To the editor:

I know many others will join me in thanking village trustees Allie Pelletieri and Barbara Rice for tabling the vote on the PUDD (planned unit development district) law approving construction of the proposed Lake Flower hotel. They responsibly voiced some widely shared, compelling reasons, if not to abandon this development scheme then at least to delay its facilitation for further consideration by a truly representative cross-section of the resident community – not to mention following a more deliberate and legally coherent approval process.

Reasons to oppose this project include (but are not limited to):

– An undistinguished design that is far too large for the site

– Questionable massaging of the PUDD law for compliance with the village Comprehensive and the Waterfront revitalization plans

– Absence of a sensible solution to serious traffic problems

– Passage of a (revised) PUDD law before achieving SEQR (State Environmental Quality Review) approval

– Need for more transparent evidence of the legitimacy of a developer whose underwriters are anonymous, who has already applied for additional public support and who has declared the possibility of seeking PILOT support.

For me, however, the most significant reason to abandon this project is the alternative of acquiring and protecting the Lake Flower shoreline most connected to historic “downtown” for scenic, pedestrian and recreational purposes. Many will ridicule this as a naive dream; such an aesthetically and socially pleasing declaration of village identity would, however, be a powerful attraction for new residents – the only certain basis for long-term economic security.

I respectfully urge the village board responsibly to reconsider the long-term significance of the decision it now confronts.

Michael Wilson

Saranac Lake