News stories tagged with "big-tupper"

(03/22/12) 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. more

(01/24/12) Last week's decision by the Adirondack Park Agency to allow construction of a massive new resort in Tupper Lake was a major defeat for environmental groups. Developers of the Adirondack Club and Resort won permission to build more than 700 luxury homes and condos, much of it on timberland that borders the High Peaks Wilderness.

Green activists spent much of the last decade opposing the project, insisting that it would set dangerous precedents for future development. But debate over the resort came at a time when once-powerful environmental groups were disintegrating, faltering under financial strain and deeply divided over the movement's agenda.

As Brian Mann reports, last week's vote could signal a balance of power in Park debates as environmentalists scramble to regroup. more

(01/23/12) On Friday, the Adirondack Park Agency voted to approve the largest project in the Park's modern history, giving the green light to a massive resort planned around the Big Tupper ski area.

Supporters hope the project will bring hundreds of jobs to the Adirondacks, and revitalize the economy of Tupper Lake. Hundreds of people gathered in the village Friday night to celebrate the historic decision.

Critics say developers haven't developed a realistic business plan for the resort. And they worry that hundreds of mansions and condos will create sprawl on the edge of one of the Park's biggest wilderness areas. Brian Mann has our story. more

(01/20/12) Just before mid-day, the Adironack Park Agency voted 10-to-1 to approve development of a massive new resort in Tupper Lake. The vote at APA headquarters in Ray Brook sparked a standing ovation from the project's supporters who crowded the hearing room.

The Adirondack Club and Resort project has been under review for seven years. In their final deliberations, commissioners acknowledged lingering questions about environmental impacts and the economic plan behind the development.

Several board members called the decision "agonizing." But in the end, it was a decisive vote. NCPR's Adirondack bureau chief Brian Mann spoke with Nora Flaherty about the decision. more

(01/19/12) The Adirondack Park Agency is down to the wire in its review of the massive resort project proposed for Tupper Lake. Developers hope to build more than 700 luxury homes and condos near the Big Tupper ski area, along with a new marina, ski lodge and equestrian center. A final decision from the APA is expected on Friday.

In this last week of deliberations, environmental groups have ramped up their opposition to the resort. But their efforts to delay a decision and to spark more public opposition haven't gained much traction. As Brian Mann reports, the Park's biggest green group broke ranks yesterday and said the APA should allow the project the project to go forward. more

(12/19/11) Next month, the Adirondack Park Agency will bring to a close its seven-year review of the Big Tupper resort proposed for Tupper Lake. Developers hope to build more than 700 luxury homes and condos, as well as a new ski lodge, equestrian center and marina. It's the biggest single project the APA has ever reviewed.

But as the process grinds to a finish, a growing number of critics say fundamental questions about the resort's environmental impacts still haven't been answered. As Brian Mann reports, even some members of the APA commission are asking whether state policies and regulations are adequate to handle such a massive and complex project. more

(12/15/11) In Ray Brook, the Adirondack Park Agency takes up the Big Tupper project for a final two-day review. A decision on the project is expected next month.

Commissioners will hear about possible conditions and requirements that could be folded into a permit, if the project is allowed to move forward. Brian Mann has details.

(12/14/11) Thursday in Ray Brook, the Adirondack Park Agency resumes deliberations over the huge resort proposed for Tupper Lake. Developers hope to build more than seven hundred homes, mansions and condos over the next fifteen years.

A final vote on the precedent-setting project is scheduled for January. The debate over the Big Tupper resort has drawn national attention and it's also reshaped life and local politics in Tupper Lake.

Brian Mann sat down to talk with Paul Maroun who was elected mayor in November after campaigning on a platform of full support for the development. Maroun says he still has questions about how the project will be financed and when it will move forward. But he thinks the resort will revitalize his town's economy. more

(11/21/11) 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. more

(11/18/11) Yesterday was the first full day of public deliberations for the Adirondack Park Agency as commisioners consider a permit for the Big Tupper resort project.

The massive resort - with more than 700 homes, condos and mansions -- has developed into a flashpoint in debates over the Park's future and a final vote is expected in January.

On Thursday, commissioners heard testimony over a wide range of topics. But a key focus was the lack of comprehensive scientific data showing the resort's impact on wildlife.

As Brian Mann reports, specific concerns were raised about the construction of one new neighborhood that could displace amphibian species. more