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A Waste of Time

2008-07-25T11:01:00.002-04:00

The following article was printed in The Post-Journal on 23 July 2008:

A Waste Of Time

Hotel Developer Confuses Officials, Residents

By Nicholas L. Dean

STOW - Expecting three options for the Bootey Bay property in Stow, town officials and area residents alike were confused when hotel developer John McGraw had nothing new to tell the North Harmony Planning Board on Tuesday.

Not a regular meeting of the Planning Board, Tuesday's special workshop session had been scheduled at McGraw's request. According to Sally Carlson, town supervisor, she and other town officials were under the impression McGraw was going to have new information to discuss with the Planning Board.

After arriving close to 20 minutes late to the meeting...

To read the full article, click on this link:
http://post-journal.com/page/content.detail/id/507196.html

Planning Board Meeting with Hotel Developer

2008-07-22T10:06:00.004-04:00

North Harmony Planning Board Meeting
7:00 PM Tuesday, 22 July 2008
North Harmony/Stow Senior Center
5377 Stow Road, Stow, NY

The developer, John McGraw, of the Bootey Bay Doubletree Resort Hotel Project is scheduled to make a presentation to the Planning Board of his "new" proposal for the project. North Harmony officials say Mr. McGraw's proposal consists of three options for the Bootey Bay site. Though the meeting is considered a "working session", which typically does not allow time for public input, we have been assured that time will be provided for questions and comments from the public.

We encourage all citizens concerned about this project to attend the meeting to see what Mr. McGraw's "new" proposal entails and to let the Planning Board know what you think it.

All are welcome.
See you there.

Public Meeting with County Executive Edwards

2008-06-22T19:18:00.013-04:00

6:00pm Friday the 27 June 2008

North Harmony/Stow Senior Center

5377 Stow Road, Stow, NY

The CCRD has arranged for a open meeting with Chautauqua County Executive, Greg Edwards, to discuss the twin 10-story hotel/condo project proposed for the Bootey Bay site in North Harmony. The meeting is open to the public and all are welcome.

We encourage all concerned citizens to attend the meeting to hear Mr. Edwards’ thoughts regarding the project and to let him know what you think of the project. This is a good opportunity for non-North Harmony residents to have their voice heard. The proposed hotel/condo project will have an adverse Aesthetic, Environmental, and Economic impact on the entire lake region, well beyond the town of North Harmony. Though North Harmony officials may want to ignore your concerns, as County Executive, Mr. Edwards represents all of us and is answerable to all of us.

Please attend if you can.

All are welcome.

See you there.

Memorial Day Flyer

2008-05-29T21:16:00.051-04:00

This is a flyer distributed over the Memorial Day weekend by friends and supporters of the CCRD:

Attention Chautauqua Residents:
DO YOU WANT TO SEE A 10-STORY
HIGH-RISE HOTEL On The Shores
Of Chautauqua Lake?

Recently a developer from Warren, PA proposed just that when he announced his intention to construct a hotel and condominium resort complex, including two 10-story towers, on the shores of Chautauqua Lake. The complex would be located on Bootey Bay in North Harmony, wedged between Tom’s Point Wildlife Management Area and the cottages and future protected lands of Wells Bay. Though the site is currently zoned for a maximum of 2½ stories the developer insists on building 10 stories, prompting him to request zoning changes to create a new “resort district”. If approved by the Town of North Harmony, this new resort district would allow the construction of 10-story and even higher buildings and would set a dangerous precedent for the whole Chautauqua Lake region.

An expansion of the sewer district from Lakewood to Bootey Bay will be required to service this project. The mandatory hook-up fees will cost each homeowner thousands of dollars with service and maintenance fees costing a thousand dollars or more annually. Prior sewer expansions have not stopped the lake’s continued declining health.

Beyond the disruption the two 10-story towers will have on the lake’s natural beauty, the project will bring with it increased vehicular traffic, run-off pollution, noise pollution, nighttime light pollution, and lake congestion, to name just a few problems all of this funneled on to an already stressed shoreline and lake. We must stop this “Mistake on the Lake”.

PLEASE GET INVOLVED NOW!

Contact the North Harmony Town Board and Planning Board and request the following:

> NO zoning changes without the favorable consensus of all the community’s stakeholders.

> NO zoning changes without a township-wide Comprehensive Plan.

> NO zoning changes without a Strategic Master Plan for the Stow area.

> Maintain 2½-story maximum building height, as per current zoning.

> Require a full Environmental Impact Study that examines:

- The proposed zoning changes.

- The proposed sewer/water system.

- The proposed hotel/condominium development.

> Require a community-wide Economic Impact Study, prepared by an independent third party, to fully explore the long-term costs the project will impose on the community.

> Require the Developer to fully disclose how he intends to finance the project.

> Require of the Developer complete architectural drawings and plans depicting the full scope of the project.

> Adopt the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP) in full, NOW!

> NO tax abatements for irresponsible development, such as 10-story towers.

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!

Contact: North Harmony Town Board and Planning Board
c/o Sally Carlson, Town Supervisor
3445 Old Bridge Rd, Stow NY 14785
Phone: (716) 789-3445, Ext. 4
Email: supervisor@townofnorthharmony.com

Attend: Planning Board Meetings - 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the Month
(Contact Town Hall to confirm monthly meeting dates)

Join: Chautauqua Coalition for Responsible Development (CCRD)
Website: www.SaveChautauqua.com
Email: save.chautauqua@gmail.com

LET’S STOP THIS MISTAKE ON THE LAKE NOW!

2008-03-18T11:47:00.005-04:00

This is the developer's depiction of the first of two towers to sit on the shores of Chautauqua Lake. The remaining trees will reach only to the fifth of TEN STORIES. We urge the Town to REJECT the rezoning request of the developer.

We truly do want more economic prosperity for the area but let's not rush into decisions that will be impossible to undo and the consequences of which are completely unknown.

2008-03-17T15:27:00.001-04:00

Chautauqua Coalition

for Responsible Development

We agree with the sentiments raised in the Open Letter to the Town of North Harmony in last Sunday’s Post-Journal and would like to add the following …

We believe there are several things ALL of us in the Chautauqua region can agree on:

We love Chautauqua Lake

We are concerned about the ecological health of the Lake

We want more economic prosperity for the area

We must preserve the charm and character of the Lake’s surrounding communities

We are NOT against development. In fact, we believe that tasteful and prudent development of the area is good. But we ARE very concerned that the current plan for Bootey Bay will bring with it unexpected costs to taxpayers, harm the environment, and damage the charm and character of the Lake.

Our concerns are in three specific areas:

Higher Taxes and Fees

Harming Chautauqua Lake

A Building Far Too Large and of Unacceptable Design

Tax Impact to Residents

We are concerned about the developer’s engineering estimate that if this project leads to residential sewer and water service, affected residents will be required to pay $1000 annually, for water and sewer treatment, as well as unknown costs for hook-ups and ongoing maintenance. As recent letters and editorials in the Jamestown Post Journal have explained, non-resident taxpayers contribute the greater portion of taxes paid to North Harmony. This additional assessment would place an additional financial burden on both resident and non-resident taxpayers. A full disclosure regarding the financial impact will help us understand our costs related to sewer and water lines.

Why is the developer pushing so hard for tax abatements? He seems to argue that building the sewer and water lines to his hotel is a gift to the community and that the authorities should grant him special tax status as a result. If so, why the extra burden on those who will be required to use the sewer and water lines?

Environmental Impact to the Lake

This is potentially the single biggest issue with the most dire consequences. The Bootey Bay site is directly adjacent to a protected and fragile aquatic wetlands preserve. Science has shown with increasing certainty that wetlands provide a hugely important role for the surrounding ecosystem. We know that Chautauqua Lake’s ecosystem is already in trouble. We want a full environmental impact study performed by a qualified third party. Furthermore, we want the US Fish and Wildlife Service and NY Department of Environmental Conservation involved.

Aesthetic Impact to the Area

In our view, this is the single easiest issue to address. The developer’s plans today call for a 10-story “tower” with a possible second one as well. The height of the structure would be twice the height of the remaining trees. The height of the structure would be TWICE that of the Chautauqua Athenaeum hotel and more than twice the height of other recent projects in the area. It would be visible from miles around and truly dominate the shoreline. This is just unacceptable. The structure should be designed to accommodate the surrounding character of the area and not in any way be visible over the tree line. In fact, entire practices of architecture specialize in designing structures to enhance and blend into the surrounding areas. A big-box building surrounded by black-top parking lots does anything but blend in. The charm and character of the area must be preserved. And any assertion from the developer that he can’t make enough money without a ten-story edifice rings hollow.

We want to work with the Town of North Harmony to come to a solution that’s good for all of us. We ask that open, thoughtful, and thorough consideration be given to all of these matters and that we not hurry into creating comprehensive zoning changes which would allow other ten-story towers around the Lake -- this precedent would impact generations to come!

We are the Chautauqua Coalition for Responsible Development. Join us!

(Email save.chautauqua@gmail.com)