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Verona has been development delay

10/25/2001

Verona must jump through some final state Department of Environmental Conservation before the $20 million project can move forward. The project will bring hotels, restaurants and a shopping center to the town

Edgewater, LLC, and Verona Green, LLC were supposed to open two years ago the project Which include two hotels, four restaurants and a 134,000-square-foot shopping center across the road from the Turning Stone Casino Resort on Route 365. DEC held up the project that require now the developers to do an elevated environmental impact study to determine the effects on the environment of a new sewer line for the site, said DEC project manager Joe Hamburger at a work session with the Town Board Monday night.

Hamburger said "We are not convinced that the environmental impact study we previously received answered all our concerns," and that the DEC wants to confirm that Verona's water and sewage problems are being addressed before a large development comes into the town.

The town is limited to 100,000 gallons of water a day through its new water agreement with the city of Oneida. The DEC wants to make sure that town and hamlet residents are being serviced, as well as J.D. George Elementary School and Madison-Oneida BOCES.

The road would stretch from the Thruway and run parallel to Route 365. but for that to happen David Townsend, R-Oriskany from Assemblyman David Townsend needs to legislation the developers to make access roads built for the development taxable only to the business owners whose customers use the road and not Verona taxpayers.

Legislation is currently being held up in the state Legislature, because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the state budget fiasco said Gary Craig, a member of Edgewater and Verona Green.

The town made the Route 365-district an entertainment and tourism zone to create economic development in the town in 1995. The Oneida Indian Nation created their casino in this district. Kennedy said the Nation would also like more hotels built in the area because the resort's is often filled to capacity, and that they also need hotels to support their convention center," Kennedy said. "They have a 3,000-seat convention center, but no place to put 3,000 guests."

Some of the restaurants Kennedy suggested for the site were The Olive Garden, the Texas Roadhouse Steakhouse and Red Lobster. All restaurants would serve liquor, which the Casino is not allowed to serve. There have been no deals with any restaurants yet, though, and that the retail stores that would be housed in the shopping center are also unknown at this point Kennedy said.

"This is an opportunity to come together and do great things," Town Supervisor Dave Reed said.

Reed said he wants the project to go forward, and said the Town Board would set up a meeting to meet with all parties, including the Oneida Indian Nation.

Reed also announced at Monday's meeting that U.S. Rep. Sherwood Boehlert, R-New Hartford, intervened on the town's behalf to secure the Environmental Protection Agency funding for its new water project, which was held up by the EPA last week. The board made a motion to start the construction project.

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