To the Massanutten Community:
Another potpourri for you today.
THE HELICOPTER RETURNS: We expect the helicopter used in lift construction to return on Friday of this week and, unless something weird happens with the weather, we plan to fly lift towers (and tower heads) for the new high-speed detachable quad on Saturday. Nine or ten towers will be set.
It’s an amazing process. The helicopter picks up the tower, flies it to its assigned foundation, hovers in place while ground crews fasten it in place, then releases the tower and flies off for the next one. Tower head flying is even more remarkable – the ground crew stands on the tower’s ladder, guides the tower head into position, then bolts it in place. That particular job takes courage and skill!
We expect to start flying sometime shortly after 7:00 a.m. The best view of this operation will be from the Mid-Mountain Grille. However, please be advised that for safety reasons, walking access from Rainier to the Mid-Mountain Grille via the service road will NOT be permitted, at least until the lower towers have been set. The Creekside Quad, which unloads right near the Mid-Mountain Grille, will run from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.; lift tickets are $8.00 for adults (13+), $5.00 for kids 5 – 12, and free for kids under 5 years of age.
WATERPARK OPEN HOUSE: Our annual WaterPark Open House for MPOA Members will be held June 16 from 4 p.m. -7 p.m.. It’s free to attend, but we do request that you register ahead of time. You can do so by using this link.
NEW FARMER’S MARKET: The new Farmer’s Market will launch Wednesday, May 24. Weather permitting, the Farmer’s Market will operate from 9:00 a.m. through 12:00 p.m. each Wednesday through August. The Market will be in through August in Woodstone’s south parking lot – the street address is 1822 Resort Drive McGaheysville, VA 22840.
We’ll have a variety of vendors that sell products that are either homemade or self-grown – artisans, farmers, and local vendors. If you have questions or comments, please feel free to send them to farmersmarket@massresort.com.
PLANNING FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT: So that you know: last week, we filed an application for the preliminary steps for rezoning of lands for the Massanutten Station, Woodstone and Active Adult projects. These projects were the impetus for our community meetings over the last six to eight months.
These developments, if approved, would potentially include a variety of features – including senior living, workforce housing, daycare (potentially) and retail. There are many steps ahead of us in this process. We’ll keep you informed.
WATERPARK SOLAR INSTALLATION: The solar energy installation next to the WaterPark is coming along. The ground mounts are complete, with all piling and racking finished. Underground work is complete, including the line to the building. Most of the photovoltaic panels are installed, but we’re facing supply chain issues with the remainder of those and several other key electrical components. Remaining components are currently scheduled to arrive in September. As a result, we’ll wrap up existing work on the site this week, and expect to resume the project in September.
SOME AWARDS OF WHICH WE’RE PROUD: The past few months brought some exciting recognition. Entering this past ski season, we were recognized by the Virginia Restaurant Lodging Travel Association (VRLTA ) as the Virginia Hotel of the year. Our good news continued when we received an ARDY award (from the American Resort Developer Association (ARDA) for best new amenity design (Splash’s Restaurant), and that was followed by recognition from USA Today as the #2 Best Indoor Waterpark in the country (and the best stand-alone ). Most recently, we were recognized as finalist for two National Ski Area Association (NSAA) Golden Eagle Awards in “ Overall Environmental Excellence” and “Climate Change Impact.”
Although we are of course thrilled by all the recognition, this last one is one we are most pleased to see – that our efforts of good stewardship are being noticed even among the big players like Vail and Altera. We couldn’t be prouder of the team in all areas mentioned.
Cordially,
Matthias Smith, VP and General Manager, Massanutten Resort
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