[at-l] Upscale resort planned near Katahdin

[Snodrog5 at aol.com (Snodrog5@aol.com)]

Upscale resort planned near Katahdin
December 15, 2005 
 
 
MILLINOCKET, Maine --A Millinocket developer hopes to begin  construction by 
next fall on an upscale resort in the shadow of Mount Katahdin  that would 
include a 60- to 80-room hotel, a restaurant and inn, and a facility  for 
conferences and weddings 
An adventure lodge, agriculture center and 58 houses, compounds or cabins  
also are proposed for Hammond Ridge, a development to be sited on about 1,450  
acres of former Great Northern Paper Co. land on Millinocket Lake in 
unorganized  territory between Baxter State Park and Millinocket. 
Matthew Polstein, a Millinocket town councilor, unveiled details of his  
project Wednesday and said earlier estimates placing its cost at $15 million  were 
conservative. 
"We will build and operate this resort in a sustainable fashion and in a way  
that honors the spectacular natural beauty of Mount Katahdin, the West Branch 
 region and Millinocket Lake," Polstein said. "The design, development and  
operation of the resort will highlight the local culture and heritage of the  
region and create a sense of community for guests and residents alike." 
Potential activities offered by the resort include cross-country skiing,  
mountain biking, trail hiking, skeet- or trap-shooting, snowmobiling and  
bird-watching, he said. 
Polstein said the resort would not infringe upon the public's use of existing 
 snowmobile or hiking trails near the Baxter State Park Road, but he seemed  
skittish at allowing hunters too close to the hotel or wedding center. 
"We're not talking about standing in the way of the land's traditional uses," 
 he said. 
Polstein said he is considering the use of biomass boilers and windmill-type  
devices to generate electricity for the resort, which aims to instill in its  
guests an appreciation of nature in a quiet, pristine environment. 
"We want people to do better at home (in preserving the environment) because  
of what we do here," he said. 
The resort would accommodate up to 400 guests, and Town Manager Eugene  
Conlogue and other local officials said the project would diversify the local  
economy, create jobs and increase the region's population and contact with  
outside investors. 
"The burden on taxpayers for the infrastructure improvements this would  
require is unknown, but would not be huge," Conlogue added. "It does not  
interfere with other activities in this area or the area's potential to draw  
manufacturers or other industries." 
Polstein said he wants to apply for a zoning variance and submit site plans  
to the state Land Use Regulation Commission so that construction can begin by  
fall.