Save the Catskill Mountain Region
I sort of dig being an anonymous blogger, especially if I feel the need be digress for a moment. But I'll tell you this about me. I am into economic development if it is sustainable and tending towards green. I am into land use planning big time. So my friends are telling me about the "windmills" they want to put up a little west of me. So I think, cool. Green. No carbon emissions. Well, they sit me down. It's all logical. I'm embarrassed. How can wind energy be bad? They reassure me it depends. Like on the water off the coast of Long Island and Cape Cod - financially and local market yup it's good. Just not on the peaks of the Catskill Mountains.
Like all things green there is a time and a place, turn, turn, turn. For every season. You catch my drift. Now I'm a huge fan of what is going on in the Catksills. It's like the Hamptons only with cool people and cool celebrities. This place is on the verge of greatness but someone wants to put slums in a few up and coming neighborhoods. Some of my friends who are against this are even greener then me - yeah right. No really, they are.
Here's the 911. When corporations make decisions for us we loose. Look at the NYC regulations on business development in the Catskills - stop it at all costs agreement. Look at the resort they're planning for Belleayre Mountain - which I've written about. I wasn't a fan when it was a huge resort and my neighbors fought hard against it and I appreciate that I really do. But now it's smaller. And as someone who understands planning and economic development it is now the right size for the economy and infrastructure - and water quality protection issues. Add two more reasonably sized possible resorts to the area and windmills are now in the negative column, economically. You can't say I want to protect the troops from dying to fight for our right to have oil so I'm for clean energy --- when your tax base will be eroded by the green energy company because they are a corporate wolf in green sheepskin.
People in the Catskills need to wake up and economic developers and planners need to wake up. Having a SUSTAINABLE commercial tax base is the single most important thing you can do for a local economy. The rest will follow. Forget the tree huggers. Forget the NIMBYs. For get the ATV/snowmobilers for clean energy. Forget the second homeowners. It doesn't work in the Catskills. There is too much potential. Just believe in yourselves for a little longer folks - you really are on the verge of great things. The money is too easy - didn't you learn from the NYC DEP?
And while we're at it - ONE casino in Sullivan around Monticello is fine. But three? You go tell Spitzer and the tribes stop smoking the peyote. More on that later. Peace. Out.
Like all things green there is a time and a place, turn, turn, turn. For every season. You catch my drift. Now I'm a huge fan of what is going on in the Catksills. It's like the Hamptons only with cool people and cool celebrities. This place is on the verge of greatness but someone wants to put slums in a few up and coming neighborhoods. Some of my friends who are against this are even greener then me - yeah right. No really, they are.
Here's the 911. When corporations make decisions for us we loose. Look at the NYC regulations on business development in the Catskills - stop it at all costs agreement. Look at the resort they're planning for Belleayre Mountain - which I've written about. I wasn't a fan when it was a huge resort and my neighbors fought hard against it and I appreciate that I really do. But now it's smaller. And as someone who understands planning and economic development it is now the right size for the economy and infrastructure - and water quality protection issues. Add two more reasonably sized possible resorts to the area and windmills are now in the negative column, economically. You can't say I want to protect the troops from dying to fight for our right to have oil so I'm for clean energy --- when your tax base will be eroded by the green energy company because they are a corporate wolf in green sheepskin.
People in the Catskills need to wake up and economic developers and planners need to wake up. Having a SUSTAINABLE commercial tax base is the single most important thing you can do for a local economy. The rest will follow. Forget the tree huggers. Forget the NIMBYs. For get the ATV/snowmobilers for clean energy. Forget the second homeowners. It doesn't work in the Catskills. There is too much potential. Just believe in yourselves for a little longer folks - you really are on the verge of great things. The money is too easy - didn't you learn from the NYC DEP?
And while we're at it - ONE casino in Sullivan around Monticello is fine. But three? You go tell Spitzer and the tribes stop smoking the peyote. More on that later. Peace. Out.
posted by Cool Cat #1 at
7:19 PM
1 Comments:
As a neighbor, and fellow Catskills and Delaware County fan, I appreciate you starting this for all of us to join!
You are right, the Catskills are cool and as a full-time resident and small-business owner that went "all-in" on the area I agree with your reviews!
The turbines are and were a tough battle, and I hope the folks in Roxbury and Stamford don't regret their decision to let them go up on Rt. 23! Bovina and Andes stopped it, and I really hoped Stamford and Roxbury could too!
The area is growing in popularity, we sure are glad we got in before the rush! Great things are on the horizon-that's for sure. We can only move onward and upward, hopefully reviving the farms and the way of life up here in the mountains.
Don't forget the Dairy Festival in Merideth in June! MOOOOOOOO!
By
bovinaRocks, at Tue May 29, 12:29:00 PM EDT
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