Middlefield PZC Expected to Vote on Powder Ridge Pond Plan Tonight

Powder Ridge Mountain Park faces another hurdle tonight in its efforts to make snow starting in December.

Middlefield's planning and zoning commission has scheduled a special meeting tonight to continue a public hearing on the company's application to dredge a pond on the property. Doing so will enable the the ski area to increase its snowmaking capabilities.

The commission met on March 13 and again during a site-walk of the property on March 16 to review the application. The commission is expected to vote on the application tonight.

Powder Ridge managing director Sean Hayes received approval from the town's inland wetlands and watercourses agency last month to remove sediment from the pond.

During the public hearing a week ago, Hayes told the PZC that the material will be used to create ski and snowboarding features, including jumps and a bank for tubing, as well as to improve an access road leading up the mountain.

"The key to utilize this facility is making it a feature rich facility," said Hayes, who's planning to open the ski area later this year. "That's where the skiing, boarding industry is going."

Hayes said workers will remove about 22,000 yards of material from the pond during the dredging process, in order to increase the pond's capacity from about 4 million gallons to 8 million gallons.

Some commission members asked Hayes whether he planned to use all of the material removed from the pond and where the unused material might go. Hayes told the commission he intends to use all of the material at the property.

Hayes initially intended to begin the excavation work before spring but, pending approval, said due to the saturation of the property it would now likely start this summer. The project will take about six weeks, he said.

Hayes bought the property from the town in August 2012 for $700,000. He's spent the past eight months restoring the property to get it ready for next winter.

The continuation of the public hearing will be held at the Middlefield Community Center.