Sprawling out – Why the Bitterroot Resort’s collapse could be lose-lose

When the Bitterroot Resort’s http://www.skibitterrootresort.com/ creditor filed foreclosure papers in Montana District Court in early October, critics of the plan began to celebrate developer Tom Maclay’s imminent failure. The man who brazenly cut ski runs on the flank of Lolo Peak and crowed about building the largest resort in North America using public land was on the verge of a fantastic face plant.

Maclay’s financial troubles mean one of the last large swaths of intact ranchland between Lolo and Florence, including prime elk winter range, could be lost, giving way to 3,000 acres of sprawled ranchettes and McMansions instead of dense development surrounded by open space, as Maclay proposed. It’s a potential lose-lose scenario smart growth advocates say should be jeered, not cheered.

by Matthew Frank

Full Story: http://missoulanews.bigskypress.com/missoula/sprawling-out/Content?oid=1180157

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