Snow Business: Building Plans Progressing At Mount Southington

SOUTHINGTON, CT — A major change to Mount Southington is making its way through the local regulatory process.

A new ski school building is on the Southington Planning and Zoning Commission agenda for Jan. 19. It was initially discussed on Jan. 5, but tabled, pending Inland Wetlands Commission approval, which has since been granted.

Mount Southington General manager Jay Dougherty said the plan is to demolish the existing tiny ski school building and replace it with a 2-story, 2,820-square-foot structure. It would be placed close to the base area pond, he said.

The building would not only allow the school school to spread out, but better meet the needs of the summer camp program, mountain officials said.

If approved by the local PZC, construction would start after the snow sports season, he said.

Mount Southington has continued to shine as more skiers and snowboarders decide to stay in Connecticut amid the coronavirus pandemic. Season passes have sold out, as have day tickets on the weekends. Dougherty suggested that guests order their day tickets and rentals well in advance online.

A second food truck has been added at the base area and an outdoor grill to take the place of the mountain cafeteria.

Conditions have been stellar, despite the less than perfect weather. The cruising trails were fast but manageable last Saturday and survived a morning session sellout without a hitch. Even in the afternoon, the snow had held up well.

Perhaps the biggest difference is the terrain park, which featured several elements, including big- and medium-air jumps, rails and boxes and even a giant steel ball to sail over. Park crews were also very diligent is keeping the approaches and landing zones groomed.

Dougherty said the park will be progressively expanded and he hoped some semblance of a halfpipe can be fashioned soon.

Movement in the lift lines was have been relatively fast, despite the sellouts.

Dougherty has also been constantly reminding guests that face coverings are required at the base area, including the lift lines.

The state-of the-art snowmaking system will be run as weather dictates, he added. Mount Southington is 100 percent open with base depths of between 18 and 24 inches.

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Chris Dehnel is a patch editor who has been writing about skiing and snowboarding since 1999 and is a past-president of the Eastern Ski Writers Association and a board member of the North American Snowsports Journalists Association. The Snow Business column appears on Patch sites periodically during the season.