114-unit housing development proposed in Hunter

HUNTER―A buzz is already being generated around a multi-dimensional project that, while taking years to fully manifest, would bring 114 residential units, a 45-room hotel and 100-seat restaurant to the town of Hunter.

Groundbreaking will not happen in 2026, according to the developer Eric Vaughn, who is first asking to connect 140 acres of his lands that are now split with 127 acres in the town and 13 acres in the village.

The annexation would allow for village water and sewer to what is being called Four Seasons Hunter, located just west of Scribner’s Catskill Lodge on State Route 23A.

A joint town/village public hearing on the proposed joining was held last month and in a follow-up phone interview Vaughn said he hopes approval comes by August. Something town officials say is doable.

Hunter Town Supervisor Sean Mahoney said the annexation is not complex, but an agreement could be sought to dedicate a portion of the project to affordable housing―a subject that arose during the public hearing.

“We want to understand more about the housing. We definitely want to talk about a mechanism to have some affordable housing be part of the overall plan,” said Mahoney.

While annexation is not contingent on an addendum, Mahoney said there is a housing crisis in the community.

“If you are a young family, let’s say married five years with a couple of young children looking for your first home, there is almost nothing that will meet your income, especially if you are blue-collar,” he continued

“Our purview, as the town, is simple on annexation,” Mahoney said. “Do we grant it or not? But could we, as part of that annexation, request that the developer work with us on this if they were willing to do so?”

“The concept is something the town board feels strongly about. People in Hunter understand we are a tourist destination and we cater to second homeowners,” he noted.

“And let’s be clear. This would be a very positive project. The site is very rural land, not highly taxed. Theoretically, if the developer put up only two houses the town would be taking in more than if it was left undeveloped,” Mahoney said.

“It’s a good sign for the town of Hunter, people wanting to come here and invest here. Hopefully [the developer] can give a little bit. We want to see him be successful. We need people to be able to live in Hunter,” he added.

“That’s the challenge we face. If the developer was willing to work with us, could we write in the resolution that our goal is to have some percentage be affordable housing? It’s something we’re looking into,” Mahoney said.

Vaughn, when asked about his vision for Four Season Hunter, said that while the majority of homes he deals with are for second homeowners, “that doesn’t necessarily mean they all have to be second homes.”

“I would anticipate good job opportunities with the hotel and restaurant, management and staff, and just the property itself,” he said.

As for affordable housing, “not necessarily on that property,” Vaughn said.

The initial phase of the project would include an as-yet undetermined number of townhouses and upscale single family residences along with the hotel that on its own has an estimated price tag of between $18-20 million, Vaughn said.

The project has not yet been put before the village planning board for site plan review, a process that could take months to conclude.

Vaughn believes the timing is right for Four Seasons Hunter.

“I’ve been building in Windham since 2007,” he said. “There has always been a strong demand in Windham, but over the past five years that demand is starting to spread out in Greene County.”

“Hunter, having a ski resort, makes it a nice destination but many people who used to be seasonal are now here year-round,” Vaughn added.

Conversations are expected to continue this month and, meanwhile, a major housing development is well underway in Tannersville, also part of the town of Hunter.

Called Cold Springs Apartments and located off Spruce Street just past Tannersville Lake, the complex is in the construction framing phase with an anticipated 2027 completion and occupancy.

The 56-unit effort, linked to the ongoing Downtown Revitalization Initiative, has 40 units earmarked for median income residents with 15 more set aside for senior housing and one caretaker unit.

“This is a huge positive for the community,” said Tannersville Mayor Dr. Lee McGunnigle, noting that the years-long effort is being overseen by RUPCO, a homes and community renewal organization.

“This is super exciting. We have seniors on fixed incomes who aren’t able to continue the upkeep on their homes. This will let them stay here, being where their families and friends are,” McGunnigle added.

And, he said, “this first generation of workforce housing will give young people an opportunity to get started and also stay in our community.”

Amid the changing landscape, the town of Hunter and villages of Hunter and Tannersville are working together on a rewrite of an existing comprehensive plan that will henceforth be all-inclusive.

“We started this three months ago,” Mahoney said. “It really made no sense to have an updated plan for the town that doesn’t include the villages.”

“We’re an older community. We have a lot of challenges. We’re trying to make smart decisions, setting up the whole town for the next 50 years, preserving our quality of life, not turning into suburbia while being economically viable,” Mahoney said.