Resort seeks warrant article to let town negotiate air‑rights for proposed gondola

Representatives for the resort told the Waterville Valley Select Board on Nov. 19 that the resort's master plan and the town master plan both contemplate an aerial lift (likely a gondola) from the town center to the mountain and asked the board to place a warrant article on the March 2026 ballot to authorize town negotiators to secure air‑rights easements over town roads.

"The resort's master plan includes an aerial lift, most likely that runs from the center of town up to the mountain," a resort representative told the board. He said the Forest Service environmental impact statement (EIS) process is underway for permitting over federal land, but that town and private land crossings require separate agreements. The proposed warrant article would not itself authorize construction; instead it would authorize the select board to negotiate and execute an air‑rights agreement with a third party if voters grant authority.

Town counsel reviewed statutory requirements for air‑rights agreements and recommended language that ensures the warrant article meets RSA requirements for authorizing negotiation of easements across public roads. The board discussed petitioning versus placing a select‑board warrant article on the ballot and agreed it would be better to include the article in the warrant so voters learn about the project through the town process.

Chair Richard Reid said staff and counsel will provide recommended language for the warrant and that the select board will include the item among the warrant articles being prepared for town meeting; the resort thanked the board for the collaborative approach.

The board did not vote to grant authority at the meeting; rather, it agreed to present the drafted warrant language to voters in March 2026 and to continue coordination with the Forest Service and affected property owners.