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Richard Schaedle, Chairman of the Catskill Heritage Alliance
11/24/2008
Lew Kolar
Last week's letter from Richard Schaedle, Chairman of the Catskill Heritage Alliance asking Governor Paterson to reconsider a commitment to expand Belleayre Mt. Ski Center was both shocking and disheartening to those who have worked for
decades to see some significant economic development effort in the region.
The Catskill Heritage Alliance inaccurately describes the proposed expansion of Belleayre Mt. as a perk for a private resort developer, implies that the State is giving money to a private sector property, says the State is going to over-pay if it buys
land and says that now is not the time to be investing in Belleayre. The Catskill Heritage Alliance has apposed any Compromise and economic development since the beginning.
A factual analysis would show that people in this region were trying to
get Belleayre Mt. expanded long before the Belleayre Resort Project ever came
on the horizon. A detailed study of the region and the ski center in 1963
concluded the facilities should be turned into a year 'round resort with golf,
swimming and tennis. Keep in mind that way back then, we still had the
Grand Hotel open with 400 rooms and a golf course. More than 20 years
ago, voters across the state voted in favor of expanding Belleayre Mt. Ski
Center. Those of us here - then and now - are still waiting.
Crossroads Ventures spent millions of dollars in engineering and
environmental reviews trying to build a resort complex with a hotel and golf
course on 1200 acres the state now wants to buy. By law, no acquisition can take place until there is a independent appraisal completed to determine the fair market value of the property. It is hardly a perk for the developers to have to give all of that up in order to have any chance of moving their project forward. However, in the Agreement in Principle, it was agreed to let the State buy that property and make it forever-wild so they
could move forward with their project.
All other taxpayer dollars will be invested by the State in
expanding and improving the infrastructure at Belleayre Mt. Ski Center.
The improvements at the ski center will benefit everyone who uses the
facility - not just those staying at the Resort. The improvements and the resort will
also benefit us because they will create desperately needed new jobs, currently estimated at over 500. This will provide substantial gains in real estate, sales, lodging, state and federal income taxes. No State dollars will be spent on private property as purported to the Governor by the Catskill Heritage Alliance. The improvements will further benefit us by making Belleayre Ski Center a more competitive and attractive destination. It will draw more skiers and support more local employment.
The Delaware County (IDA) Industrial Development Agency recently commissioned a study to determine the impact of New York City's (LAP) Land Acquisition Plan in the next 10 year (FAD) Filter Avoidance Determination period on the local economy. The FAD requires New York City to spend an additional 300 Million dollars buying land in the watershed. The preliminary results of the study, released in recent town meetings, show that historically lands purchased by New York City have their tax values challenged and reduced by 50%. As stated by Middletown Town Supervisor Len Utter in the town meeting on Thursday night, there are 12,000 acres of developable land in the town of Middletown, of that amount 7,000 acres, or over 58%, are owned or controlled by New York City. When the city does implement its $300 million buyout over the next 10 years, Delaware County can expect a job loss of 617 manufacturing jobs and $20,707 in per person earnings in that sector. Without responsible industry and development, how are we to carry the growing tax tab?
Over 1500 local supporters of Partners for Progress believes the Agreement in Principle, supported by numerous environmental groups, is critical in meeting this and other future economic challenges.
To the assertion that now is not the time to invest in Belleayre, we say - if not now, when? Some of us have waited 45 years to see Belleayre become a year 'round resort. Others of us have waited more than 20 years to see the ski center expanded to its Constitutional limit. A few of us have waited for more than 10 years for the Belleayre Resort to be built, bringing nearly 500 new jobs and important tax revenues to the
economy.
Mr.Schaedle's conclusions are sad and self serving, because if you look at our true heritage, it is one that is filled by tourism and over 10,000 beds in Delaware County alone. If Mr.Schaedle wants to resurrect cauliflower farms and steam engines I cannot fault his nostalgia, but his mindset is detrimental to those people who worry about how they are going to pay to put fuel in their cars, heat their homes, and feed their families.
The expansion of the Ski Center and approval of the Resort Project are in the midst of a mandated review process. For the Catskill Heritage Alliance to call for that process to be halted and rehash a bunch of misstatements, half truths, and outright falsehoods is despicable as well as absurd.
Our county is in great trouble, our state, our community. If our country is to recover, we need economic development now more than ever. This is the time to support the expansion of Belleayre Mountain and the Belleayre Resort Project. We need the positive impacts previously outlined to support local working families.
Lewis E. Kolar
President & Chairman
Partners for Progress
Supportthecompromise.com
CC: Governor Paterson, Senator Bonacic, Assemblyman Crouch
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