Cockaigne Ski Area won’t reopen [The Buffalo News, N.Y.]
By Karen Robinson, The Buffalo News, N.Y. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
The blaze closed the
For the first time in 46 years, no skiers will schuss down Cockaigne's slopes.
Plans by its 82-year-old owner,
Cockaigne, located in
The facility was particularly popular among school ski clubs and organizations, which will be forced to either ski at other resorts or cancel their programs altogether because of additional driving distance and cost.
"It was a way of life, not just a place to go. It was like having your second home burn down," said
Wagner and her husband, Doug Sr., own 11 acres across the road from Cockaigne and built a ski chalet there in 1975. The family has had season passes since 1977, and two of their children were Cockaigne ski instructors. One of their sons went on to join the state racing team and qualified for the Junior Olympics in the late 1980s. "We've had a lot of people come out of that little place," said
"It is heartbreaking because we're a little spoiled," said
Instead, the 200 acres of slopes is for sale for
"I'm just heartsick that
Van Scoter, the fifth generation of his family in the Town of Pomfret, was a hands-on ski resort operator -- often known to ski families on a first-name basis and seen wiping tables or helping out in the lodge.
As recently as August, he was hoping to nail something down with a
"We did have an architect on alert and were working toward developing plans for a lodge. The deal just didn't materialize," Van Scoter said. He also has been approached by ski families interested in taking over operations, but nothing has come together.
Complicating the situation was the fact that Van Scoter had no insurance on the lodge at the time it burned, saying that the
Adding to the problems were two spates of vandalism over the summer, totaling nearly
In July, two teenagers were accused of causing
"The vandalism kind of took the heart out of my plans," he said. "If I weren't 82 years old, I would have a building going up right now. It's very hard."
Van Scoter and his attorney,
Van Scoter said he has always envisioned the property as an equestrian development in the summer months, with a ski operation in the winter. The site contains 800 acres of hardwood forest and 600 acres of crop land. Cockaigne had horse barns from when horse racing was done there years ago, as well as camping areas.
"We're now working through those inquiries, giving them the information they need to make a decision. Hopefully, Cockaigne will be up and running for next winter," Van Scoter said.
Cockaigne, with a base elevation 1,100 feet higher than
Van Scoter said he would be interested in allowing a new owner to acquire all of the remaining land at Cockaigne at some future time.
The head of the
"We made it very clear to Jack -- that to anyone they're talking to, we're ready to get involved and willing to assist," said
Property tax abatements for a period of years, a revolving loan fund and other incentives are part of a mix that would be available to jump-start the business again.
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