Ski Bluewood Has Potential Buyer

DAYTON - Ski Bluewood, whose current owners said earlier this year they would need to shut the resort down unless they could hand it over before the upcoming season, has a prospective buyer.

"We're negotiating," said Stan Goodell, who owns Ski Bluewood with his wife Nancy.

Goodell declined to share the name of the possible buyer for fear it might upset the talks. Neither would he speculate whether a deal could be reached before the beginning of the 2010 - 2011 season.

But he indicated that talks between the two parties are going well and suggested Columbia County could help Bluewood's chances by taking over the easement of about nine miles of U.S. Forest Service road leading to the ski slope.

Goodell said such a transfer of responsibility would save a new owner up to $20,000 in fees and snowplowing costs a year. A move by the county to take over the stretch could help make a purchase of Ski Bluewood more attractive, he said.

"Right now, Bluewood is at a competitive disadvantage because of that," Goodell said.M

arcene Hendrickson, a member of the county's Economic Steering Committee, said she has been looking into the possibility of a transfer and hopes to give a presentation on the subject to the commissioners at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 7.

"The Forest Service would be willing to grant the easement to the county, but the county would have to accept that," she said. "I would like the county to look at that possibility and help assure Bluewood will continue to be there."

Currently, Ski Bluewood pays a user's fee to the Forest Service for every single skier who visits the slope, and it has to plow the stretch of road at its own expense.

Columbia County Engineer Drew Woods said the procedure for adding a road to the county's inventory starts with a petition from adjacent property owners and ultimately comes before a vote of the commissioners.

Commissioner Chuck Reeves said the cost of maintaining the stretch of Forest Service road could be as high as $50,000 depending on snow fall. The cost to the county is higher than for a private-sector operator like the ski resort because counties are held to higher maintenance standards.

Although Reeves said he recognizes the income to the county generated by business taxes from sales to Ski Bluewood visitors, he said the county also has a fiduciary responsibility to contain taxpayers' costs, pointing out that the maintenance budget "has to come from some- where."

He suggested the commissioners should first question why an operator like Ski Bluewood pays a hefty user's fee and is made responsible for keeping it open as well.

Aside from the debate about whom should be responsible for maintaining the road, local observers reacted positively to the news of a possible buyout.

"I'm hopeful this will absolutely take place," said Lisa Ronnberg, executive director of the Dayton Chamber of Commerce. "It would be the answer to a lot of prayers. I think our community would be very supportive of a new owner."