LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (WCAX) – Election Day is just about a week away, and New York voters will cast ballots that will determine future upgrades at a historic Olympic property in Lake Placid.
A constitutional amendment on the ballot aims to rectify legal issues surrounding the recent construction of Mt. Van Hoevenberg’s Mountain Pass Lodge, along with the new biathlon stadium and other trails.
“It was all done without specific authorization under the New York state Constitution, like has been done at Whiteface, Gore, and Belleayre,” said the Olympic Regional Development Authority’s Joe Martens.
Proposition 1 asks voters to approve any future land alterations on more than 300 acres of land at the mountain. In return, the state would put roughly 2,500 acres of land back into the forest preserve of at least equal value.
“We don’t anticipate having to do improvements, but if we have to widen a trail to meet new requirements for cross-country skiing events, for example, this would allow us to do that,” Martens said.
Claudia Braymer, the executive director with Protect the Adirondacks, has worked with ORDA and lawmakers over the years to get the proposed amendment from the Legislature to the ballot.
“We do not want the facilities to continue to sit on the forest preserve in violation of the Constitution. That is not a good place to be for ORDA or for our organization to be able to support what ORDA is doing there,” Braymer said.
Martens says the amendment also has enabling legislation paired with it, which would prohibit development outside of recreational use at the bobsled and biathlon property.
“I understand the governor signed that legislation this morning. So, people should — who are concerned there could be rampant development on this — that we could build new hotels or new commercial activities. All of that is off the table thanks to the legislation signed by Governor Hochul today,” Martens said.
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