Bellearye Mega-Resort News and Resources

Headlines

JAN 21, 2010 NY State confirms sale of 1200 acre Big Indian plateau property, part of the Belleayre Resort AIP, to be completed shortly:
NY Closing on 3 Land Deals Despite Moratorium Plan
By MICHAEL VIRTANEN, Associated Press
ALBANY -- The Paterson administration is completing deals to buy the last two undeveloped Finger Lakes, 1,220 acres in the Catskills and conservation rights to 89,000 acres of Adirondack timberlands while halting other purchases of wilderness and open space in New York.
The Department of Environmental Conservation said Thursday current dedicated funds will be used to buy 3-mile long Canadice Lake and 7-mile-long Hemlock Lake, which provide Rochester with water. The state will also close on the Big Indian parcel by Belleayre Ski Center in the Catskills and an easement on former Finch Pruyn timberlands mainly in the central Adirondacks.

"These projects have been in the works for years," DEC spokesman Yancey Roy said. Prices were not disclosed.
READ full AP story at Albany Times Union.

DEC 3, 2009, Resort Developer Says Land Transfer Will be Completed
HIGHMOUNT — The line in the sand is gone. It was nearly three months ago that environmental groups that had signed onto an agreement with the developers of the proposed Belleayre Resort at Catskill Park warned they may back out of the deal should the developers not transfer 1,200 acres in Big Indian to the state within 60 days.

But well past the Nov. 13 deadline the groups imposed on Crossroads Ventures, those groups have not withdrawn from the agreement, which would spare those 1,200 acres from development and allow the $400 million resort to be built a couple of miles away. Full Story.

Lawyers demanded "licenses" (development easements) from Ulster County, to raise the sale price from NY taxpayers to Crossroads to well-above current fair market value for the vacant Big Indian parcel in the NYC Ashokan watershed, "or else." UC's revised "license" was withdrawn.
Download:
Crossing Argeement PDF | Lenefsky Letter Big Indian Parcel PDF | Havranek Letter PDF

ARTICLES:
AUG 13, 2009 Phoenicia Times by Brian Powers
Is Crossroads Gambling? Spitzer-Gitter Deal On The Ropes Over Forest Land Appraisal Issue
Read Article

AUG 9, 2009 Daily Freeman by Jay Braman Jr.
Resort's request for small parcel could cause big problems Read Article

AUG 6, 2009 MidHudson News
Ulster lawmakers hold off on Crossroads Venture license Read Article

JUNE 17, 2009 Hudson Valley Magazine - Both Sides Now: Two not-so-different visions for the Hudson River Valley by Lynn Woods READ ARTICLE

MAY 29, 2009 Former DEP Commissioner Al Appleton on the proposed Belleayre Resort and other real estate development at Sierra Club event in NYC. VIEW VIDEO

YouTube Video: MAY 28, 2009 Bellearye Resort discussion at Sierra Club water event, NYC. Sierra Club's Carolyn Zolas and Julie McQuain on Belleayre Resort and other threats to Catskill Mountains and NYC Water. VIEW VIDEO

MAY 09, 2009 Oneonta Daily Star Guest commentary: Who's reviewing the stimulus? Belleayre is just one example By Richard Schaedle
Now that the state budget has been passed, New York's $24.6 billion share of federal stimulus money should start hitting the streets fast. Perhaps too fast: Most will be spent in 12 to 24 months. Moving so much money so quickly could let slip many millions in slushy spending benefiting developers and not the economy. The New York State Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Cabinet must be hypervigilant to avoid a special-interest feeding frenzy.
Clearly, projects that aren't shovel-ready, have questionable or negative fiscal, economic and environmental impacts, and are divisive and controversial rather than consensus-building, should not be candidates for stimulus funding.
But that won't stop developers from seeking it.
One case in point is the Belleayre Resort, a high-priced, high-elevation, high-density, steep-slope, sprawling, speculative ski condo and golf course developers want to build on a sensitive Catskills mountaintop. (full Op-Ed)

APR 29, 2009 Resort foes fear money misdirected By JAY BRAMAN JR.
HIGHMOUNT — A citizens’ group staunchly opposed to the proposed Belleayre Resort at Catskill Park is viewing with a jaundiced eye a request for federal stimulus money to expand the state-owned Belleayre Mountain Ski Center next door.
The Catskill Heritage Alliance asserts that, in some way, a portion of the $62 million requested for the ski center would be funneled to the private resort. But representatives of Crossroads Ventures, the developer of the $400 million resort, say nothing could be further from the truth.
Ulster County Legislature Chairman David Donaldson, D-Kingston, has urged Gov. David Paterson to allocate federal stimulus money to the Belleayre expansion. (full story)

APR 14, 2009 Catskill Mountain News Bellayre supporters want stimulus bucks By Jay Braman Jr.
The chairman of the Ulster County Legislature has urged Governor Paterson to allocate stimulus money for the expansion of state-owned Belleayre Mountain Ski Center. (full story)

APR 11, 2009 Donaldson seeks stimulus aid for Belleayre By JAY BRAMAN JR.
KINGSTON — The chairman of the Ulster County Legislature is urging Gov. David Paterson to allocate federal stimulus money for the expansion of the state-owned Belleayre Mountain Ski Center.
“I am concerned that the Obama ‘economic stimulus package’ will pass by without the needed expansion of the Belleayre Mountain Ski Center being included,”≠∫ Legislature Chairman David Donaldson, D-Kingston, said in an April 9 letter to the governor. “The long overdue expansion of this state-owned property is a $62 million project that will require 200 jobs to build it. Additionally, 150 to 200 permanent jobs coupled with 600 to 800 seasonal jobs will be created once it is completed. (full story)

FEB 25, 2009 by Jay Braman Jr. Group wants stimulus funds used at Belleayre: The Coalition to Save Belleayre wants federal economic stimulus funds to be used at the state-owned Belleayre Mountain Ski Center.

JAN 6, 2009 Daily Freeman Judge dismisses Gitter libel suit against paper
By WILLIAM J. KEMBLE, Correspondent
PHOENICIA — A state Supreme Court judge has rejected a libel suit against the Phoenicia Times newspaper for publication of a letter with claims that developer Dean Gitter has used lobbying efforts as a form of bribing officials. Phoenicia Times officials on Monday announced the Dec. 15 decision rejecting Gitter’s suit by acting state Supreme Court Justice Henry F. Zwack, who wrote that a letter using the name “Bonnie Grant” was an opinion about what a lobbyist represents.
"The court finds that the average reader of this letter would conclude what while it may be the writer’s opinion that bribery by (Gitter) may have occurred, the facts set forth by the writer only state that (Gitter) paid a lobbying firm, which is not disputed and is not a crime,” Zwack wrote. Read full story.

DEC 9, 2008 Daily Freeman DEC, town leaders discuss Belleayre Resort: A State Department of Environmental Conservation representative has contacted the supervisors of the two towns most affected by the proposed Belleayre Resort review. The description of those exchanges differ between the supervisors of the towns of Shandaken and Middletown, but both were contacted and interviewed by a Department of Environmental Conservation representative about the project and how it might affect their respective communities.

NOV 26, 2008 Daily Freeman EDITORIAL: Political vulturism

NOV 19, 2008 WAMC Radio: Susan Barnett Belleayre Resort Foes to Governor: Cut Spending Here! As New York legislators try to regroup after yesterday's aborted negotiations, some neighbors of a proposed resort in the Catskills say they have a proposal that could save some money - put the Belleayre Resort on hold. Hudson Valley bureau chief Susan Barnett reports.

NOV 19, 2008 Daily Freeman Belleayre Resort opponents say cash-strapped state should withdraw funding Related: NOV 16, 2008 Catskill Heritage Alliance Letter to Governor Paterson

OCT 7, 2008 Daily Freeman Cahill says he's OK with funding from state for Belleayre Mountain

OCT 2, 2008 Daily Freeman State cutting back some at Belleayre

OCT 1, 2008 DEC Press Release Belleayre Set to Ski 7 Days/Week

SEPT 25, 2008 Phoenicia Times A Large Crowd came out early (photo includes STM folks) Support for Belleayre? Foes come together, Schumer comes on Board

SEPT 13, 2008 Oneonta Daily Star Belleayre Fall Festival still on, but moved to Arkville

DEC head may visit Belleayre
By Jay Braman Jr., Correspondent 09/23/2008

HIGHMOUNT - The man who has the final say over the budget of the state-owned Belleayre Mountain Ski Center has been invited to visit the facility next month for a quick lesson on its importance to the local economy. State Sen. John Bonacic, R-Mount Hope, says he has invited Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis to visit to see for himself what would happen if Belleayre Mountain is allowed to fail. (Full Story)

SEPT 14, 2008 Belleayre ski center backers rally against cuts

SEPT 11, 2008 Belleayre backers fear cutbacks or shutdown

SEPT 5, 2008 Judge tosses lawsuit against Catskills ski resort - Ruling says groups jumped the gun on legal challenge to Belleayre. Read comment from Rich Scheadle.

SEPT 4, 2008 Judge dismisses lawsuit that opposed Belleayre Resort

AUG/SEPT 2008 PDF ARTICLE from Planning Magazine, On Edge by Vanessa Geneva Ahern Will a proposed resort development in the Catskill Mountains threaten New York City’s watershed?

AUG 27, 2008 Daily Freeman Belleayre Resort behind schedule

JUNE 7, 2008 Emerson Contractor Files Suit

MAR 24, 2008 WAMC In Our Backyard with Ward Stone - including his thoughts on Belleayre

MAR 11, 2008 WAMC More Questions Following Spitzer Bombshell

MAR 2, 2008 Times Union Question Belleayre projects

FEB 28, 2008 NYS DEC Final Scoping Document PDF

FEB 28, 2008 NYS DEC PRESS RELEASE Bellyare Scoping Document Released

FEB 28, 2008 Daily Freeman Scope of Belleayre review expands

FEB 20, 2008 WAMC Is Belleayre a Smart investment?

FEB 6, 2008 Daily Freeman Resort review scopre not ready, state agency says

Watch Snowball Protest video; hear Maurice Hinchey's comments to protesters and then leave your own comment

JAN 28, 2008 Hinchey Letter to the Daily Freeman PDF

JAN 27, 2008 Belleayre project opponents protest ‘Snowball’ awards

Phoenicia Times and Olive Press Special Supplement - documentation, including articles, exhibits and video on Crossroads Ventures' proposed Belleayre Resort at Catskill Park

JAN 20, 2008 Times Union Crowds snowball at Belleayre, melting profits at private resorts

JAN 18, 2008 Daily Star The Smell of Money Can Stink

JAN 16, 2008 Daily Freeman Hinchey Now Opposes Belleayre Plan

JAN 15, 2008 WAMC Hinchey: Economy's the Issue - Listen to interview with Congressman Hinchey as he talks about the economy and the Belleayre resort plan.

JAN 13, 2009 Off-and-on N.Y. ski resort battle back on: Catskills trying to lure skiers usually bound for Vermont, Michael Hill, Associated Press, Sunday, January 13, 2008

JAN 10 2008 NYTimes Albany: Lawsuit Over Ski Resort

JAN 9, 2008 Daily Freeman State pact with resort draws suit

JAN 9 2007 Times Herald-Record Foes of Belleayre resort sue state

Jan 4, 2008 Daily Freeman Greene urges state to rethink Belleayre plan

Jan 3, 2008 Daily Freeman Greene County lawmakers revisiting Belleayre expansion

DEC 30 2007 Daily Freeman Spitzer won't attend Belleayre's 'Snowball'

DEC 26,2007 Daily Freeman Resort planner, opponents at odds over images

DEC 24 2007 AP WCAX, VT - Pared down mega-resort in Catskill Mountains still opposed

DEC 24 2007 Times Herald-Record Belleayre comment period extended until January 14

DEC 23, 2007 HV Business News A mountain of discord - Big ski center is panacea or poison

DEC 22 2007 AP White Plains Journal News - Pared down mega-resort in Catskill Mountains still opposed