Overview:
The City Council of Lebanon is set to hold a public hearing on Wednesday night regarding a proposed upgrade project for the Storrs Hill ski lodge. The project includes adding 1,062 square feet of enclosed space and 378 square feet of open deck, upgrading bathrooms, and including fire suppression sprinklers. The council will vote on whether to appropriate $550,000 for the project, with the city contributing $250,000, the Lebanon Outing Club contributing $25,000, and the remainder coming from a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant. If approved, the project is expected to be completed by November 2026.
LEBANON — The Storrs Hill ski lodge, originally constructed nearly 30 years ago, could be set for some upgrades as the City Council is set to hold a public hearing on Wednesday night regarding the improvement project.
Plans call for adding 1,062 square feet of enclosed space and 378 square feet of open deck, per draft plans in the agenda packet.
Paul Coats, the city’s director of recreation, arts, and parks, said the project will enclose an existing pavilion, expand the kitchen footprint, upgrade bathrooms, and include fire suppression sprinklers, among other items.
Councilors must vote on whether to appropriate $550,000 for the project. The city would contribute $250,000. The Lebanon Outing Club, which operates the ski area, would contribute $25,000.
The remainder of the money, $275,000, would come from a Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grant from the state’s Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
There have been other recent changes made to the lodge. An 875 square-foot pavilion was attached to it in 2020, “to provide an exterior space partially protected from the weather, allowing continued use of the ski area during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the agenda packet states.
Since then, the city has made attempts to make improvements to the lodge and ski area in general.
In 2022, the city first applied for and was awarded the LWCF grant for enhancements at the site. The proposal that won the grant included expansion of the lodge’s footprint and adding plastic coverings for the ski jump landing areas to enable year-round ski jumping, among other items.
“Complications with match funding and the feasibility of adding the plastic mats to the jump landing areas necessitated putting a hold on the LWCF grant and all associated projects,” according to the council packet.
The following year, 2023, the Storrs Hill Ski Area Facilities Improvements Advisory Committee was created, “to help the city and Lebanon Outing Club prioritize facility improvements,” per the agenda packet.
“Their final report was presented to the city council in April 2025, and it includes ski lodge improvements as one of the top priorities,” the packet adds.
Because the project was not included in the city’s annual budget, a two-thirds majority of city councilors must vote in favor of the resolution regarding the $550,000 appropriation, according to Deputy City Manager David Brooks.
If these resolutions are passed, Coats indicated that the next steps would be to ensure the state approves the changes to the proposal since the original grant and a time extension to spend the money. The grant program is overseen by the DNCR’s Division of Parks and Recreation, Bureau of Community Recreation.
If the state approves, the goal is to have the project completed by November 2026.
Wednesday’s meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m., and can be attended in person at City Hall or virtually via visiting LebanonNH.gov/Live.
