Caesars New York is a proposed $880 million casino resort that developers would like to situate on 115 wooded acres in the Town of Woodbury, located on east side of Route 17 between the Harriman Metro-North train station on the south and former Nepera Inc. property to the north. They write of “fitting seamlessly into Woodbury” (home to a destination shopping mall and the major highway intersection of I-87 and NY Rt. 17), and of offering “sweeping views of mountains.”
Caesars’ envisions developing approximately 300 luxury hotel rooms, suites, and villas; 2,560 slot machines; 50 poker tables, and other entertainment space.
The Trail Conference is opposing this project.
You can still tell officials in Woodbury and Orange County that you're against the Caesars New York proposal.
Write to:
Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney of the 18th District. Emails regarding casinos can go to Anna Scalzo in his office: anna.scalzo@mail.house.gov
Assemblyman James Skoufis of the 99th Assembly District: SkoufisJ@assembly.state.ny.us
Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus: ceoffice@orangecountygov.com
James DiSalvo, representing Orange County Legislature District 14: jamesdisalvo@yahoo.com
Woodbury Mayor Michael Queenan: woodburyvillage@yahoo.com
You can use these talking points and sample letter when writing your letter in opposition of Caesars New York.
Click here for overview page on New York casino impacts on our state parks and trails.
Local group organizes, Stop the Woodbury Casino. Visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/stopwoodburymonroecasino
Nov. 20, 2014: Visual impact test with balloons set for Dec. 6 (rain date Dec. 7)
Oct. 10, 2014: NYTimes story summarizes issues around casino at Woodbury:
Sept. 17: Caesars project is on agenda for tonight's Woodbury Planning Board meeting. Planning Board meeting. If you want to hear about the plan and possibly comment (if public comment is allowed), please attend at 7:30pm at Woodbury Town Hall - 511 Route 32, Highland Mills. This meeting will include a preliminary Board discussion regarding Caesars' Architectural Review Board application. Woodbury needs to know we don't want a casino in this area. The casino is item #4 and is posted on the Woodbury website as follows: "Flaum/Caesars – Review and discuss ARB application and architectural renderings submitted for proposed Hotel/Casino to be located on NYS Route 17."
Schedule of Applicant Presentations (The Gaming Facilities Board is to make its decision by late fall 2014.)
--September 8 and 9: Casino applicant presentations will take place over the course of these two days from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Meeting Room 6 at the Empire State Plaza in Albany. The presentations will be open to the public and will be Web streamed on the New York State Gaming Commission’s Web site (www.gaming.ny.gov). Each applicant will be expected to give a 45 minute presentation about their proposal and allow 15 minutes for questions from the Board. The Board will announce the order of applicant presentations as the dates approach.
Hudson Valley/Catskills Region Public Comment Day
--September 23, 2014, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The Grandview
176 Rinaldi Blvd.
Poughkeepsie, NY
This is one of three public comment events in September to provide opportunity for members of the public in each eligible region to comment before the Board in support of or opposition to any particular applicant’s proposal within the respective region. Each event will take place from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. to accommodate participation from those who have varying availability. In each region, the Board purposefully selected large, accessible venues located in counties and municipalities where no casino applicants have proposals.