A Mammoth Leap of Faith

Each winter, tens of thousands of Southern Californians drive more than 300 miles north to ski at Mammoth Mountain, which experts rank as one of the best skiing mountains in North America. At the same time, the area’s host town, Mammoth Lakes, gets mediocre ratings as a resort--hard to get to, no major hotel and convention complex, limited night life and little upscale shopping.

Mammoth Lakes is jammed on winter weekends, mostly by Southern Californians who own or rent condos and stay in to watch videos in the evenings. During the week, the lifts are left mostly to locals. Understandably, town leaders are anxious to correct that deficit. But they are betting the town’s future on a financing scheme that has delivered less than promised to some other cities.

What’s lacking, town elders argue, is a Jet Age airport and luxury resort facilities to lure vacationers for longer stays in all seasons. As in other rural areas, many people want growth and jobs and a place where their children would want to stay. But many other locals and condo owners like Mammoth the way it is--a mostly quiet town of 5,300 in a splendid eastern Sierra setting. They fear that resort development would drive up housing prices, crowd the schools and attract crime.

A turning point came last year when Intrawest, a British Columbia resort developer, bought from the McCoy family a one-third interest in Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, along with all of its in-town properties. The firm now plans to invest $250 million in resort facilities.

But Intrawest says it cannot build without a community redevelopment program expending $132 million in local bond money for public facilities, including an upgraded airport. Many of the projects, such as a $6-million gondola linking the proposed resort to the ski area, would directly benefit the resort. The Mammoth Lakes Community Redevelopment Agency and the Town Council are rushing into the plan with limited public input or understanding.

The agency’s environmental impact report is decidedly vague, and some experts question whether Mammoth Lakes suffers the physical and economic blight required to qualify it for CRA financing. The report blithely argues that blight would be suffered anyhow--even- tually--as the town grows. It offers no credible alternative to the “world-class resort” concept. The option put to local residents is to accept the resort plan or remain an economic backwater.

Many of the projects on the CRA wish list are needed. And sensible economic growth is desirable. But redevelopment efforts often are fraught with pitfalls. Studies have shown, for example, that most CRAs fail to meet the legal requirement that 20% of revenues be used to build affordable housing. And there is a notable lack of citizen involvement and official oversight of redevelopment agencies.

With final approval expected July 2, Mammoth Lakes seems to be taking a huge leap of faith without being sure just what is on the other side. CAPTION: Mammoth Lakes may be failing to recognize the pitfalls in its plan.