The city of Durango unveiled the first draft of its master plan for the Chapman Hill ski area that includes more than $1 million in improvements over a span of 10 to 15 years.

The in-town municipal ski hill along Florida Road is managed by the Parks and Recreation Department and features two rope tows.

The master plan was presented Thursday evening to a crowd of about 30 people at the Chapman Hill ice rink. The forum was designed to gather public comment about the initial concepts for the master plan.

Two firms, Russell Planning & Engineering and Zehren and Associates, partnered for the project, which began in mid-August and is in the early planning stages.

“Our job is to identify the improvements appropriate for this ski hill,” said Pedro Campos of Zehren and Associates. “We spent time on-site and got a lot of information from the staff here.”

The master plan is split into three separate phases and includes lift options and locations, expansion of terrain, snowmaking, lighting and more.

A defined budget is not yet available because each phase has multiple options for improvements to the ski hill.

Campos said that because the ski area is used for about three months of the year primarily with artificial snow, it would take many years to make back the money spent on improvements.

Phase 1 improvements include replacing the little rope tow, which has become outdated, and creating a beginner ski yard next to the ice rink.

“There is a big attachment to the rope tows, and yet we probably need to move on from them to improve the hill,” Campos said.

Two options exist for replacing the little rope tow: installing a skier conveyor, otherwise known as a magic carpet, or a small wire rope tow.

Preliminary costs for the wire rope tow are about $80,000 versus $168,000 for a single conveyor or $184,000 for a dual conveyor.

An optional amenity being considered is a rotondo, or rotating rope tow, for beginning skiers at the new ski yard.

“The rotondo helps to eliminate having the kids who have never skied before mixing with the more experienced skiers,” Campos said.

The rotondo would cost about $19,000.

Cathy Metz, director of Parks and Recreation, said an existing gas line on Chapman Hill has been a limiting factor in making improvements.

Relocating the gas line is imperative to the future of the project.

“It is a major gas line that serves the whole city,” she said. “It is old and shallow, and we would like to get it moved.”

Campos said the second phase of the project would take place over multiple years and includes replacing the big rope tow with a platter pull or T-bar lift, or installing a chairlift.

Although a chairlift would accommodate more people, it is the more expensive option.

“The chairlifts are much more expensive,” Campos said. “We are talking a million dollars and upward. It is a lot of money.”

Installing a mid-load station on the chairlift would cost an additional $52,000.

A platter pull or T-bar lift would cost about $476,000.

Skiing terrain could also be expanded to the undeveloped area south of the big rope tow.

Attendees favored the T-bar lift over the platter lift because it is easier for snowboarders to use and there is an option to unload at several locations along the hill.

Campos said Phase 3 improvements would be 10 or more years in the future if there is a demand to expand the facility to include a pavilion in addition to the ice rink.

“We also asked ourselves, given the topography of the Phase 2 area, if there was an opportunity for snow features like a half-pipe,” he said.

An expanded ice rink, more parking and a new sledding area are also being considered for Phase 3 construction.

mrupani@durangoherald.com