MAINE PUBLIC • March 22, 2022
For more than three decades, Big Moose Mountain outside of Greenville, has clung to its reputation as a family-friendly ski area even as it fell into disrepair. A new owner, Jim Confalone, took over the operation in 1995 but choose not to invest in it. In 2004 a ski lift failed, injuring four people. The state sued Confalone in 2016, and the lawsuit is still ongoing. Now a new group of developers wants to restore the ski area — and expand it. Two decades ago, a development plan by the Plum Creek Timber Company called for nearly 1,000 house lots and two resorts near Moosehead Lake. The plan divided the community, and developers eventually pulled out, citing the lingering effects of the 2008 recession. Supporters of the new development proposal say it's different from Plum Creek because it restores an existing area that once fueled the local economy. But some are concerned about the project's second phase, which proposes construction of 400-to-500 new residences and a 200-slip marina on Moosehead Lake.