What Is Semi-Private Anyway?

Change Is Coming!

I am now certain that the best way forward for Windham’s future is to develop a multi-pronged low-impact local industry model after speaking on Tuesday Morning with Chip Seaman, VP [phone interview] of Windham Mountain Club.  Seaman did clear up some important facts about the development of the Windham Mountain Club– for example he cleared up the pricing of the club– the buy-in to the Club is $200,000.00 and the annual fees are on a flexible scale as the number amenities increase the price of membership and the amount you have to spend in the club also increases. That is all standard procedure for sure.  Seamans did make an excellent point that “private club” at the mountain has been in existence for many years. And that is very true– but, the problem with this plan is that its emphasis is on creating an exclusive experience. After all, Windham is trying to put itself in direct competition with other high-end public-private operations: like Vail’s Signature Clubs  which I found all had lower buy-in prices with the only exception being the Red Sky Country Club that was $275,000.00 for membership. 

Where the Signature Clubs that Vail offers really outstrip Windham’s offerings is that they have mountains with peaks rising above 8,000ft to ski on. So, these types of clubs can offer Heli-Skiing trips to their members. They also offer other amenities like Mixers (yes, I feel I’m in the 1950’s right now) , sipping events,  hikes in the moonlight, exclusive spa and fitness experiences, and so on.  And of course Windham can do that as well. But, the problem becomes one of finite space- Seamans explained to me in the interview that the goal of the mountain is to get about 450-500 member families to join. Not the rumored 1500 members– this is only 1500 people if you estimate each family to have only one child.  And stated to me that the price of $200,000 now was probably not going to be the price that people pay 1-2 years from now for memberships. This was based on the fact that every year since the inception of the club in the 2000’s the price has risen constantly. It started off at $25,000 and was $120,000 before being rolled into the new Windham Mountain Club with the $200,000 price tag.  So, clearly the management company of  Wilson Kemmons Management, feels that as this process of developing the amenities at the Club the price should also continue to reflect those up grades.  

One of the more interesting points of our conversation had to do with the creation of the new exclusive Adventure Area and Golf Course.  The changes to the park consist of adding a series of tennis courts and pickle ball courts with two swimming pools. These features will be exclusively for the Members only in the Summer. In the Winter Snow Tubing will be open to the public. This dovetailed into the other issue being the Windham Mountain Country Club that will certainly be completely private after planned renovations are completed in 2026.   The Country Club is being redeveloped by Tom Fazio’s team. Which is certainly very important if you want to be taken seriously in the world of high end golf.  Certainly on paper this helps to put Windham Mountain Club on par with the likes of Vail’s Red Sky Golf Club .  However, the big problem for Windham Mountain Club is their club is nestled very snuggly into the center of town.  What they need to make this experience complete are condos and homes right on the course– so members can just walk off their back porch and begin their golfing journey. Unfortunately, given the close proximity of the course to the road, Batavia Kill watershed , and so on this becomes a tall order to achieve.  But, the dream is there I bet. 

I found it odd that Seamans was so eager to tell me that the Staff Housing was a rental property to the guest labor. As I stated in my previous article this type of arrangement is a classic method of returning workers’ salaries to their employers. Seamans also told me that more Staff Housing was in the works. But, overall the Mountain has been doing this sorta stuff for sometime now with Guest Workers. Providing Staff Housing is just the logical progression of this type of arrangement when monopolization of employment and housing exist in a market. That being said, it has also been part of the “Aspen logic” that is pervasive in the “green consumerism  movement”-- the fact is that no one  is willing to really look long and hard at the long term impacts of these conditions. Conditions that will lead to the alienation of the working class in Windham–a demographic that is now 33.3% strong if you consider any family making a combined household income under $50,000.00 working class [I do] according to the Census Reporter in 2022. The struggle for Windham’s character is clearly in the balance–but, there is no reason to believe that the Windham Mountain Club’s actions or lack of actions will be the great determining factor in the future of this character. Those choices will be up to us.  Certainly, I’m not a big believer in the monopolization of the economy. But, I’m also not sold that Windham Mountain Club’s fantastical plans for increasing exclusivity in a town like Windham will pan out as I’ve stated before. 

I’m more worried about the idea that Windham Mountain Club is unwilling to really face the reality of climate change. My discussion with Seamans left me feeling that for the foreseeable future, perhaps 5-10 years this group felt they had a path to strong revenue gains by automating the snow making processes and relying on their already present dynamic pricing systems. I think that is a gamble I wouldn’t be taking exactly-but, I’m not Sandy Beall.  Especially since a large portion of the project of Windham Mountain Club’s exclusivity is based on development non local Mountain Top Amenities seems problematic at best. But, that will be something they find out I think in the long run. I’m just not sold on the idea that 35-40 minutes of driving to the Hudson River is going to seem like a great idea to a person that drives 2.5hrs to reach Windham for a short stay. It seems like a hard sell to me for many club members to be forced to drive back down RT 23 to Athens to use the Aquatic center. It just doesn’t seem like a good idea especially if you're only staying 2.5 days or less.  It seems like they will need to create more activities that are focused around that Aquatic Center location that will keep people in that area.  Or they will need some absurdly expensive means of transport like a Helicopter Taxi service to make this seem exclusive and posh. I don’t see the Mountain Club having the juice to build a small Helicopter Port and staff it with 5 or 6 Luxury Helicopters like the Sikorsky S-92 to shuttle these people down the mountain and back. However, I don’t know their grand plans and this is just my speculation. 

I wish them best of luck because I feel the rancor they’ve created and continue to create with their overt elitism is the shot in the arm Windham Citizens need to look at cooperativism in a positive light.  I left my interview with Mr. Seamans reassured that one thing is certain the dynamics of Semi-Private clubs in our present climate conditions is a long shot at best given the projected futures for Winter Activities in the North East by 2050.