More can be done to make ski club development eco friendly: Member

Editor:
I would like to express gratitude to The Creemore Echo for a well rounded article about the proposed development at Mansfield Ski Club (MSC). (Residents share concerns over ski club development, The Creemore Echo, Oct. 16. P.3)
As a full-time resident of Mountainview Road and member of MSC for the past 11 years, the ski hill has provided our family with many happy memories. The rolling hills of Mulmur, scenic trails, and the Pine River have also contributed to our rural experience and were the prime reason we moved here.
MSC has cited the need for more off-season income to offset the impact of climate change on the skiing industry/season. Seems to me that proposing a development that will send more contaminated storm water run-off and treated effluent into the Pine River, along with the conversion of a field full of trees and wildlife into an parking lot will contribute to climate change not detract from it. I realize it isn’t the ski club’s responsibility to solve climate change (we all need to work together on that), but it would be fabulous for MSC to become part of the solution.
The plans for this development talk about planting trees, using dark sky lighting, and state that members who own units will drive less. This is a step in the right direction, but there is more that can be done. Did you know there are systems that can take waste water and human waste, run it through plants and stones and turn it into drinking water? Investing in this kind of filtration/purification system would circumvent the need to put anything into the Pine River. There is also LEED (leadership in energy and environmental design) certification that certifies buildings on energy and resource efficiency. I want to see MSC thrive, and I want to see the Pine River flourish and the rural character of Mulmur maintained. There is no perfect solution, but I do think that mitigating the environmental impact of this development is paramount.
As Maya Angelo says, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” Let’s do better.
Nicole Hambleton,
Mulmur.