Ski Lift Funding Dispute in Villa Minozzo
Villa Minozzo finished last in the ranking for ministerial funding for ski lifts, leading to the exclusion of the Febbio ski resort from the Cusna 2000 project. Marco Cecchelani,the legal representative of Planeta Srl,the company managing the facilities,believes this outcome is unfair. He argues the already-approved project was overlooked, and the required preliminary investigation wasn’t conducted. This has led to a request for review and the possibility of appealing to the Regional Administrative Court (TAR). “Until now, many have spoken – hypotheses, reconstructions, comments have been made. From this moment on, I intend to speak in first person, for clarity, for respect for the territory, and for a sense of obligation towards the community.”
The Project
The Febbio station currently has three ski lifts,all owned by the municipality of Villa Minozzo. “Two are abandoned, and only one is operational. It’s essential to reiterate this: these are not private assets, but public infrastructures. Their relaunch would directly benefit the municipal administration, the State, and the territory, not just the manager,” Cecchelani points out. The Cusna 2000 project aims to replace the Carcamogena-Cusna 2000 municipal chairlift, which closed permanently in 2022 due to its age, energy inefficiency, and environmental impact. The Municipality considers this replacement strategic for safety, tourism, and the local economy.It’s not a “private whim,” but a public interest intervention to prevent the area’s decline.” The Municipality of Villa Minozzo “is not a spectator, but a central actor, starting with Mayor Elio Ivo Sassi,” he highlights. “The mayor has played and continues to play a decisive role in managing and relaunching the station, approving the executive project, supporting the administrative process, and maintaining the objective of restoring a progress perspective to Febbio. Thanks to the strong collaboration between the Municipality and the operator, the station has been able to envision a future with modern systems, greater safety, and a competitive tourist offer in both winter and summer.” He then criticizes: “It’s paradoxical that precisely where local institutions are acting with courage and vision, national institutions remain silent, blocking a project already underway and shared within the territory.”
What Happened
Planeta Srl submitted an executive project valued at 8.8 million euros, including over 110 technical documents – drawings, reports, structural and plant calculations, cost estimates, and safety plans – in compliance with the Public Contracts Code. “The project was approved by the municipal council of Villa Minozzo, with resolutions and documents confirming there were no obstacles to implementation,” he underlines.”We uploaded all documentation permitted by the portal’s technical limitations,and made the remaining documents available…