Photo: Eastern Meadowlark, Melissa James/Audubon Photography Awards
ASNV and others have raised concerns about a possible $200 million ski resort on the Lorton landfill called “Fairfax Peak.” The developer, Alpine X, a Netherlands-based company, reports that among the resort’s potential components are an indoor, 450,000-square-foot snow sports facility with multiple ski slopes, “one of the world’s longest indoor ski slopes”; a luxury hotel,” wave/surf pool, ropes course, zip lines, mountain coaster and gondola. Alpine X would make real snow year-round. You can learn more here.
On November 17, 2020, the Board of Supervisors on a voice vote approved a one-year agreement with Alpine X, to allow the company to conduct engineering analyses and tests to determine the feasibility of building the proposed complex on the landfill.
ASNV submitted comments arguing that this ski resort complex will have serious, adverse environmental and social impacts to an already degraded and disturbed environment in that region. These potential adverse impacts include the following:
significant energy us
increased greenhouse gas emissions
increased air and water pollution
significant water consumption
significant solid waste generation
increased traffic congestion
loss of scarce natural habitat
increased socio-economic inequity
Valuable Habitat
While some may view a landfill as a wasteland or opportunity for development, ASNV sees the property as valuable grassland and meadows, rare habitats in a county reaching “buildout.” Observers have seen Eastern Meadowlarks, Grasshopper Sparrows and Bobolinks there, birds in serious decline with little suitable habitat left in Fairfax County. The property also offers an opportunity to enhance a wildlife corridor in the area.
ASNV questions the project’s water source, energy use and conservation practices, carbon emissions, traffic impacts, stormwater runoff and other pollution and socio-economic inequities the resort could exacerbate.
ASNV recommended that the Board of Supervisors reject the proposed interim agreement and that the county restore the Lorton landfill land to a more natural condition that would provide habitat, address biodiversity loss, serve as a carbon sink, reduce ambient air temperatures, filter pollutants, reduce stormwater runoff and save public tax dollars.
We encourage ASNVers in Fairfax County to express their concerns to their Supervisors. Find yours here. And please let us know you have called or written by sending an email with your contact information here. We anticipate a long political process for this project and will want to keep in touch.