N. Harmony Hotel Still A Work In Progress
By NICHOLAS L. DEAN
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2/21/2007 - STOW — Work to bring a Hilton Hotel to North Harmony is still ongoing, but plans are not going to be seen by the Town Board any time soon.
‘‘I would say that at this point, they are still a long ways away from where they need to be,’’ said Brad Lawson, zoning officer, during the North Harmony Town Board’s regular February meeting.
Updating board and audience members on the situation, Sally Carlson, town supervisor, said she and Lawson had recently met with developer John McGraw and his representatives. According to Mrs. Carlson, work is ongoing by McGraw to complete his formal application and address requirements set by the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
As proposed by McGraw in February of last year, the Hilton Hotel would be located on the 30-acre Bootey property in Stow. At eight stories tall, the hotel would have 150 rooms, 12 condominiums and cost $15 million to build.
In January, Lawson said McGraw was moving forward assessing environmental issues. According to Lawson, McGraw has had some issues with wetlands which had not previously been on the property.
When the grass had been mowed regularly, there were no wetlands. However, now that the grass has grown up, the criteria has changed.
‘‘What they’re doing right now is gathering all their information, their State Environmental Quality Review information,’’ Lawson said during the February meeting. ‘‘They’re putting it all together and then will be submitting that to the DEC. When they get their approvals or permits or what they need to do to satisfy the DEC, they will then submit all that information to the town so the town doesn’t have to go through the process of also submitting to the DEC and waiting. It will be done. We will still have to submit, but the work will be done, so-to-speak.’’
According to Lawson, McGraw will be doing as much research as would be required by a full-form SEQR assessment — though he has not yet been told to complete the long version of the environmental quality review. Discussing the point, board members debated whether or not to require McGraw to complete the full-form SEQR.
‘‘That’s going to be a decision based on discussions between you and the DEC and the applicant in what you want to do, but there is a lot of work to be done,’’ said David Stapleton, town attorney. ‘‘I think the DEC has made it pretty clear that there aren’t going to be any shortcuts here, that they will do the work either way.’’
Though expensive to the applicant, Robert Yates, councilman, said the full-blown SEQR impact study is in-depth and a way of protecting the town.
Proposed to be built near the Power Boat Club between Wells Bay and Stow roads, the project would have breakout meeting rooms in addition to hotel rooms. One of the rooms — a 60-by-90 foot room overlooking the bay into Chautauqua Lake — would be used for weddings.
The next meeting of the North Harmony Town Board will be at 8 p.m. Monday, March 12.
‘‘I would say that at this point, they are still a long ways away from where they need to be,’’ said Brad Lawson, zoning officer, during the North Harmony Town Board’s regular February meeting.
Updating board and audience members on the situation, Sally Carlson, town supervisor, said she and Lawson had recently met with developer John McGraw and his representatives. According to Mrs. Carlson, work is ongoing by McGraw to complete his formal application and address requirements set by the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
As proposed by McGraw in February of last year, the Hilton Hotel would be located on the 30-acre Bootey property in Stow. At eight stories tall, the hotel would have 150 rooms, 12 condominiums and cost $15 million to build.
In January, Lawson said McGraw was moving forward assessing environmental issues. According to Lawson, McGraw has had some issues with wetlands which had not previously been on the property.
When the grass had been mowed regularly, there were no wetlands. However, now that the grass has grown up, the criteria has changed.
‘‘What they’re doing right now is gathering all their information, their State Environmental Quality Review information,’’ Lawson said during the February meeting. ‘‘They’re putting it all together and then will be submitting that to the DEC. When they get their approvals or permits or what they need to do to satisfy the DEC, they will then submit all that information to the town so the town doesn’t have to go through the process of also submitting to the DEC and waiting. It will be done. We will still have to submit, but the work will be done, so-to-speak.’’
According to Lawson, McGraw will be doing as much research as would be required by a full-form SEQR assessment — though he has not yet been told to complete the long version of the environmental quality review. Discussing the point, board members debated whether or not to require McGraw to complete the full-form SEQR.
‘‘That’s going to be a decision based on discussions between you and the DEC and the applicant in what you want to do, but there is a lot of work to be done,’’ said David Stapleton, town attorney. ‘‘I think the DEC has made it pretty clear that there aren’t going to be any shortcuts here, that they will do the work either way.’’
Though expensive to the applicant, Robert Yates, councilman, said the full-blown SEQR impact study is in-depth and a way of protecting the town.
Proposed to be built near the Power Boat Club between Wells Bay and Stow roads, the project would have breakout meeting rooms in addition to hotel rooms. One of the rooms — a 60-by-90 foot room overlooking the bay into Chautauqua Lake — would be used for weddings.
The next meeting of the North Harmony Town Board will be at 8 p.m. Monday, March 12.
For more information on Chautauqua Lake Real Estate & Living visit: www.chautauqualakehomes.com
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