The Future of Big Sky

Lone Mountain Land Company’s Matt Kidd sat down to discuss the difference between development and nurtured growth, capacity and sustainability, and maintaining a sense of place while supporting the economy.

When it comes to the Big Sky community, there’s good news, tough news, and inarguable news. The inarguable news first: The word is out. Big Sky’s vast beauty, world-class skiing, four-season recreation and proximity to Yellowstone National Park have sparked growing visitor demand. The tough news: Big Sky has historically lacked certain infrastructure and services to meet the needs of those visitors, including services for a yearround community and workforce. The good news, says Matt Kidd, Managing Director of Lone Mountain Land Company (LMLC): “There’s no need to drastically change Big Sky to accommodate those new guests, sustain the economy, and expand services for visitors and locals alike. As it goes from 65 percent build-out today, to 100 percent build-out in the coming decades, the goal is to nurture everything that the community loves about Big Sky, including open spaces, majestic sightlines, and the shared experience that brought us all here in the first place. The trick is viewing growth not as a problem, but as a means to address longstanding challenges the community has dealt with since its inception. That’s where the nurturing comes in. Today, we’re in a unique position to be able to do that. Instead of squabbling and infighting, all the major stakeholders—landowners, resort operators, developers, and community advocates—are aligned. We can take a holistic approach to community building. That’s incredibly unique. No other resort town in North America has had the luxury of a shared vision. We do.” Here’s a look at how Lone Mountain Land Company envisions some of the near-term and longterm developments that will create the Big Sky of the future. It’s a work in progress, and one that will grow out of Big Sky’s commitment to listen to and serve this exceptional community.