Planning gets underway for Gunstock parking upgrade

GILFORD — Two engineering firms came to Gunstock Mountain Resort last week to view the parking lot ahead of a request for proposals that will go out on June 3. Three other firms that were notified of the work session were unable to attend but may be submitting bids for the project, which would receive federal funding.

The Gunstock Area Commission unanimously voted to accept American Rescue Plan Act money that the Belknap County Commissioners had offered to upgrade and pave the parking lot, which tends to get wet and muddy during the spring skiing period. The improvements also are expected to help the county-owned recreation area become more appealing to other groups that might use the facilities.

Gunstock President Tom Day said other firms that may be interested in the work are welcome to visit at any time, but the May 20 work session was set up as a convenient opportunity for engineers to look over the parking lot and ask questions.

Engineering is important to the project for the control of stormwater runoff. The current gravel lot allows water to filter into the ground, but paving will require drainage systems, and viewing the parking lot gives potential bidders knowledge of what the grades are so they can determine how to address runoff.

Facilities Operations Director Patrick McGonagle told the Gunstock commissioners that, as they address lighting for the parking lot, they also will consider electrical vehicle charging stations as part of the project.

“It’s really to provide a service to guests that come to the resort that are asking for it,” McGonagle said. “So we thought it was appropriate to put it in the engineering firm bids to at least have that discussion.”

Day said the amount of electricity the stations draw is negligible in the context of Gunstock’s total electrical usage, but charging customers for the service is an option. “We’re trying to be environmentally friendly in a business that is not environmentally friendly,” he said.

In a followup interview on May 25, Day said he is constantly looking at what is happening in the industry and around the world, and installing EV charging stations is something he first thought about a few years ago.

Before coming to Gunstock, Day had helped to set up the service areas on Interstate 93, and Tesla came in and installed charging stations there.

“You have these charging stations because there’s a need for them,” Day said. “People are driving environmentally friendly automobiles. You can charge for them, which seemed to make everybody happy.”

He cautioned that it is something they are looking at, but “we don’t have all the particulars yet.”

Looking at little things like that, he said, is part of the job. “You need to move with the times.”

The Belknap County Commission offered to provide $1.3 million in ARPA funds for the parking lot project in the belief that it would allow the resort to increase its offerings and boost its revenue. Gunstock contributes 1.75% of its revenues to the county.

The ARPA money will pay Gunstock’s bills for the driveway project as they come in but the county will hold onto the money until it is needed.