STOW - Expecting three options for the Bootey Bay property in Stow, town officials and area residents alike were confused when hotel developer John McGraw had nothing new to tell the North Harmony Planning Board on Tuesday.
Not a regular meeting of the Planning Board, Tuesday's special workshop session had been scheduled at McGraw's request. According to Sally Carlson, town supervisor, she and other town officials were under the impression McGraw was going to have new information to discuss with the Planning Board.
After arriving close to 20 minutes late to the meeting, McGraw detailed the history of large hotels in Chautauqua County and spoke of his hopes for the Bootey property - touching on concerns raised in recent months and saying he hopes the hotel can be a win-win situation for everyone. At the conclusion of McGraw's speech, Steve Senske, Planning Board member, questioned where the new information was, and McGraw admitted that it was not ready.
''When I got involved with this meeting, I had thought that we had more than I had,'' McGraw said.
''It's taken my people longer to get the product in my hand,'' McGraw continued. ''And the other thing is that everybody maintains I run everything through the DEC and I had thought that it would be available from them before now. So, I am looking at other things and I am trying to make it work, but I haven't gotten the approvals from the people that I have to go through in order to talk about it at this meeting.''
Planning Board members then asked McGraw when he would be ready, but McGraw was uncertain. Pat Rice, Planning Board chairman, said that whenever McGraw is ready, the Planning Board will be happy to accommodate and listen to what he has to say. However, Mrs. Carlson added the stipulation that McGraw will need to have everything submitted to the town beforehand as proof that he is ready.
''A lot of people have wasted a lot of time,'' Mrs. Carlson shortly before the conclusion of Tuesday night's meeting. ''Apparently there was some misunderstanding between John and me with what he was asking for, but I would like something specific before we schedule another hearing.''
In January, McGraw asked the town to rezone a portion of the Bootey property as a resort district. The rezoning, as he requested it, would make it easier for McGraw to receive approval for the hotel he is interested in building, which has been described as having up to two 10-story towers. Planning Board members have since reviewed the request, heard from area residents and decided they need more information from McGraw before they can make a recommendation to the Town Board on the rezoning request.
During Tuesday's meeting, after McGraw explained that he was not ready to present his new options, Planning Board member Dick Sena questioned McGraw about the information the Planning Board had requested months ago. McGraw gave a similar answer about it not being ready and it needing to go through the State Environmental Quality Review process before being presented to the town.
''I think it was a very bizarre meeting,'' Sena said after the meeting. ''He (McGraw) was very aloof with everything. ... We were all pretty flabbergasted.
''What I think we were all hoping for in this meeting, to be perfectly honest, was a real height reduction,'' Sena continued. ''We were hoping one of the three options was going to be a height reduction.''
In discussing McGraw's request, Planning Board members have spoken in favor of creating a new zoning district to accommodate resorts. However, they have disagreed with McGraw on specifics such as allowing buildings up to 125 feet - mentioning possible heights of four stories, 70 feet, 80 feet and 100 feet.
During Tuesday's meeting, McGraw said he has reviewed height concerns and would still like to see the 10-story height he has been aiming for.
After Tuesday's meeting, Planning Board members and concerned residents questioned McGraw's statement that information must first go to the state before being presented to the Planning Board.
Referring to the situation as a stalemate, Senske said the town cannot move forward on considering McGraw's request until McGraw is ready to present the Planning Board with information.
''I think there was a little excitement, a little anticipation and we were a little disappointed,'' Senske said of Tuesday's meeting. ''However, I think it will happen. He will be ready and we will be ready for him, whether it's two weeks from now or whenever.''
