Belleayre Resort Developer Under Pressure to Scale-Down Project Proposal

UPDATE: The Watershed Inspector General in the New York State attorney general’s office along with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Region 2 office oppose the development of the eastern portion of the proposed Belleayre Resort because it threatens the quality of drinking water flowing from the Catskill and Delaware portions of the New York City Watershed. The eastern portion of the project site is located on the steeply sloped Belleayre Ridge in the heart of the Catskill High Peaks and the New York City Watershed.

According to an October 25, 2006 letter from the Watershed Inspector General to EPA’s Region 2 office, the state and federal agencies are in agreement that development of the eastern portion of the Belleayre Resort poses an unacceptable risk to the quality of the Ashokan Reservoir and would undercut federal, state and city efforts to avoid the need to construct a multi-billion dollar filtration plant to treat water from the Catskill and Delaware portions of New York City’s watershed. EPA’s Region 2 office has previously stated its opposition to any development on the eastern portion of the project site.

The Watershed Inspector’s letter to EPA states that ample data indicates that the most serious threat to overall water quality of the Catskill/Delaware system is high levels of sediment laden water flowing from the Ashokan Reservoir. Sediment in water facilitates the spread of water borne pathogens. The Watershed Inspector General further recommends that instead of developing the eastern portion of the proposed Belleayre Resort, the parcel should be a high priority for New York City’s filtration avoidance land acquisition program.

This is encouraging news in the fight to persuade the developer of the Belleayre Resort to abandon plans for the eastern portion of the proposed resort. Although the developer has agreed to scale down the proposal for the eastern portion of the resort (see below), there is increasing pressure from governmental agencies and environmental groups, including ADK and the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, to eliminate development on the eastern section of the site. The scaled down proposal would consist of a 120-room hotel and approximately 100 townhouse units.

ADK and the Trail Conference strongly oppose any development on the eastern portion of the site because of the environmental and aesthetic impacts of a hotel and townhouses on the steep and prominent Belleayre Ridge. We have also raised concerns about the impact of the proposed resort on the Catskill Forest Preserve. The elimination of the golf course and eliminating some townhouse units will not significantly reduce the large number of visitors excepted to visit the resort and surrounding Catskill Forest Preserve trailheads.

August 2006

In late August 2006, the developer of the proposed Belleayre Resort at Catskill Park, Crossroads Ventures, met with federal, state and local agencies to discuss moving forward with the proposed large-scale resort project.  Faced with strong opposition from governmental agencies, environmental groups, including the NY-NJ Trail Conference and ADK, and concerned citizens, Crossroads Ventures is now proposing to scale down the project proposal. The developer has proposed scaling down the eastern portion of the Belleayre Resort: eliminating the 18-hole golf course, reducing the hotel from 150 to 120 rooms, and cutting 88 of the proposed 183 townhouse units. The eastern portion of the project has received the most criticism due to its location on the steeply sloped Belleayre Ridge in the heart of the Catskill High Peaks and the New York City watershed.

In early August 2006, State Comptroller Alan Hevesi and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Region 2 office publicly criticized the proposed Belleayre Resort Project. 

EPA’s criticism of the proposed project reinforced U.S. Congressman Maurice Hinchey’s proposal to downsize the project. Congressman Hinchey proposed that Crossroads Ventures pursue a scaled back alternative of the development that would protect the 1,200+ acres located on the eastern portion of the proposed resort which would be prominently located on the very steep Belleayre ridgeline.  The EPA stated that it “supports revisions to the Belleayre Resort project that would eliminate development in the eastern section of the site which lies within the Catskills water supply.”  The EPA fears runoff of stormwater that could potentially reach the Catskill water supply. 

Less than a week after the EPA released its comments, State Comptroller Alan Hevesi issued a report which raised several concerns about the resort project, including the potential environmental impacts of such a large resort located in the middle of the Catskill Forest Preserve. You can read the full report at:

http://www.osc.state.ny.us/reports/economic/belleayre.pdf

To Read ADK's Full Comments From 2004, Click on the Link below