County okays casino access changes

By DAVID HULSE

MONTICELLO, NY — There’s no casino yet or any agreement to allow a casino at Kutsher’s, but if one is to be there Anawana Lake Road will have to handle additional traffic.

On that basis, Park Place Entertainment-Sullivan County Development Company sought and won approval last week of a county legislative resolution to allow engineering preparations for construction of about 4.5 lane-miles of new surface along the 3.3-mile stretch between Route 42 and Frazier Road.

Walter Garigliano, who represents Park Place locally, said approvals could come down that would allow construction of a casino hotel by next spring. It will take longer to build the road than to build the hotel/casino complex.

The county would acquire four small parcels of property fronting the road at the casino’s cost, Garigliano said.

The resolution is preliminary in order to allow detailed engineering work to begin, he added, showing that the county is on board with the concepts for the changes.

The new highway will go to six lanes at the Route 42 intersection, narrowing down incrementally to three at a new light at the Frazier Road intersection.

The New York State Department of Transportation, which will be adding lanes from the northbound ramp of Route 17, still has to review the planning.

Garigliano estimated the Anawana Lake Road construction time at 14 to 15 months. All construction costs are being borne by the casino and the attorney did not estimate those costs.