MAMMOTH LAKES — The first stage of Mammoth's transformation from dowdy ski town to swanky year-round resort will debut this winter with the grand opening of a new town center dense with luxury condominiums, high-end stores and tony restaurants.
This portion of a planned billion-dollar make-over is what its Canadian developer, Intrawest, says is the much-awaited realization of Mammoth's potential.
But many residents, planners and people in neighboring towns fear that Mammoth's face lift will forever alter the visage of the Owens Valley, bringing in welcome tourist dollars but also tourism's related ills: traffic snarls, housing shortages, a higher cost of living and greater demand for already scarce water.
The town's setting at the head of the valley, deep in a cleft of the Sierra between Mt. Whitney and Yosemite National Park, has always beguiled visitors. Many residents are concerned about maintaining the delicate balance between a secure economic future and preservation of the Old West grandeur that has made the Owens Valley one of California's scenic treasures.
Until recently, geography and history had discouraged the growth that is marching up the Sierra's more accessible western flank. The Owens Valley is cloistered between two mountain ranges. More than 90% of the land in the middle is owned by the government. Much of the valley's water has been piped south since Los Angeles grabbed the rights to it in the early 1900s.
The scarcity of private land and water has bid up the price of living here, but that has hardly diminished the appeal for those who can afford it. Intrawest's condominiums go for $300,000 and up, and the company says it is selling them as fast as it can build them.
By the time the remake is complete in 10 years, the town of Mammoth Lakes, population 7,400, is expected to have grown 50%. And in Bishop, 40 miles to the southeast, housing prices are already soaring. In nearby hamlets such as Crowley Lake and Toms Place, new homes for prospective Mammoth employees are sprouting on the hillsides.
The way town officials see it, construction of Mammoth's world-class ski amenities would not be complete without the final piece of the puzzle: an improved regional airport to ferry visitors to the slopes and shops.
The project to widen the airport's runway to accommodate Boeing 757s could cost more than $40 million. Officials envision four flights a day bringing 33,000 visitors each winter. A lawsuit challenging the expansion is making its way through U.S. District Court.
Water Demand Rising
The town also wants to draw water from one of the region's most beloved trout streams, Hot Creek, adding to what conservationists say is a mounting list of growth's environmental effects. Even with water from the creek, officials expect that the town will have to drill more wells.
The ski area needs water to feed the mountain, which requires daily grooming and supplements of machine-made snow even during the wettest winters. Mammoth Mountain gets its snowmaking water from five wells it maintains on U.S. Forest Service land.
Water is also needed for the town's new golf course.
Even Mammoth's most devoted admirers admit that it was overdue for sprucing up. The aging buildings are a hodgepodge of faux chalet style mixed with A-frames. For many here, Intrawest's new complex will be a welcome upgrade.
The company's signature formula is a pedestrian-friendly "village," with a core of shops and restaurants connected to the company's condos. As it is now, visitors wishing to see the old part of town need to dash across busy roads or drive. The new development will free many people from their cars.
But Pat Eckart, a former member of the Mammoth Water Board, says a "mob mentality" has gripped town officials.
"I puzzle over it, why we've fallen for a developer's vision," Eckart said. "There certainly is not enough water to support this growth. Where is it coming from? No one seems to be paying attention."
Town officials -- who courted Intrawest -- say the company is merely implementing Mammoth's own vision of its future.
"We've had a master plan for some time, and it involved high-density housing and becoming a four-season destination, among other things," said Mammoth's senior planner, Bill Taylor. "This is our plan for ourselves, and Intrawest is a part of it."
Amy Horne, research director for the Sierra Business Council, sees unexpected results of the plan. "If you look at growth in the Eastern Sierra, it begins with Mammoth and radiates out," she said. "Housing in Mono County is less affordable, particularly in the lower-income ranges."
Ranchers Selling Land
Up and down the valley, the rising price of real estate is inducing farmers and ranchers to sell their land. The valley lost 33% of its farmland between 1992 and 1997. Those acres have been snapped up for development and carry price tags that reflect their enhanced value. Land in Mono County that in 1992 sold for an average of $659 an acre went five years later for $1,029.
