Tamarack Resort got a unanimous vote this morning from the Senate State Affairs Committee for SB 1382, legislation to allow the year-round ski and golf resort near Donnelly to get up to 12 non-transferable liquor licenses. It already was entitled to three under a law the resort persuaded the Legislature to pass in 2006. Scott Turlington, lobbyist for the resort and a former aide to then-Gov. Dirk Kempthorne, told the Senate panel the 2006 law helped out a hotel being developed by tennis stars Andre Agassi and Steffie Graf. But now, the resort wants more for its various restaurant and hospitality properties. Under the bill, each license requires a one-time fee to the state of $25,000, plus a $3,500 annual renewal fee.

Committee Chairman Curt McKenzie, R-Nampa, said he thought the bill was a good one and he’d support it, but he doesn’t like Idaho’s system that requires lawmakers to pass special-exception laws every time there’s a need somewhere for another liquor license. “I think as a state policy, I’ve had concerns about that,” he said. “We’re trying to come up with something that’s fair to local communities who want to have some kind of control over this. … I think this helps us move in that direction. … so that businesses like Tamarack don’t have to keep coming back to the state to get exceptions or exemptions.”

The existing law’s definition of “year-round resort” was tailor-made for Tamarack, applying only to resorts that are open to the public year-round; have at least 30K of groomed cross-country ski trails, two or more chairlifts and at least 2,800 feet of vertical for Alpine skiing; snowmaking coverage for 75 acres; a golf course with at least 18 holes; at least 12 miles of mountain bike trails; at least 70 private residences; and lodging and dining facilities that can serve at least two meals a day to 500 people.

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