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Gunstock officials report $365,909 county payment, outline $20 million in upgrades and lift overhaul plan
Summary
At a Belknap County delegation meeting, Gunstock Area Commissioners reviewed an audit showing a $365,909 annual payment to the county, recapped roughly $20 million in recent capital investments, and described plans to overhaul the mountain’s Panorama chairlift and related infrastructure following a gearbox failure this season.
Gunstock Area Commission representatives told the Belknap County delegation that the ski area’s most recent audit triggered an annual payment to the county of $365,909 and that the resort has reinvested heavily in facilities and infrastructure.
The presentation, delivered during a delegation meeting, outlined what the commission described as about $20 million in capital investments over the past four to five years. The list of improvements given to the delegation included a new maintenance facility for groomers and rolling stock, upgrades to the main lodge (including new windows and air conditioning), expanded rental and retail facilities, LED mountain lighting and a new campground support facility intended to boost off-season activity.
The Gunstock representative said the most recent audit “also triggers the annual payment from Gunstock to Belknap County, which ... was $365,909,” and noted the figure is the largest to date. The presenter said resort revenues increased compared with the prior year and that management expects continued reinvestment to support county economic activity.
Speakers described a mechanical failure this season on the Panorama chairlift’s gearbox — identified in the meeting as a planetary drive component — and said the mountain was able to source a replacement in short order. “It was 5 days,” the presenter said when asked about the downtime. The delegation heard that while the outage was disruptive, the ski area used the downtime to inspect and refurbish other components and to plan a broader modernization for the Panorama lift.
Presenters outlined a multi‑year plan to replace or modernize the lift’s gearbox, drives, controls and communication cabling, and to add on‑site power redundancy such as a summit generator. The intent, the commission said, is to convert the Panorama chair into a fully refurbished lift with upgraded electronics, load‑cell monitoring and other sensors to improve reliability.
Delegation members asked about industry‑wide lift failures. Gunstock representatives said the issue has prompted operators across New Hampshire to reexamine maintenance and replacement schedules but that Gunstock’s team prioritized public safety throughout the incident.
Presenters also told the delegation that the resort has largely paid for recent capital work and is “down to one bond left,” with most projects funded without new financing. The commission said many vendors and contractors are local and that the resort employs between about 600 and 700 people in peak winter months, and provides summer and off‑season jobs as well.
The presentation closed with an invitation for delegates and residents to visit on upcoming county resident days and a note that the commission will continue work on the Panorama lift and other infrastructure over the coming budget cycles.
