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IDA says hotel project still committed but stalled by DEC sewer permit and mitigation requirement
Summary
An IDA/development representative told the committee that a planned Greene County hotel project faces a sewer hookup restriction from the DEC; mitigation to cover an estimated 8,000 gallons per day will be required, delaying construction timelines and prompting requests for provisional planning approval.
A representative for the county’s development authority updated the legislature’s economic development committee on March 17 that a planned hotel project remains committed but cannot begin full construction until a Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) permit and related sewer mitigation are resolved.
The representative, identified in committee discussion as April (IDA/development staff), said the developer and county have worked with Delaware Engineering since March 2024 to reassess wastewater flow estimates. ‘‘Originally, the report back in 02/2016…had the hotel at 1,920 gallons needed per flow. They really need about 10,000 gallons per flow. So we have to mitigate now that 8,000,’’ April said, describing the additional mitigation demand.
April said initial mitigation costs had been estimated at about $500,000 but that subsequent engineering work suggested mitigation projects might be ‘‘less than a hundred thousand,’’ a figure she described as more manageable. She said the village and town are pursuing larger infrastructure projects — including a separation project the meeting described as having roughly $20 million in grants — and that the village’s final DEC permit and the village planning-board approvals were expected in the April–May period. ‘‘The hotel has never wavered. They’re still here,’’ April said, adding the developer has funds and contractors ready.
Committee members pressed staff on the timeline. April said the DEC-related studies were finalized in October 2024 and that the county first learned it would need to file the permit application in March 2024. She said the larger village separation projects have a longer completion timeline and that staff now expect those projects’ full completion nearer 2030; in the interim the county and developer are pursuing mitigation, provisional planning approvals and credit purchases to allow the hotel to move forward sooner if possible.
Why it matters: the project is tied to several county and municipal investments (road access, utility stubs, nearby commercial parcels) and a multi-million-dollar public and private development plan. A prolonged DEC permitting or mitigation requirement can delay construction, affect local tax receipts and reshape related commercial interest in the area.
No formal county action was recorded on the hotel during the committee’s discussion; staff asked to provide ongoing updates to the Legislature and said they would supply construction schedules when they are finalized.
