Old Forge's self-inflicted wound: a microcosm of the Adirondacks?

North Country Public Radio is one of several outlets to report on the controversy over an apartment complex project proposed in Old Forge, a hamlet in the town of Webb. Adirondack Explorer offered its own take.

It would added over 50 apartments, some for seniors, some at market rate and some for low income.

One thing that was remarkable about the public hearing is how overt the xenophobia was among several of the residents. 

One resident warned of "they're going to come from Utica or any other goddamned place that they can fill it with," Utica, about an hour from Old Forge, has been revitalized by a sizable population of new immigrants, especially from the Bosnia and Myanmar. ("The town’s been built on people from Utica," replied one town board member)

Another warned of an influx of "different people" from all around the state., For context, Webb's population is almost 98% white., Town officials have long identified lack of housing for permanent residents as a challenge. This project would help address that.,

Officials throughout the Adirondacks have cited a "labor shortage" as harming many local businesses. Many have specifically identified lack of permanent housing as a factor in that "labor shortage." This project would help address that.,

Less overtly xenophobic opposition was based allegedly on the impact of the project on the town's sewer system. This could easily be addressed by having the developer fund sewer upgrades. And/or by seeking grants for such improvements.,

As one online commenter pointed out, it's unclear how officials can simultaneously say, "We need more housing" and "Our infrastructure can't handle more housing.", Eventually, the town board pulled its support for this project.

On a personal note, I recently wanted to move deeper into the Adirondack Park from my spot on the edge. As a single person with no kids, buying a house was not sensible for my situation (especially at the skyrocketing prices). I would've volunteered a ton of my free time to any community I moved to, just as I do to the one I'm in now. But trying to find a non-Air BnB apartment of any kind, let alone one at a decent rent, was almost impossible. Actions like this a good indicator why.

When local officials oppose projects to expand options for permanent residents and then moan about lack of affordable housing and a "labor shortage," it makes them look clueless, disingenuous or both.

When local folks vocally tell potential newcomers "We don't want your type!", the potential newcomers are going to listen.

Neither is a good look for a tourist town that is and has always been heavily dependent on the money of those dastardly outsiders.

Webb has lost 7% of its population since 2000. Insularity like this will only increase the decline. And it will be the community's own choice. Other towns in the Adirondack should learn from this blunder.

Review of A Wild Idea

 I saw this review on Goodreads of the well-regarded A Wild Idea: How the Environmental Movement Tamed the Adirondacks by Brad Edmondson. The review is republished here with permission of the author.

***

A really indispensable book for understanding Adirondacks history. A detailed look into the creation of the Adirondack Park Agency and the genesis of the modern day Park as we know it in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It's fascinating to read of a time when the environmental lobby actually had influence; seems like another world. My only beef is that for most of the book, the undertone was an overly simplistic morality tale of bad guys (know it all enviros and their plutocratic sponsors) vs good guys (good salt-of-the-earth locals and virtuous, if misunderstood, developers). The only variation seemed to be the apparent grudging respect the author had for the hard-working staff of the Temporary Study Commission and early APA. And yet, the Conclusion chapter was much more balanced. It seemed to concede that the conservationists actually were right about at least some of their concerns. That aside, it truly did seem largely like a battle between millionaires (developers) and billionaires (AfPA), with locals powerless in helping shape their own future. The best aspect of the book is the way it weaves in the voices of those locals