Resort Project in Catskills Roiled by Environmental Review

Developer R. Henry Courtemanche’s dream of putting a resort in the Catskills town of Cairo took another hit.

New York State Supreme Court Justice Sharon Graff ruled in favor of residents and opponents of the development at the Blackhead Mountain resort, the Times Union reported. Graff overturned last year’s “negative declaration” from the Cairo Planning Board, which allowed the applicant to move forward without a thorough environmental review.

Residents argued that an environmental review was needed to assess the project’s impact on water and energy. The judge’s ruling invalidates final site plan approval given by the board.

“A lead agency’s omissions and errors in completing this short form — even if immaterial — do not inspire confidence in those who actively voice concerns during the SEQRA process that the lead agency … properly identified and took a hard look at potential environmental impacts,” Graff said, referencing an incomplete 10-page environmental assessment from the board.

Friends of Round Top has led the opposition to the project, alongside environmental nonprofits Sierra Club’s Atlantic Chapter and Theodore Gordon.

Jean-Marc Flack, president of Friends of Round Top, said any development “must be grounded in transparency, science, and respect for the land and the people who live here.” Flack suggested the door was still open for the project if a full environmental impact statement was required.

R. Henry Courtemanche declined to comment. The Cairo Planning Board Chair did not return a request for comment from the publication.

The scope of the project already appeared to get changed over years. The development team behind the project wants to turn the existing property into a 66,000-square-foot resort and spa with 127 units. In 2024, California-based R House Hotel Group proposed to build a 91,000-square-foot lodge with a restaurant and spa, 87 cabins, 287 parking spaces and a controversial helipad.

More than 100 people attended the first public hearing for the updated project in 2022. Opponents said the project is too big, would ruin the hamlet’s character and harm the environment.

— Holden Walter-Warner