BOALSBURG – A local developer has cleared a hurdle in an attempt to bring a 100-room hotel to the Mountain View Country Club property and breathe new life into the existing golf course.
On Feb. 21, the Harris Township Planning Commission voted unanimously to support a waiver request, on behalf of Wyndam Garden Hotel and its developers, to relieve a part of a township ordinance that requires new land developers to install riparian buffers where fresh water runs freely.
A riparian buffer is a vegetated area near a stream, usually forested, which helps shade and partially protect a stream from the impact of adjacent land uses. It plays a key role in increasing water quality in associated streams, rivers and lakes.
The waiver request will be recommended to the township Board of Supervisors by the Planning Commission at the regular township supervisors’ meeting in March.
‘We are very appreciative of how the Planning Commission is working with us on this project,’ said Joe Thomas, general manager of the Ramada Hotel and Conference Center in State College, and the developer of the new property. ‘This is a step in the right direction for us. There’s still lots more work to do to get this thing rolling, but we’re willing to do what it takes and work with whoever we need to, to bring this great amenity to Harris Township.’
Spring Creek runs directly through the property, on its southern portion, and this area is where the riparian buffers need to be created to comply with the township’s ordinance. The Planning Commission agreed there were no issues with the riparian buffers on the east side of the property; however, on the west side, where a flood plain is located, the width of the required riparian buffer area encroached on three of the courses’ 18 holes.
John Wainright, a Planning Commission member who admitted to not being ‘too familiar’ with the game, asked if the fairways and holes impacted by the riparian buffers could be moved, or removed altogether.
‘Without some relief in this ordinance, we wouldn’t be able to move forward with this project,’ said Mark Saville, project engineer. ‘We can’t move the holes themselves, and we can’t just remove them altogether. You can’t operate a 15-hole golf course. The purpose of building the hotel is to grow existing golf operations.’
According to Thomas, the golf business is struggling.
‘There has been a significant decline in golfing of late,’ said Thomas. ‘People don’t have a lot of time to golf now, and there aren’t as many young people playing as there was a few years ago. We’re hoping to improve operations on the golf course, and by adding a quality hotel with outstanding amenities, we feel we can put a new charge into the game in Harris Township.’
‘GOOD PARTNER’
Deb Nardone, executive director of ClearWater Conservancy, was asked by Harris Township leaders to advise the board on the riparian buffer issue. She said her agency has had ‘great’ relations with the golf staff at Mountain View in the past.
‘They have been a good partner and collaborator and we have worked well together to make sure the environment is being protected correctly,’ Nardone said. ‘Ultimately, the goal of the ordinance is to protect the Slab Cabin watershed. I can’t offer a suggestion about what to do. That’s up to you. But, I feel they have a good plan in place and I look forward to continue working with them in the future.’
Saville said to help further meet the requirements of the ordinance, the developer has proposed to take some of the area from the ordinance-defined riparian buffer on the west side, and move it to a location on the east side of the property, which contains a pond and a seasonal stream.
Todd Shae, Harris Township’s zoning officer, said when the riparian buffer ordinance was enacted by supervisors, they were well aware waivers would be sought.
‘We envisioned there would be waivers when we enacted this ordinance,’ said Shae. ‘We just want developers to show us their best efforts to meet the requirements of the ordinance, and we’ll work with them. That’s exactly the case here.’
Meanwhile, township officials continue to examine the land development plan for the project. Thomas said a handful of ‘small issues dealing mostly with paperwork’ are still holding things up from moving forward. A revised land development plan addressing these issues was submitted to Harris Township last week; however, according to Shae, township officials have yet to look at the new plans.
Other outstanding issues include a PennDOT-required turning lane and other utility concerns. Thomas said these issues are being addressed and are being worked through as they come up.
‘We still have a lot of work to do here at the local level, and we’re still dealing with other things as far as the different utilities go,’ said Thomas. ‘We feel pretty confident we’ll be able to work through these things in time.’
Thomas said the project is five years in the making. His company purchased the Mountain View Country Club property from the Elks Lodge in 2012 and kept the golf course and existing banquet facilities in operation.
‘It’s a wonderful location and I think a nice hotel with a nice golf course would be an attraction to bring more people, and more money, into Harris Township,’ said Thomas. ‘And, there’s a lot of tradition there. That’s something we want to preserve.’
Thomas said the plans for the new hotel include building a 100-room addition that would be constructed onto the existing facility. The Wyndham Garden Hotel would also provide state-of-the-art dining and conference facilities, as well as indoor and outdoor swimming pools and panoramic mountain views of Mount Nittany on one side, and Tussey Mountain on the other. He said guest rooms would cost visitors between $105 and $135 per night.
‘Each of our guest rooms will offer a spectacular view of the mountains surrounding us,’ said Thomas. ‘And, we feel we’ll have them at very, very competitive prices.’
In addition, the developer will connect to the municipal sewer and storm water collection system. Currently, the property handles its sewage on site.
‘We’re excited the project is moving forward again,’ said Thomas. ‘It’s been a long time in the making, but we’re pushing ahead. We’re confident we can get the approval of the supervisors. We think they understand the economic benefits this hotel and golf course can bring to the community.’
The Planning Commission has a few issues to work out before presenting the complete project to the Board of Supervisors. With this week’s vote, the governing body can act on the riparian buffer waiver recommendation at its next board meeting, scheduled for March.
‘We’re on pace to be open by the 2018 football season,’ said Thomas. ‘That’s our goal, and we’re going to continue to work towards that.’
