For the week of November 12 - 18, 2003

Bald Mountain Lodge moving to Hagerman

Gooding County P&Z
to review plan next week

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By GREGORY FOLEY
Express Staff Writer

A group of structures from the Bald Mountain Lodge, the 1920s-era resort in downtown Ketchum, is slated to become the headquarters of a Gooding County duck hunting club.

Crews from Associated Pacific Movers last weekend wheeled away the front section of the Headwaters outfitters building for relocation to a new site in Gooding County. The once highly visible Ketchum building is scheduled to be thoroughly reconstructed in its new location in approximately six weeks. Express photo by Willy Cook

Brian Barsotti, a Ketchum attorney and developer who owns the Bald Mountain Lodge property at 151 Main St., has sold three of the rustic buildings to Ketchum resident Bill Lehman, an owner of the Old Curran Ranch Hunt Club south of Hagerman.

Lehman—who has already arranged to have one of the cabin structures moved to his 684-acre ranch on Highway 30—said Monday a second 200-foot-long cabin structure and the lodge that once housed the Headwaters outfitting business are scheduled to arrive in Hagerman on Thursday.

"It’s going to be a nice way to preserve an old piece of Ketchum," Lehman said.

Lehman explained that he plans to offer use of the buildings to the 12 members of his private hunting club. The two cabin structures, which include a total of 11 units, will offer club members short-term residence, while the Headwaters lodge will be used as a clubhouse and gathering venue.

"We want to create as much of the old hunting lodge atmosphere as we can," Lehman said.

Lehman has applied to Gooding County for a special use permit to maintain the buildings on the Hagerman ranch. Gooding Planning and Zoning commissioners are scheduled to consider the permit application on Nov. 17.

Lehman said he moved the buildings in advance of the Nov. 17 hearing in anticipation of a favorable decision from the Gooding P&Z.

Barsotti in September received permission from the city of Ketchum to construct a new 80-room luxury hotel on the Bald Mountain Lodge property.

If built, the approved three-story, 47-foot-high hotel would be downtown Ketchum’s largest building. The development—which would cover an entire city block—is planned to include a 3,800 square-foot conference room, 1,000 square-foot board room, an underground parking garage and a fitness center.

The approved plans also call for public open space and retail space on the ground floor. Barsotti said Monday that he will consider re-establishing the Headwaters business in the new hotel if the project is completed.

Barsotti said he has spent much of the last two months drafting investment proposals and presenting the development concept to potential investors.

He noted that he expects to start actively soliciting investment partners in the project later this month. "Now we’re going to go out and talk to investors. Hopefully, we can drum up some interest."

 

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