By Pat Bradley
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-845731.mp3
Tupper Lake, NY – The Adirondack Club and Resort project is moving out of mediation and into a public hearing phase. Supporters are pleased but opponents are not happy that all of the contended issues were not resolved in the private discussions. WAMC North Country Bureau Chief Pat Bradley has more.
The Adirondack Club and Resort is the largest development project to ever come before the Adirondack Park Agency. Planned for 6-thousand acres in Tupper Lake, it would re-develop the former Big Tupper Ski Area and the land surrounding it. The project went into private mediation following several public hearings. After nearly two years, developer Michael Foxman this week withdrew from mediation. Public adjudicatory hearings on the project will now re-start. Tupper Lake Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Marti Mozdzier says mediation had accomplished all it could .
The Adirondack Council says it's unfortunate that the developer "abandoned" mediation. Spokesman John Sheehan says adjudication will be more lengthy, confrontational and adversarial.
No matter what happened in mediation, the project would eventually go back to public hearings. Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks Executive Director Dave Gibson, who attended every mediation session, calls that effort a missed opportunity.
The Tupper Lake Chamber's Marti Mozdzier says there will be a dramatic and positive impact from the development across four counties.
Public adjudicatory hearings are not expected to be held until January. Calls to Developer Michael Foxman were not returned.