 After careful consideration, the Tuxedo Chamber of Commerce supports the preliminary Genting proposal to build Stering Forest Resort. As reported in the Times-Herald Record, the Board of Trustees was unanimous in their recommendation with the support of the vast majority of our membership. We are in full support of the Board's decision to move ahead to the host-community agreement. As representatives of the business community, we expect to play a significant role in shaping this agreement to ensure that the resident's needs are met and our town benefits from the development at a minimal cost. A full explanation can be found in our letter to the editor of TPFYI, here, and also our letter to the Town Board, here. It is important to note that the Chamber believes that the concerns of our residents and neighbors who are currently in opposition to the project are generally valid and deserve attention from both the Town Board and Genting should they wish to pursue a strong relationship with the entire community. We are calling on the Town Board to use this opportunity of change to rethink and repurpose our downtown business district into a pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly version of Main Street Tuxedo. This will be possible with the construction of Exit 15B, providing an excellent opportunity to slow down and revitalize the main business district corridor that currently serves as a speed bump on Route 17. Remember that this is far from a done deal, and must be approved by the County and NYS Gaming Commission before becoming a reality. Regardless of what happens, the Chamber will continue to be a force of unification in Tuxedo. William Sweet President |
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