The Belleayre Resort - for or against?

[thinnmann]

"Resorting to Madness" documentary film

Has anybody seen this?

http://www.savethemountain.net/events.html

Maybe adamti or Bandit can go see it and report for us? Other locals?

paste--->>>

Save the Mountain Events
ANDES Roundtable

Save the Mountain and Hardenburgh Association of Residents & Taxpayers (HART) Present the documentary film:
Resorting to Madness: Taking Back Our Mountain Communities

Wednesday, November 14, 7:00 PM
Andes Roundtable at Hunting Tavern
288 Main Street (Route 28) in Andes
$2 donation to historic Hunting Tavern

Running time approx. 45 minutes, followed by a discussion.

For more information call 845-586-4425
Download Flyer PDF (660k)

ARKVILLE

Save the Mountain presents the documentary film:
Resorting to Madness: Taking Back Our Mountain Communities

Saturday, November 17, 2:00 PM
Casey Joe’s Coffeehouse
Hwy 28 & Rt. 38, (Crossroads intersection)
Arkville, 586-5637
Everyone invited -- Admission FREE

Running time approx. 45 minutes, followed by informal discussion with maps of Belleayre Resort plans.

For more information call 845-586-4425
Download Flyer PDF (600k)
ROSENDALE

Save the Mountain presents the documentary film:
Resorting to Madness: Taking Back Our Mountain Communities

Tuesday, November 27, 7:00 PM
Rosendale Theater
845-658-8989
408 Main Street, Rosendale
$5 admission

Running time approx. 45 minutes, followed
by discussion with maps of Belleayre Resort plans.

Download Flyer PDF (600k)
WOODSTOCK

Save the Mountain presents the documentary film:
Resorting to Madness: Taking Back Our Mountain Communities

Saturday, December 1, 7:30 PM
Woodstock Community Center
56 Rock City Rd., Woodstock
FREE admission

Running time approx. 45 minutes, followed
by discussion with maps of Belleayre Resort plans.

Call Terrie for more info: 845-679-8672
Download Flyer PDF (600k)​

 

[thinnmann]

Has anybody seen this?

http://www.savethemountain.net/events.html

Maybe adamti or Bandit can go see it and report for us? Other locals?

paste--->>>

Save the Mountain Events
ANDES Roundtable

Save the Mountain and Hardenburgh Association of Residents & Taxpayers (HART) Present the documentary film:
Resorting to Madness: Taking Back Our Mountain Communities

Wednesday, November 14, 7:00 PM
Andes Roundtable at Hunting Tavern
288 Main Street (Route 28) in Andes
$2 donation to historic Hunting Tavern

Running time approx. 45 minutes, followed by a discussion.

So I guess nobody went?....​

 

[catskills]

So I guess nobody went?....

Not sure why someone from New Jersey is so interested in this.

There are many locals that have retired near Belleayre that don't want one tree cut down for development. The Sierra Club these days is run by a bunch of extreme tree huggers that also want ZERO development of any type. Well obviously that is unreasonable to expect ZERO development. People that own land and pay a lot of taxes on that land should either be allowed to develop it or paid a lot of money not to develop it. People that live in NYC and NJ don't own this land and should have very little to say what happens to privately owned land development as long as the surrounding water shed and environment is not compromised. :roll:

 

[thinnmann]

Not sure why someone from New Jersey is so interested in this.

There are many locals that have retired near Belleayre that don't want one tree cut down for development. The Sierra Club these days is run by a bunch of extreme tree huggers that also want ZERO development of any type. Well obviously that is unreasonable to expect ZERO development. People that own land and pay a lot of taxes on that land should either be allowed to develop it or paid a lot of money not to develop it. People that live in NYC and NJ don't own this land and should have very little to say what happens to privately owned land development as long as the surrounding water shed and environment is not compromised. :roll:

I am interested because it does impact the quality of my life. I am lucky enough to be able to rent a house near Belleayre when I want, and my family and I spend at least a month of our lives there every year.

Recognizing that I am not unique, I assume I can extend this feeling to thousands of other non-residents that frequent the Belleayre area.

I agree that people that own land should be allowed to develop it; but with that ownership comes a responsibility to other people that are impacted by that development.

I didn't go into this thread clearly feeling I was for or against the resort. I have been trying to summarize events and articles and solicit opinions. Generally, with my blog, I have been trying to fill a void of chronology and information that the Belleayre web site leaves open.

At this time, the more I hear about the resort, the more I am leaning towards the "against" side. This is making sense to me because, selfishly speaking, given a choice between a week at a resort hotel and a week backpacking in the woods, I land in camp with the tree huggers every time.

 

[JimG.]

Not sure why someone from New Jersey is so interested in this.

There are many locals that have retired near Belleayre that don't want one tree cut down for development. The Sierra Club these days is run by a bunch of extreme tree huggers that also want ZERO development of any type. Well obviously that is unreasonable to expect ZERO development. People that own land and pay a lot of taxes on that land should either be allowed to develop it or paid a lot of money not to develop it. People that live in NYC and NJ don't own this land and should have very little to say what happens to privately owned land development as long as the surrounding water shed and environment is not compromised. :roll:

Specifically, the Trout Unlimited branch of the Sierra Club. They rule the NY chapter.

Hunter has had water access wars with them for years.

And it is unreasonable to expect zero development.

What I can tell you is that Belleayre was talking this development up at the recent NY First Tracks press conference last week. Complete with glossy enlarged renditions of what looks fairly huge.

I don't think Thinnman meant any harm.

 

[catskills]

A little bit about me. I have hiked, skied, backpacked, fished and hunted throughout the Catskills since I was old enough to walk. I continue to hike, ski, and fish in the Catskills. I still live nearby in West Hurley and my ancestry goes back to the first five families to settle in the Catskill Mountains on my mothers side. I know a great deal of the history of the Catskills mountains. I use to think the NY State Forever Wild Law was a great law. It was a great law. Unfortunately the Forever Wild law has created an artificially high canopy of trees that supports little wild life. In other words if the land was better managed, the land could support significantly more wild life of all types. We can do better. On the plus side, the Forever Wild law has created a water shed environment that supplies New York City with very clean water. Unfortunately the underdeveloped Catskills mountains is an extremely poor economic environment with a large number of outsiders like no other place in NY saying what they can or can not do. I don't stand to gain anything from the Belleayre Resort. I truly believe the Belleayre Resort would be good for the Catskills, good for NY City, and good for NY state.

 

[dmc]

We CAN do better..

 

[JimG.]

A little bit about me. I have hiked, skied, backpacked, fished and hunted throughout the Catskills since I was old enough to walk. I continue to hike, ski, and fish in the Catskills. I still live nearby in West Hurley and my ancestry goes back to the first five families to settle in the Catskill Mountains on my mothers side. I know a great deal of the history of the Catskills mountains. I use to think the NY State Forever Wild Law was a great law. It was a great law. Unfortunately the Forever Wild law has created an artificially high canopy of trees that supports little wild life. In other words if the land was better managed, the land could support significantly more wild life of all types. We can do better. On the plus side, the Forever Wild law has created a water shed environment that supplies New York City with very clean water. Unfortunately the underdeveloped Catskills mountains is an extremely poor economic environment with a large number of outsiders like no other place in NY saying what they can or can not do. I don't stand to gain anything from the Belleayre Resort. I truly believe the Belleayre Resort would be good for the Catskills, good for NY City, and good for NY state.

I'd love to do some fishing with you on the Esopus sometime. I've been going there fairly regularly since around 1980.

A real trout stream.

 

[catskills]

Sounds like a plan. Me mostly worms. You? I was thinking about getting back into that fly fishing presentation thing again.

 

[JimG.]

Sounds like a plan. Me mostly worms. You? I was thinking about getting back into that fly fishing presentation thing again.

I do some fly fishing. But I'm not a stander, I like to move upstream, so ultralight spinning gear with a small spinner is my favorite at the Esopus.

Although I admit worms or egg sacks in the deep pools there are deadly.

 

[thinnmann]

Meetings Set for Belleayre Mountain Proposals

FYI

http://readme.readmedia.com/news/show/Meetings-Set-for-Belleayre-Mountain-Proposals/17089

snip--->>>

ALBANY, NY (11/27/2007; 1329)(readMedia)-- The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will hold two meetings in early December to provide information and receive comments about developments proposed for properties around and including the Belleayre Mountain Ski Center in the Catskill Mountain region.

* Monday, Dec. 10, 6-9 p.m., at the Belleayre Mountain Ski Center (Discovery Lodge), DEC will hold a public information meeting about the proposed project.

* Tuesday, Dec. 11, 6-10 p.m., at the Belleayre Mountain Ski Center (Discovery Lodge), DEC will hold a meeting to receive comments about the scope of the environmental review to be conducted. DEC also welcomes written comments on the scope of that review, through Jan. 8.​

 

[ERJ-145CA]

I was skiing Belleayre today and went to the discovery lodge to change to leave and saw all the boards set up for the meeting. I looked at the one showing the ski area and saw the proposed addition of the Highmount terrain with a lift from the base of the Highmount area up to the first big right turn on Deer Run. Also there is a lift proposed from the Discovery lodge all the way up to the summit between Lift 7 and the Tomahawk Lift. Off to the east side of the mountain there was a proposed lift from around the Village of Pine Hill area to the summit east of Cathedral Brook and it was labeled "proposed east side lift and trails". I really only looked at the proposed ski area changes and didn't look at the development aspect but it looks like there will be a lot of new terrain if it goes through.

 

[thinnmann]

Article and comment about the hearing that was extended because of an overwhelming number of speakers.

snip from the comment ---->>>

The public speakers were (charitably) 4 to 1 in opposition to Crossroads Ventures real estate proposal...
... Freeman did not send the same reporter to the continuation of the Session last night where ALL but 3 of the speakers from 5 PM to its end at about 9 PM were opposed to the development...​

 

[thinnmann]

see

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19167829&BRD=1769&PAG=461&dept_id=74969&rfi=6


snips--->>>>

CATSKILL - Greene County lawmakers on Thursday unanimously adopted a resolution calling for additional review of the proposed expansion of the state-owned Belleayre Mountain Ski Center in neighboring Ulster County....

...According to the resolution, the proposed expansion would increase Belleayre's size by 62 percent and cost taxpayers between $45 million and $75 million. The resolution states that Belleayre, located off state Route 28 in the Shandaken hamlet of Highmount, is a direct competitor with the ski center in Hunter and Windham and has a significant competitive advantage. Belleayre is exempted from paying a variety of taxes, insurance costs and other administrative and operating expenses that cost Hunter Mountain and Windham Mountain each between an average of $2 million and $3 million annually, the resolution said.

Additionally, while the ski centers have been able to coexist and grow in the past, that has changed over the last decade, the resolution said. Belleayre's "aggressive marketing practices, its use of taxpayer funding to operate and make major capital improvements to its ski mountain, and its exemptions from various tax, administrative and operating expenses" are hurting the privately owned facilities, the resolution said.​