Rendering of the proposed Sterling Forest Resort and Casino, with a 10-story covered parking garage, extending 1,100 feet to the rear of the development (click image for full view).

If Genting Americas builds its gaming behemoth, nestled neatly in Sterling Forest Park in Tuxedo, there will be plenty of parking for a Friday night roll of the dice.

The Town of Tuxedo just released the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the proposed Sterling Forest Resort and Casino for public review and comments — and the document is massive. 

The Town of Tuxedo approved RW Orange County’s (Genting) Draft Environmental Impact Statement, releasing it for public study and comment.

The Town Board approved the DEIS in a vote Monday evening which allows the public to begin examing the draft document to offer comments and suggestions. Meanwhile, the NY Gaming Commission, is scheduled to meet again on November 21 to continue its review of 16 casino bids by 15 bidding applicants.

If the Sterling Forest Resort DEIS is an indication of the amount of information that must be absorbed, the commission, which consists of five appointed members with separate full-time jobs, must be up to its eyeballs in legal documents related to the bids.

The Sterling Forest Resort and Casino development footprint.

Three zones are currently in the running for what is expected to be four licenses — the Capital Region, the Southern Tier/Finger Lakes and the Hudson Valley/Catskills.

Tuxedo has announced that there will now be a 30-day public comment period, starting November 19 and concluding at 3 p.m. on December 19. Additionally, there will be a Public Hearing on the DEIS on Thursday, December 4, where comments and suggestions can be voiced for the public record.

Monday’s meeting saw various issues related to the casino discussed. The Thruway to 15B interchange at County Road 106, the road that would then lead to Sterling Forest Resort, has not been resolved. The Palisades Interstate Parks Commission (PIPC) denied the casino developer a land swap for the exit.

The proposed New York Thruway Exit 15B required for the projected seven million annual visitors has already been strongly opposed by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission at its October Board meeting in order to protect Harriman and Sterling Forest State Parks.

Additionally, the impact of a casino on the Tuxedo Police Department resources was discussed.

Many believe the NY Gaming Commission will charge NY State Police with jurisdiction related to gaming facilities. Tuxedo Police would continue to patrol off premises.

If the Gaming Commission bypasses Tuxedo in the selection process, the decision will have important fiscal repercussions for the town, which is currently continuing its budgetary process. One thought is that, without prospective casino revenues, the town will experience a steep tax hike.