Hoshino Resorts’ plans to build a 40-unit luxury—think as much as $950/night—Japanese-style mineral spa in Sharon Springs cleared its first hurdle Monday when the County Planning Commission backed its request for a zoning change.
Attorney Libby Clark, a consultant for the 109-year-old international developer, ran through the project for CPC members.
It would be Hoshino’s first in the United States, she said, one-of-a-kind, buccolic, and eco-friendly.
While Hoshino has developed a concept for the Sharon Springs spa, it needs a zoning change—first from the CPC, next from the Joint Sharon Springs Planning Board—to really begin work, Ms. Clark said.
Ms. Clark called the zoning change, which would create a Planned Commercial Development District, a “harmonizing of zoning.”
All of the different pieces of the project—bungalows, a restaurant, café, bar, and walking trails--are allowed on the two-parcel 50-acre site, she said, but creating the PDD would allow all of those uses throughout the property.
Seventy-five percent of the site would remain open space, she said, less dense than the existing mix of zoning allows.
“The zoning change is the first step,” Ms. Clark said. “It tells the design team what to put there.”
Answering questions from the CPC, Ms. Clark said the target audience will likely be Americans from 3-4 hours away, staying three days, and the workforce will be local.
Talks are already underway with SUNY Cobleskill and others to develop training and internships in resort management that could be applied world-wide, she said.
Contractors would be local as well, Ms. Clark said; all of the Hoshino resorts rely heavily on local artisans and farmers.
The design of each of Hosino’s resorts is unique and uniquely adapted to the specific landscape and environment, Ms. Clark said; the resorts are private—very private: “The goal is actually not to see the project,” but there’s the possibility of opening Sharon Springs’ up to the public one day a year to walk the trails.
CPC members also asked about whether there’s sufficient infrastructure—including water—for the project; the zoning change, Ms. Clark said, would “open the door to start investigating that a bit more.”
But Sharon Springs has been on Hoshino’s short list for some time, she said.
Like Sharon’s, many of Japan’s mineral spas were built after World War II and are now being restored.
Now, the zoning change goes to the JPB, which has 45 days from the initial November 13 application to issue its recommendations.
Then, the Village Board has 90 days to issue its own decision.
The properties are owned by Denise Kelly and her husband Glenn Goldfarb, and David Cunningham.
Ms. Kelly is deputy mayor; she’s recusing herself from any discussion on the project.