Newbury, New Hampshire — Change tends to come slowly at Mount Sunapee Resort.
For decades, the state-run ski resort’s infrastructure was behind most New Hampshire mountains, leading to its near closure in the 1990s. Then the Mueller family, who ran nearby Okemo Mountain Resort, stepped in to operate the ski resort, leasing it from the State of New Hampshire.
They made some significant improvements in their first couple of years, but struggled to implement their grander ambitions. For years, they battled with the state over a plan to expand into the West Bowl. This eventually got approved, and Sunapee took on its first big project from its master plan in 2014: replacing the old Sun Bowl chairlift with a high-speed quad. And then… not much happened at Sunapee for the rest of the Mueller era. Vail Resorts acquired Sunapee and two other ski resorts in 2018, beginning a new era for the mountain. Not much has changed since Vail Resorts took over, as the general infrastructure has remained relatively unchanged.
Which brings us to today. Vail Resorts has been planning for years to add a new parking lot at Mount Sunapee. Due to its proximity to Boston, traffic can be a problem on weekends. This situation came to a head during the 2021-22 season, as traffic jams and jammed parking lots led Sunapee to implement new traffic strategies. However, some guests still need to park all the way over at their overflow parking lot: the State Beach. While a bus network frequently picks up guests at that location, the state beach is situated relatively far from the slopes compared to the other lots. Part of Sunapee’s plan to fix this problem on weekends is to expand the current Lot 2 and create a new parking lot across the street from the existing one.
If built, the parking lot would be right next to the ski resort’s wastewater treatment system. This system, which was built in the early 1970s, works by placing the wastewater into two sewage lagoons. From there, the water separates from the solid waste, which is filtered out. The wastewater is sprayed into fields near the two lagoons.
After being referenced in prior master development plans, the parking lot was first brought up for implementation by Mount Sunapee in their 2022-23 operating plan. The new parking lot was officially approved by New Hampshire’s Department of Environmental Services last year. During this process, they assessed that building it near the lagoons wouldn’t lead to an adverse effect on the environment. Rather than build it last offseason, Vail Resorts decided to delay the project until 2025. However, the parking lot didn’t appear in their 2025 offseason projects that they submitted to the State of New Hampshire, so it’s not coming in time for next ski season.
Meanwhile, a growing number of people grew concerned about the proposal. The Newbury Conservation Commission and environmental groups like the Save Lake Sunapee Watershed voiced concerns on how this new parking lot could impact the wastewater treatment system.
According to findings by the Newbury Conservation Commission, the over five-decade-old system takes 4x more wastewater than it started, and there are signs of leaks. While the state has found violations in the past, they haven’t fined the ski resort because it believes that it’s not enough to cause damage to the watershed. The fear is that the sprayed water and leaked sewage are finding their way into Beck Brook, which leads into Lake Sunapee. The Newbury Conservation Commission also alleges that NH’s Department of Environmental Services didn’t do enough testing in the area before it issued the approval. They believe the new parking lot would make these issues worse, creating a crisis for the Lake Sunapee Watershed.
Yesterday, the Mount Sunapee Advisory Commission held its annual meeting, which serves as a way to review the prior season and look towards the ski resort’s operational plan for next winter. Typically known as a mellow affair, this time around was certainly different. Reportedly, over 200 people showed up to express their concern over the wastewater system. The state pushed back, arguing that these concerns are overblown. According to NHPR, the Advisory Commission also expressed its concerns with the State of New Hampshire and Vail Resorts.
“I’m not trying to figure out which scientist is correct and which is not. I’m just looking at simple facts. You’ve got a 54-year-old system. That is outdated,” said Dan Wolf, who’s part of the Advisory Committee.
After hearing concerns from locals, the Newbury Conservation Commission and Advisory Commission recommended that Mt. Sunapee Resort replace the wastewater system by the end of 2026. However, the Advisory Commission doesn’t have the authority to force Vail Resorts to make this change. At the meeting, the state recommended that a wastewater system feasibility study be conducted within the next five years. Comments regarding the annual operating plan can be submitted to the Advisory Committee until June 10th.
Vail Resorts has stated throughout this process that they’re working with state and local officials to determine the best path forward regarding the wastewater treatment system. However, it seems like the new parking lot may be stuck in limbo.
I don’t blame this situation on Vail Resorts. They inherited this problem, as this is state-owned land. This should’ve been handled by the state (or the prior operator) years ago, yet it’s still the same system as in the 1970s. Frankly, it could be argued that the state should pay for the new wastewater system.
I am for Mt. Sunapee building a new parking lot, but they also need a new wastewater system. A lot has changed at Mt. Sunapee Resort since the 1970s, and the new wastewater system needs to address that. Unlike the past, though, the sooner they figure out a solution to the dated septic lagoons, the better.
Image Credits: Mount Sunapee Resort, Newbury Conservation Commission
