Rossland city council has approved a permit for Red Mountain to temporarily operate a parking lot near the base of Topping Chair for the 2020-21 season.
The resort proposed the idea to reduce congestion around its base area and mitigate the threat of COVID-19.
Only Red Mountain ski and snowboard pass holders will be able to use the parking lot and no ticket booths or washrooms will be located on site.
“Ski and snowboarders will have to have all of their gear and passes ready in their car to be able to use the parking lot,” said Mayor Kathy Moore.
“It should direct people up there who would normally go to the base of the resort where there’s a lot of crowding.”
City staff also anticipate a lot of traffic to the parking lot this upcoming winter.
“The parking lot will accommodate approximately 200-to-300 cars so it is expected that it could be well used on weekends and powder days,” said city manager of sustainability Stacey Lightbourne in a council report.
“As there is limited residential development around this location, there is not expected to be any significant impacts respecting the intensity of the proposed use.”
A temporary access road leads to the parking lot and it’s located north of Granite View Road along Highway 3B. The access road is in a different area where the the permanent North Portal Access Road is being built to Topping Chair.
People can view all of the safety protocols that Red Mountain has laid out for the upcoming season on its website.
READ MORE: Red Mountain Resort to sell residential lots amid COVID-19 crisis
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