Steven JP Dionne: Economics of Gunstock master plan don't add up

To The Daily Sun,

Some years ago, I read an economic study. One of the conclusions which resonated stated regardless of changes in the amount of one’s disposable income, statistics indicate leisure dollars are consumed at the same percentage. Along comes a pandemic, the destination leisure market gets crushed. Conversely, the day-trip leisure dollar spending burgeons. It would seem a logical consequence, recreational businesses within a gas tank of a major metropolitan area, thrive. This brings us around to Gunstock. While I believe the employees have done an admirable job under the circumstances, I would be remiss if I failed to mention the observation of some rather impractical decisions over the past few years. So, let’s hold off on the Hall of Fame inductions, while the market continues what we all hope is a post-pandemic correction.

The most recent impracticality, the suggestion of spending $18 million on what is described as the East Side segment of the Master Plan. Please trust my judgement based on 40 years as commercial construction manager, if the preliminary proposal says 18, the construction documents will cost 22. The number really means nothing to the development team. They’re wheeling and dealing with house-money, playing poker with the potential tax burden of county voters.

While Gunstock is a piece of the local economy, the fact remains a portion of the Belknap County businesses and taxpayers gain little to no benefit from the existence of the ski area. Frankly, the only advantage bestowed on taxpaying season passholders is called proximity.

I would venture, most county taxpayers recognize the importance of capital improvement and maintenance of an asset as critical toward the preservation of value. However, the grandiose scheme of building a slopeside hotel, new restaurant, summit road and another summit lift, is absurd on so many levels. A ski area may provide all of the services money can buy; you’ll never turn an intermediate hill into a destination mountain. Take a look around.

I wonder if the county voters are going to allow a couple of dozen people with questionable agendas make decisions which will affect the economic well being of our county for decades to come? Look at what the existing political process has garnered the county recently, resources spent on planning an untenable development scheme, a commission stacked with hand picked members doing the bidding of a handful of extremist delegates, commissioners who seem to think the only question is the legitimacy of certain elements of the plan. Such an inept arrogance, the only real question is the desire of the county voters.

It’s obvious from the tenor of a so-called editorial, recently submitted by a self-aggrandized member of the county delegation, the Dirty Nine intend to continue their trite, pity naming calling, presentation of useless and false information, until ever functional member of the commission has been deleted. Thereby gaining total control of the ski area and the entire commission.

The Belknap County Constituency is ensnared between the hill and the swamp.

Steven JP Dionne

Laconia