Jun 11, 2012 — In March, two environmental groups and a small number of landowners sued the state of New York, hoping to invalidate permits allowing construction of the Adirondack Club and Resort in Tupper Lake. Green groups argued that the Adirondack Park Agency had failed to enforce key regulations designed to protect open space in the Park.

The lawsuit has been moving forward, with all sides filing legal briefs with the state Supreme Court. Brian Mann spoke about the latest developments with Martha Foley.  Go to full article

Mar 22, 2012 — A coalition of environmental groups and local landowners filed suit this week, hoping to block construction of the Adirondack Club and Resort in Tupper Lake. The lawsuit claims that state officials ignored key environmental rules protecting open space and wildlife in the Park.

But the suit also alleges that members of the Adirondack Park Agency broke the law by meeting secretly with the resort's developers in the weeks before commissioners voted 10-to-1 to approve the project.

As Brian Mann reports, that claim is based in part on a story that first aired here on North Country Public Radio back in January.  Go to full article

Ray Brook, NY, Mar 20, 2012 — The Adirondack Club and Resort decision over the winter continues to send shock waves through the Park's environmental community.

APA commissioners voted 10-to-1 to allow the massive development to go forward, winning praise from local government leaders.

But green groups in the Park remain deeply divided over the decision. They've fallen into a public war of words over what the decision means and what the environmental movement should do next. Brian Mann has our story.  Go to full article

Nov 21, 2011 — On Friday, the Adirondack Park Agency commission delved deep into the business plan for the proposed Adirondack Club and Resort. The APA will vote in January on whether to approve the massive project, which supporters hope will revitalize the economy in Tupper Lake. The development has been on the drawing table for years, with more than seven hundred condos and mansions, along with a marina, equestrian center and modern ski hill.

One part of the Park Agency's review involves determining whether the project will have negative economic impacts on the community. As Brian Mann reports, that effort is complicated by the fact that there are still a lot of unanswered questions about how the resort will be financed and built.  Go to full article

Ray Brook, NY, Nov 10, 2011 — Governor Andrew Cuomo made history yesterday when he chose Lani Ulrich as the first woman ever to lead the Adirondack Park Agency. The Old Forge resident takes over immediately and will guide the APA as it makes a decision on the controversial Adirondack Club and Resort project in Tupper Lake.

The governor also made history by picking a St. Lawrence County resident to sit on the commission for the first time. Sherman Craig is a woodworker and former teacher from Wanakena. As Brian Mann reports, yesterday's announcement leaves a couple of big unanswered questions.  Go to full article

Oct 24, 2011 — The cell tower building boom in the Adirondacks has slowed this year. Applications to the Adirondack Park Agency are down - the agency has only issued nine permits or amendments for cell projects as of early October.

That's a big drop when compared to last year: 28 projects, and 2009, when the APA approved 27. Despite the trend, cell service providers say they're still planning to grow their wireless networks in the Park. Chris Knight reports.  Go to full article

Ray Brook, NY, Oct 14, 2011 — The Adirondack Park Agency is meeting again this week without a chairperson and with many of its board members serving expired terms.

Three months have passed since the last chairman, Curt Stiles, stepped down.

So far, Governor Andrew Cuomo has given no sign of who might be chosen to lead the APA, either as a permanent or interim chair.

That matters because the APA is preparing to make a final decision on one of the most controversial projects ever proposed - the Adirondack Club and Resort in Tupper Lake.

The staff is also wrestling with continued complications with another big resort project in North Creek. Brian Mann reports.  Go to full article

Ray Brook, NY, Aug 19, 2011 — The Adirondack Park Agency met yesterday in Ray Brook. It was their first monthly meeting without former chairman Curt Stiles, who announced his resignation in mid-July.

As Brian Mann reports, there is still no indication from Governor Andrew Cuomo about who will lead the APA going forward or when a pick will be made.  Go to full article

Ray Brook, NY, Aug 04, 2011 — Adirondack Park Agency chairman Curt Stiles is stepping aside after four years on the job. His tenure was marked by some big accomplishments, including an effort to boost affordable housing in the Park.

But Stiles also faced a nearly constant drumbeat of criticism and controversy.

The APA's legal battle with Essex farmer Sandy Lewis and his public disagreements with local government leaders made regular headlines.

In an editorial written after Stiles announced his resignation, the Glens Falls Post Star blasted his leadership and accused the APA of "stomping" on individual rights.

Stiles sat down to talk with Brian Mann about the future of the Adirondack Park, about his own reputation, and about the reforms and changes that he thinks are still needed.

Note: So far, Governor Andrew Cuomo hasn't named a replacement for Stiles. An interim chairman is expected to be picked before the APA meets August 18th in Ray Brook.  Go to full article

Aug 03, 2011 — After four years as head of the Adirondack Park Agency, chairman Curt Stiles is stepping aside. His tenure was marked by big clashes with elected officials in the Park, who lobbied Governor Andrew Cuomo not to reappoint Stiles for a second term. But Stiles also pushed through major reforms of the APA's regulatory approach, and engineered the first legislative change to the Park Agency Act in a generation.

Stiles, a former Xerox executive who lives on Upper Saranac Lake, sat down to talk in-depth with Brian Mann. Here's the first part of their conversation.

Note: Tomorrow during The Eight O'clock Hour, we'll hear from Stiles about the environmental challenges still facing the Park and about some of his own controversial decisions, including his handling of the Sandy Lewis farm case in Essex County.  Go to full article