who heads up the resort’s F&B department and is also an MPOA member, shares notifications of new posts on NextDoor (out of respect for the independence and larger mission of the Massanutten NextDoor page, the resort doesn’t respond to questions there; that’s what this site is for).
Notifications of interest to the community will generally be shared in that manner. Your best bet, however, is to subscribe to the Community Page. The formatting of the page varies a bit depending upon which browser you’re using – but if you go to the Community “home” and scroll around a bit, you should see a SUBSCRIBE button. That means you’ll get email notifications of posts as soon as they’re published, and won’t have to find them on NextDoor – though you’re perfectly welcome to continue doing it that way if you prefer.
Hello Matthias
Throughout all the meetings there was never discussion of any timeshares. It was even asked at the informational meetings and it was not disclosed that timeshares were even being considered.
It now seems like information was withheld from those interested owners here on the mountain. Why and how was this not included in the discussions.
Pay
Hi, Pat – thanks for the query. I apologize for the confusion!
Massanutten Station has been part of our plans for more than a dozen years. The initial Massanutten Station re-zoning, which included sites for timeshare, was approved by Rockingham County back in 2008. Nothing in the new Massanutten Station plans, which expanded the footprint of the development, precludes previously-approved development goals; what’s different is that we’re adding to the mix by creating senior living, retail and other amenities.
The recent design and re-zoning process essentially incorporates existing plans into an expanded footprint with a broader range of services.
Hope that answers your question –
Matthias