Standard-Examiner: Snowbasin Resort Development Plan Moves Ahead in Morgan County

Will Godfrey's heretofore un-sated Gondola passion be finally quenched?

Gondola???

Interesting story in this morning's Standard-Examiner, reporting that "the Morgan County Council will vote Oct. 1 on a proposed Snowbasin resort plan that a local planner says will eventually double the number of dwelling units in the county":

• Snowbasin resort development plan moves ahead in Morgan County

Remember, folks, Morgan County economic development is now former Ogden Mayor Matthew "Gondola Boy" Godfrey's private sector consulting turf.

So what about it, O Gentle Ones?  Gaze into your ever-infallible crystal balls. Will the proposed public financing and construction of a multi-millon dollar gondola be the next hot issue dividing Morgan County lumpencitizens?

Will Godfrey's heretofore un-sated Gondola passion be finally quenched?

Standard-Examiner: Video of Snowbasin Patroller Using Expletive Spurs Outrage

More evidence of the sheer power of the internet social media

In the aftermath of the recent pepper spray kerfluffle, there's more evidence of the sheer power of the internet social media this morning, with the below-linked Standard-Examiner story reporting on the effect of yet another online video which has "gone viral." In this instance however, this latest internet-based feeding frenzy has become a local public relations nightmare for your blogmeister's favorite ski area, Snowbasin. Here's the lede:

OGDEN — A video in which a Snowbasin ski patroller is seen reprimanding a snowboarder before directing an obscenity toward another guest has gone viral, sparking an online discussion as to whether snowboarders are singled out at ski resorts.

Read this morning's full S-E story here:

• Video of Snowbasin patroller using expletive spurs outrage

For reasons unknown, the Standard neglects to post a link to the subject video. That's okay. That's what community blogs like Weber County Forum are for:

Harassment at Snowbasin from Garden Stories. on Vimeo For our Facebook enabled WCF readers, we'll provide a link to the ever-expanding (526 comments as of this moment) Facebook status page, which is prefaced by a Snowbasin spin statement, which to our ears sounds a mite half-hearted under the circumstances, in our view:

We at Snowbasin Resort had an incident yesterday for which we have received much deserved criticism. We are frankly embarrassed by this situation and have taken measures to prevent this type of incident occurring in the future. Snowbasin strongly believes in treating all of our guests with respect. We strive to deserve the respect and exceed the expectations of everyone visiting our resort.

You can follow the full Facebook discussion here:

• Snowbasin Facebook Discussion Thread

Yikes! It thus comes as no surprise that Snowbasin execs are suffering from a severe case of heartburn.

Added bonus: Our friends at Ogden Valley Forum are covering this story too:

• Snowbasin video goes viral

So what about it, O Gentle Ones? Having viewed the video evidence, does it appear to you that Layton snowboarder Austen Knudson was "shredding" out of control? Is the above Snowbasin spin statement sufficient? Or does Mr. Knudsen deserve something more apologetic, like a complimentary lift ticket or season pass, perhaps? And what about the potty mouthed ski patroller himself? Is this ski patrolman guy the sorta fella Snowbasin management believes to be competent to continue interacting daily with Snowbasin resort's customers? As somebody who's employed scores of employees over the years, I'll volunteer that I'd be strongly inclined in a circumstance such as this to give the offending ski patroller his walking papers.

And here's a query to those among our WCF readership who regularly cruise the slopes of Snowbasin. In your experience are snowboarders "singled out" for harassment at ski resorts like Snowbasin?

Have at it folks. The world-wide blogosphere is standing by with abated breath, awaiting your ever-savvy utterances in re this important local topic.

Snow Basin Development Update

Supplementary data which will no doubt be of great interest to those readers who are concerned about overdevelopment in and around Ogden Valley

As a followup to our June 4, 2010 article, wherein we reported the Snow Basin has now gone public with plans to follow Powder Mountain's lead, and to commence its own massive new development on the southern edge of Ogden Valley, one of our alert readers has transmitted to us some supplementary data which will no doubt be of great interest to those readers who are concerned about overdevelopment in and around Ogden Valley.

Take a look at the Snow Basin proposal online here (caution, gentle readers; this is a 140 MB file, and thus takes a while to load):

• May 6, 2010 Snow Basin Plan

And for a quick overview, check out this graphic, which characterizes what they want to do where Trappers Loop ends in Ogden Valley:

Click to Enlarge Image

Don't let the cat get your tongues, O Gentle Ones.

Standard-Examiner: Snowbasin Suddenly Gets Back Into the Resort Development Game - UPDATED

Query: With Sinclair Corp. re-entering the resort development ring, are the residents of Ogden Valley now totally screwed?

Hmmm.... On the heels of Tuesday night's debacle, wherein theWeber County Commission buckled under to Western America Holding 's blackmail demand to double the residential density in that cheesy intermediate-level ski area called Powder Mountain, we learn from the Standard-Examiner this afternoon that the 800 pound gorilla with the BIG MOUNTAIN on the south end of the Valley, namely Earl Holding (Snow Basin), has designs on substantially increased residential density too:

• Snowbasin plans long-term development

Hold on to your hats, Ogden Valley residents! It would appear that Sinclair Corp. smells blood in the water and possibly detects a weakling County Commission; and that under the guise of perfecting Transfer Of Development Rights (TDR's) Park City-Style Sprawl may be coming to Ogden Valley very soon.

"Fifty years"? My ass. This new development will be in the forefront immediately.

If Ogden Valley residents thought they had a tough time with Western America Holding (WAH), wait until they get a load of the heavyweight Sinclair Oil, while it jockeys for position to overdevelop its mountain to the hilt.

For those Ogden Valley residents who still desire a rural mountainesque atmosphere, we'll suggest they might consider buying land in Montana... or maybe Alaska. Even Siberia, maybe.

Sadly, with the cowardly buckling of the Weber County Commission, it's likely that the die is cast; and that the bucololic Ogden Valley of our recent memories may soon be no more.

And what say our gentle readers about all this?

Simple Question: With Sinclair Corp. re-entering the resort development ring, are the residents of Ogden Valley now totally screwed?

Update 6/5/10 7:00 a.m.: Di Lewis has produced a second expanded story on this topic this morning, this time suggesting that Snow Basin management is taking a far more even handed approach to this proposed development than its cross valley rival, Powder Mountain:

• Snowbasin proposes thousands of homes

Will Snow Basin's massive planned expansion be conducted in a manner which will effectively mitigate further damage to Ogden Valley's rural atmosphere? Or does Snow Basin's participation in the current public planning process amount to mere window dressing? We suppose we'll have to wait and see as the plot develops, no?