Sun Peaks Resort (SPR) LLP is working to alleviate parking problems during peak ski times with the new Burfield parking lot.
The 50 to 60 stall parking lot is under construction by the Burfield chairlift and should be ready by the fall, according to SPR’s chief executive officer, Darcy Alexander. While the Burfield chairlift only gets about five per cent of overall skier traffic at the resort, Alexander explained having expanded parking will prevent people from parking on the road.
“Five per cent of our daily crowd comes and uses it, but this is a group that likes to ride in the Burfield,” he said. “We try to cater to everybody’s desires, so they’re going to provide parking down there because right now, any kind of busy weekend day or holiday day turns into a parking nightmare.”
Currently, the parking lot outside of SPR’s administration building is used by the public when accessing the Burfield chairlift, leading to skiers and riders parking down Alpine road and in staff parking after the 40-car lot fills up, Alexander said.
While there is ticketing for parking infractions by Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality (SPMRM), a recent report to council on June 20 summarizing ticketing from 2018 to 2023 shows that of the $8,305 fines issued, only $1,180 has been collected.
The $400,000 development will be called P1 and will have a building for ticket purchasing and bathrooms, which should be completed by late December.
The facility may not be accessible by wheelchairs, according to Alexander.
“We’re probably going to need a ramp to get into the building, that’s where it would be a challenge,” he said. “It’s always going to be a little bit better to be wheelchair accessible on the other side [of the resort].”
Because there’s only one green run on Burfield, accessible skiing is more suited to other areas of the resort, Alexander said.
The lot will be gravel and after the first year, the entrance will be paved. Alexander said paving needs to wait until the dirt settles and temperatures aren’t conducive to paving during the winter.
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