New lodge at Gore Ski Bowl: Ready to open but can’t due to ORDA-Johnsburg $4,000 fee fight

By Cathy DeDe, Chronicle Managing Editor

The Station, the new Ski Bowl Lodge in North Creek that is the centerpiece of a multi-year, $40 million upgrade by the state Olympic Regional Development Authority, sits ready to open — except for a dispute between ORDA and the Town of Johnsburg over an unpaid engineering contractor fee of something over $4,000.

Town Supervisor Kevin Bean says, according to a 2007 local town law, any contracting fees incurred by a project from using town engineers must be paid for by the developer — in this case, ORDA.

Mr. Bean’s term as Supervisor will end on Dec. 31. He lost for reelection to prior interim Supervisor Mark Smith, who has not returned Chronicle requests for comment. He is recovering from an October stroke.

ORDA President and CEO Ashley Walden wrote in a memo to the Town last month that the engineering fee was attached at the last minute — without notice or proper vetting — to a final piece of paperwork to open the lodge.

She also cited a history of difficult dealings with the town over this project.

Ms. Walden wrote, “ORDA’s operations are not a revenue source for the Town of Johnsburg. Our investments at Gore Mountain are intended to enhance local opportunity, not to offset municipal expenses. We are committed to opening the new lodge as soon as possible, but not before a mutually acceptable sewage disposal solution is finalized — one that is fair, timely, and does not place the burden of construction delays solely on ORDA.”

Johnsburg’s new wastewater treatment project was expected to be ready in time to service the new lodge, but it is not.

Permitting delays set the timeline back, and then, before breaking ground last spring, inflation raised the $7.6 million price tag by $2.5 million.

The Town first went to ORDA, which did did not agree to take on the added cost. Warren County later committed Occupancy Tax monies to cover any of the $2.5 million the Town could not otherwise fund through new grants.

Mr. Bean said he expects the wastewater project to be completed in February.

ORDA says they have not received a clear timeline on when it can connect the new lodge to the new wastewater system.

In the meantime, ORDA plans to “hold and haul” wastewater from the lodge, stored in an on-site tank and trucked to another facility. They said they won’t pay the disputed bill until they have a timeline “so we can budget accordingly for ongoing engineering and other expenses associated.”

Mr. Bean says the original engineering fee for creating “hold and haul” plans to comply with Department of Environmental Conservation regulations led to the disputed fee.

In her memo to the Town Board, Ms. Walden laid out “serious concern and disappointment with actions of the Town Board,” specifically regarding the $4,000 contractor fee, “as well as…several items from our previous communications.”

“Given that ORDA must rely on hold-and-haul services solely because of the Town’s project delays, the addition of new, unvetted costs is both frustrating and counterproductive,” Ms. Walden wrote.

“It also reflects a broader pattern that has hindered our mutual progress. The Olympic Authority has always viewed the Town of Johnsburg as a true partner, and our organization has made significant investments in the community.

“However, certain decisions by members of the Town Board have unfortunately treated ORDA less as a partner and more as a source of additional revenue.”

Mr. Bean says of the several Town requests for additional fees or revenue sharing that Ms. Walden listed, “The only thing I was looking to do was be able to maintain and enhance Ski Bowl Park.”

ORDA accepted none of them, he said.

Mr. Bean says, “ORDA has predicted that we will see 40,000 more visitors to Ski Bowl Park because of the lodge and because of the zip line” — a planned “Zip Coaster” expected to open next summer as part of the $40 million project.

“Those 40,000 more visitors are going to do damage to Ski Bowl Park. We’re just a small town; trying to maintain that park is going to be incredibly difficult under the circumstances.”

He cites damage to High Peaks trails caused by increased traffic when outdoor activities surged during COVID.

“My job is to look out for the Town of Johnsburg and the residents of the Town of Johnsburg,” says Mr. Bean.

ORDA spokesperson Tait Wardlaw tells The Chronicle, “We recognize and are enthusiastic about the opening of the Station, because it’s a win-win for everybody involved. It’s a current and future driver of visitation and business.

“The new lodge, the new lift structure and trail structure, and then the new Zip Coaster are all designed to drive greater, visitation and community impact, both socially and and economically.

“As you probably know, ORDA already delivers free skiing to all school kids in the area. This is an opportunity to not just drive the business side of it, but also to drive greater participation for the region too.”

ORDA at Gore: $40 million for Ski Bowl lodge, dining, Zip Coaster for summer

Centerpiece of the $40 million ORDA Ski Bowl project in North Creek is The Station, a new 18,300 square foot, year-round lodge with two levels of patios offering slopeside views and a restaurant to be run by Shaun Hazlitt, the North Creek native who is chef/owner of Southpaw Bistro in downtown Glens Falls.

The project also includes the new Hudson chairlift, a Zip Coaster summer attraction expected to open in July 2026, and parking improvements.

The North Creek Ski Bowl, established in 1934, is owned by the Town of Johnsburg, for year-round outdoor recreation. In December 2002, the Town approved a contract with the ORDA to operate and maintain winter activities at the Ski Bowl.

Gore “installed chairlifts, improved trails and snowmaking, modernized and expanded the Joe Minder Lodge, and developed a professional Nordic Center with certified race courses,” says the ORDA website. — Cathy DeDe

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