LIBERTY — County residents – and particularly those in the towns of Liberty, Neversink and Fallsburg – are invited to participate in the discussion of a community wind farm.
Indeed, the Sullivan Alliance for Sustainable Development (SASD) and Sustainable Energy Developments (SED) are counting on that participation.
“The goal of this meeting is to gather feedback as to the level of social support each potential small wind farm site may have,” explained SASD Executive Director Dick Riseling.

“This is [part of] a feasibility study on community-owned wind energy.”

Riseling is best-known as the county’s “green guru,” but this project does not involve county government or funding.

A $210,000 U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Rural Development grant allowed SASD to hire SED to identify potential sites for a community wind farm, which would power local electricity users via wind turbines.

Ideal sites must have sufficient wind speeds, accessibility and buildability, said Riseling.

After scouring the county for the past year and a half, SASD and SED will unveil the details of four “best-of” sites at this Sunday’s public meeting at the Liberty Senior Center.

According to Riseling, those sites are located along Tanzman Road in Parksville, Old Loomis Road in Liberty, Walnut Mountain in Liberty and Thunder Hill in Grahamsville.

“We looked at a great many sites,” he confirmed, “and all that pool of data will be available to everybody on Sunday.”

Still, SASD and SED invites everyone in the county and the region to attend.

“The intention of the work performed in this study could be replicated and applied to other parts of the county,” Riseling said.

While SASD and SED will provide technical assistance, raising the funds and building the wind farm will be up to the community itself.

“We will write up a plan and show them the methodology,” said Riseling. “This allows people to create a business plan and go to the capital project round.”

Sunday’s gathering will give SASD and SED the feedback they need to choose one of the four sites to study intensively. Each site could host several wind turbines generating enough energy to power 500 to 5,000 homes, he added.

While the sites are within or close to the townships of Liberty, Neversink and Fallsburg, Riseling said all interested parties are welcome – including those who might consider themselves opposed to a wind farm in their neighborhood.

The meeting will be held this Sunday from 2–4 p.m. at the Liberty Senior Center, 119 North Main Street (across from the town hall).

April 26, 2012 courtesy of Midhudsonnews.com

ROCK HILL – The purchase of The Lodge in Rock Hill by RHH Land, LLC, a subsidiary of the Resnick Group of Mount Dale, has been completed. It purchased the property from CS-Graces, LLC.

New owner Butch Resnick, a local businessman, plans to convert the former motor lodge into a modern hotel, catering hall and conference facility.  It is expected to take six weeks for the transformation, which began last weekend after the closing.

The transaction was made possible through the assistance of the Sullivan County Industrial Agency, which approved continuation of the Payments in Lieu of Taxes that the former owner enjoyed. County Legislator Alan Sorensen, who represents that area, said the reopening of the Lodge will be a boon to the Town of Thompson area.

“The Lodge at Rock Hill, whether it has been the Lodge or now by another name, having a hotel facility with a conference center in the center of the Rock Hill business community is good for the business district,” Sorensen said. “There are a lot of synergies between the local restaurants and local businesses that go with having a hotel and accommodations in the hamlet of Rock Hill.”

Resnick said he plans to transform the property into a facility with quality hotel rooms for Sullivan County and promote their other investments in neighboring properties.

“Our intention is to upgrade the closed site into a New York City style boutique hotel property, giving Sullivan County residents, business travelers and banquet guests a stylist and chic experience that will be second to none,” Resnick said.

April 17, 2012 Courtesy of The Sullivan County Democrat

MONTICELLO — Last Tuesday’s Town of Thompson Special Scoping Session for the proposed $600 million resort project being proposed by Entertainment Properties Trust (EPT) on the grounds of the Concord was short – and to the point.

Planning Board Secretary Nora Houston called the special meeting “the beginning in a process which will take several months.”

Jim Tinson, CEO of Hart Howerton out of New York City, called the session “ the first step in the process of realizing the unique potential of this development.”

Tinson then lauded the project for its “unique potential for economic growth and development in Sullivan County.”

Development at the 1,538-acre site of the Concord has been dangled to county residents before, most recently by Westchester developer Louis Cappelli and his Concord Associates back in 2006.

The week prior to the special scoping session, Cappelli wrote to the Thompson Board asking that they reject numerous amendments sought by EPT to an already approved planned resort development on grounds that the amendments must first be approved by the “master developer” – a title claimed by Cappelli and Concord Associates.

Nevertheless, the Thompson Board moved ahead with its review of the EPT proposal.

After Tinson went over the “many advantages” of the casino resort for Sullivan County – including the jobs the proposal might bring – he assured the board that “we are moving in a very expeditious manner.”

Nannette Bourne, senior vice president of the environmental planning and engineering firm AKRF, then spoke in more detail about “the next phase”: the preparation of the environmental impact statement.

Bourne presented a brief outline for how the group plans to put together the document, which will consist of two parts.

The first part, Bourne said, will include a generic environmental impact statement, while the second will be a site-specific impact statement for the first phase of development.

Also, a resolution to name the Town of Thompson Board as “lead agency” for the project passed board muster. Afterwards, Thompson Supervisor, Tony Cellini half-jokingly said, “Well, your work is cut out for you now.”

March 28, 2012 Courtesy of The Catskill Chronicle

MONTICELLO, NY – Chancellor Livingston LLC, previously designated by the County Legislature as the preferred developer for the East Broadway Redevelopment Project (The former Apollo Mall property and the former Landfill Phase II property) has notified County officials that they are withdrawing from this project.  Sullivan County will recognize their withdraw, and the County Legislature will consider options that will move the development of the area forward.

“The Chancellor Livingston project will not proceed further, however, I want to recognize the efforts that the principals of Chancellor Livingston had undertaken to realize a shared vision for the redevelopment of the East Broadway area of Monticello,” said Scott B. Samuelson, Chairman of the Sullivan County Legislature.

The County had developed Requests for Proposals (RFP’s) after the County obtained title to the former Apollo Mall property through a foreclosure process that followed lengthy court action.  Two responders to the RFP presented their vision and proposals for the site.  After a number of hurdles were satisfied, the County Legislature recently adopted a resolution that would permit the transfer of title to the Sullivan County Funding Corporation, a move that would provide an environment for the marketing of the area to national retail organizations.

“The County Legislature will consider options that will move the development of the County Seat forward,” added Samuelson.  “The sustainable economic growth of our County, with positive contributions to the County’s sales tax revenues, and meaningful job creation is a top priority for this Legislature,” said Samuelson.

“The completion of the improved Exit 106 of Interstate 86/State Route 17 certainly makes the East Broadway area, particularly the former Apollo Mall property and the former Landfill Phase II property in a prime position for development,” said Alan J. Sorensen, Minority Leader of the Legislature.
“The redevelopment of the East Broadway area will be a regular subject at the meetings of the Economic and Community Development Committee”, said it’s Chairman Legislator Ira Steingart.  “There should be renewed consideration given to the proposed project that was submitted to the County by Butch Resnick, as well as, the potential of an updated Request for Proposals,” said Steingart.  “The County will dedicate the resources necessary to move this process forward to bring about the much needed sales tax revenues and job creation that would be associated with the redevelopment of the area,” said Steingart.

“The County will take immediate steps to ensure that the County Seat realizes the renaissance that was started with the completion of Broadway and the completion of the improvements to Exit 106.  We look forward to the previously announced Concord project by Entertainment Properties Trust moving forward, and the potential of the redevelopment of East Broadway moving forward in a timeframe that will benefit the Citizenry and business community of Sullivan County,” concluded Samuelson.