ROSENDALE – A draft of the environmental impact statement, the first in many steps toward final approval of the proposed Hudson River Valley Resort by Hudson River Valley Resorts, LLC (HRVR), was submitted this year by Hudson River Valley Resorts in early April. On April 23, however, the HRVR was notified by the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) that the environmental study was inadequate.

Chris Beall, one of many volunteer steering committee members of "Save the Lakes", a grass-roots organization whose mission is to protect and preserve the natural resources of the Williams Lake property said, "The draft environmental study is just part of the process."

Beall also said, however, that he thought the first draft would, most likely, be rejected as he thought it was submitted prematurely. He added he had spoken to project manager, Tim Alred, several times, and that what Alred said led him to this conclusion.

Nancy Schiederwind, another "Save the Lakes" steering committee member had much more to say, however.

"This draft was not made public yet, but what's significant is the fact that the developers really did a thorough study, yet did not attend to the guidelines that the DEC asked for," she said. "If they can't follow guidelines and regulations, what does it mean for future modus operandi for the resort? What are their practices down the road going to be? What does this hold for the future?"

However, according to Anita Williams Peck, "My family ran the business [Williams Lake Hotel] for 80 years with no environmental impact — now with the new technologies and public awareness, these people [HRVR] will do it even better."

The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), submitted to the DEC, according to state environmental officials, was found to be insufficient in the areas of underground water-flow and wildlife use of the Binnewater Lakes. A state environmental analyst, Rebecca Crist, stated the draft EIS was inadequate to commence a public review.

The proposed resort complex would be situated on approximately 779 acres, which include and surround the site of the Williams Lake Hotel and Williams Lake (also known as Fifth Binnewater Lake). The northern portion of the property, including two more lakes to the north of Williams Lake, is protected by a conservation easement held by the Rondout-Esopus Land Conservancy. The proposed development would occur on approximately 300 to 325 acres of the remaining acreage.

The application put forth by HRVR includes demolition of the existing 57-unit Williams Lake Hotel, plus some of its ancillary facilities, with construction of a new lakeside hotel complex containing 84 hotel rooms, 22 lakefront suites and 14 detached hotel cabins.

It also is proposed to include construction of 160 single-family residential units including 101 attached and 59 detached units, creation of multiple-use recreational facilities consisting of a welcome center, wellness and fitness centers, yoga/meditation center, courtyard/skating rink, and many more amenities. Much excavation is planned for expansion of the internal road network and the rerouting of the Wallkill Rail Trail. This plan also includes creation of a central water supply system and development of a central sewage treatment system with probable blasting to support certain elements of development.

In July of 2008, the DEC was designated as lead agency for an environmental review, meaning that the state agency is coordinating interagency oversight on the project.

In response to the State agency's rejection of the EIS, Rosendale Supervisor Patrick McDonough said, "They have not been turned down; they just submitted their draft environmental plan to the DEC."