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Developers: hotel not yet clear to start — sewer and stormwater sign‑offs delayed by DEC and consultant review
Summary
Hotel developers told Greene County legislators that final approvals from the state Department of Environmental Conservation and a consultant review of the stormwater protection plan are preventing the project from breaking ground; they said they have paid for CSO credits and upgraded the hotel's brand plans during the delay.
Developers of a new hotel updated Greene County legislators that two outstanding permits — state sign‑off on a sanitary sewer connection and a consultant review of the stormwater protection plan — are holding up site work and pushing a projected opening about a year after groundbreaking.
A project representative said the town planning board signed off on sanitary sewer work after a public hearing, but the developers are still awaiting final comment and signature from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and a Delaware Engineering review of the stormwater pollution prevention (SWIP) plan. “Since that time, we are still waiting on DEC to sign off on the sewer line,” a project principal said, and added the town’s planning board approval and the developer’s payment for credits are in place.
Developers said they paid roughly $21,000 for credits that will be used for capital improvements to address sewer‑stormwater separation and related infrastructure. They also said Hilton changed its brand standards during the delay and the developer spent about $50,000 to upgrade plans to the newer brand standard.
When a legislator asked about timing, the developer said if the project breaks ground in May, the developer expects roughly 12 months to substantial completion and opening. The developers also said they have marketed an on‑site restaurant pad to potential tenants, including Cracker Barrel and Chipotle, and that the pad’s effective acreage and adjacent hotel parking are factors for interested restaurant operators.
Legislators pressed for updates to the DEC and Delaware Engineering reviews and for clarity about what happens to credits if state approvals are withheld; developers said the town holds the file for the credit account and that they will ask the town for details if DEC does not sign off.
No final construction permit was reported at the meeting; developers called the permitting delay the principal risk to the project timeline.
