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HOWES CAVE
Water park, hotel plans progress as developer mulls site
Zoning change recommended at caverns property
BY R.J. KELLY Gazette Reporter

    A requested zoning change endorsed by the local Planning Board last week is keeping hopes alive for a possible indoor water park and hotel on Howe Caverns property, caverns co-owner Emil Galasso said Friday.
    Galasso said representatives of potential developer Destinations Development Group have told him that the caverns site is now one of two sites in New York state under consideration for the project that is potentially worth $75 million.
    When the water park idea surfaced in July, Galasso said the caverns was among four potential sites then under consideration.
    As the developer continues to study the site, Galasso said he expects to discuss possible contract agreements over the next month.
    “We have built expectations … and I think we owe it to the people of Schoharie County to let them know what’s happening,” Galasso said.
    “By the end of September, they have said they would give me a decision.”
    On Wednesday, the Cobleskill Town Planning Board recommended approval of a request by Howe Caverns Inc. to extend by 18 acres the town’s B-2 highway business district and add it to the B-2 zone already in place on adjacent caverns property, according to Planning Board Clerk Tracy Cleveland.
    Final approval of the revision to local law is up to the Town Board.
    A public hearing on the proposed change is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Sept. 8, at the beginning of the regular Town Board meeting.
    Galasso said getting zoning in line was a requirement of the Destinations Development Group, which is considering the potential project that is said to include a 250-room hotel and a year-round, 1-acre in- door recreational water park near the existing caverns attractions.
    “Of the list of things [the developer] wanted from us, proper zoning was the most important thing,” Galasso said Friday.
    Galasso has tentatively agreed to provide a 43-acre parcel of caverns property for the water park complex, including part of the 18-acre parcel that is still in a rural residential zone.
    He said an architect for the developer has been looking at possible locations on the Howe Caverns site, “so they are investing some money,” in preliminary work. Other than the rezoning request, no site applications or project proposals have been applied for, Cleveland said Friday.
    As part of the project, developers are expected to ask Schoharie County to realign and rebuild slightly more than a mile of Howes Cave Road to provide better access to both the water park and Howe Caverns.
    Although Galasso said he’s outlined the plan to county officials and the Cobleskill Town Board, no formal requests have been made.
    “I don’t want to build hype if there is no hype,” Galasso said. “I’m just trying to do everything [the developers] ask me to do.”
    Destinations Development Group is headed by Chuck Roarty, according to spokesman Robert Schwartz, director of the Schwartz Heslin Group, a Latham financial and business planning that is working for Roarty on the project.
    Roarty is a former vice president for Six Flags Inc, which operates a similar water park lodge near Lake George.

Hmmm, I wonder how the town feels about this project.  It sounds like a good fit for the Cavern property which draws families to begin with.  I'm sure we will see how the neighbors feel in upcoming weeks.

I think it would be wonderful!!! I hope it goes through without a hitch.

I do too.