By DAVID HULSE

WURTSBORO - Two county legislators last week lent their support to a 500,000 square-foot chain store distribution warehouse proposed for Route 209 in Mamakating.

The Kohl's Department Stores warehouse would provide up to 900 jobs in serving company stores throughout the Northeast.

Robert Kunis (D-8) who chairs Sullivan County Legislature's planning and community development committee last week was optimistic about the project's success and called it "a tremendous opportunity for economic development."

Kunis, who also chairs the county's Industrial Development Agency, said there have been informal conversations regarding IDA assistance for the project, but no formal applications have been filed.

The project would be located in (D-4) Gordon MacKinnon's district and he supports it despite any new traffic problems that increased truck traffic brings. "This project should be done. The impact will be no more than weekend traffic on Route 209," he said.

"With 900 jobs, it's a good problem to have," Kunis added.

MacKinnon said the project appears to be well received in Mamakating. "I've heard concerns about the [two large resort] hotels, but nothing negative about this," he added.

Kunis said Mamakating has to remember they're still the gateway to Sullivan County and the two mountain ranges surrounding it have kept business out in past. "People didn't want to go up and down those two mountains, but [it might be easier if] if they only have to go up one."

Kunis said a business like Kohl's would also provide balance to the county's tourism-agriculture economy. "You want to try and avoid being a one-dimensional community," he said.