It's all downhill for developer Mac Crikelair, now that $5.5 million is in the state budget to help build a ski lift connection between the North Creek Ski Bowl and Little Gore Mountain.
     Considering Crikelair's plans to build a $200 million ski resort at the Ski Bowl, going downhill would be a good thing.
     The state money got the snowball rolling faster on a project supporters tout not only as Gore Mountain's chance to become one of the top ski areas in the Northeast, but as a needed boost to the region's struggling economy.
     Crikelair has now revamped his project and will present the plans to the Adirondack Park Agency for approval in two weeks, with intentions to break ground on the project as early as this summer.
     The new plans feature less housing density, 100 more acres of land and more hotels.
     The project now calls for 131 townhouses (down from 175), 18 single family homes (down from 20), and features a 30-room inn, two hotels, two condominium hotels, a restaurant, a spa, an equestrian facility and an art studio with retail space.
     Also included is the "Hudson Lodge," an exclusive, members-only luxury establishment with room for 100 family memberships and 20 corporate memberships, Crikelair said. In addition, the development spans about 400 acres, now that Crikelair has secured 100 additional acres of land.
     The $5.5 million recently approved in the 2006-2007 state budget will help build a ski lift to connect the Ski Bowl's dormant trails with Little Gore's active terrain, allowing those staying at the Ski Bowl to travel from the top of Big Gore Mountain down into the village of North Creek without removing their skis.
     However, the fact that state aid expedited Crikelair's project has drawn some criticism.  .     
     The Residents' Committee to Protect the Adirondacks condemned the state's $5.5 million contribution as a calculated promotion of private luxury development, in a statement released Monday.

  
     "This is a clear giveaway to private developers and does next to nothing to improve the public skiing opportunity on Gore Mountain," Executive Director Peter Bauer said in the statement, adding the money should be used to build a ski school for children and improve trails. "The gondola provides nothing for the public but simply boost a luxury second-home development that is not needed."
     Crikelair said his private development already had what it needed to create a "ski-in, ski-out" community. It was the town of Johnsburg and the Olympic Regional Development Authority that asked his firm, Front Street Development, to enter into a public-private partnership to allow public access on privately-owned trails.
     "I think it's inappropriate for anyone to say this is only going to benefit a private developer when that's clearly not the case," Crikelair said.
     Crikelair is set to swap 63 acres of trails and pay about $200,000 to the town of Johnsburg in exchange for a 5-acre parcel of town land where Crikelair plans to build a hotel at the base of a lift.
     The town will consider selling more land around the Ski Bowl park to Front Street Development and may even move the location of its town highway garage at the base of the Ski Bowl park, said Johnsburg Town Supervisor William Thomas.
     Though the town and Front Street Development signed an agreement in December, it was not clear when the land swap would occur.
     What's now proposed:
     131 townhouses
     18 single-family homes
     30-room inn
     60-room hotel
     120-room hotel
     Two condominium hotels, 40 rooms each
     1 restaurant
     1 spa
     1 equestrian facility
     1 art studio with retail space
     Hudson Lodge -- member exclusive