A casino at Howe Caverns would bring badly-needed jobs, business, and opportunities to Cobleskill.
That was the overwhelming sentiment at a public hearing Monday held to gauge local support for the possible project.
Howe Caves Development LLC is one of 22 applicants seeking a license from the New York State Gaming Commission for an upstate casino.
Support from the Town of Cobleskill, where the casino would be located, is critical for the project to move ahead; the hearing was intended to confirm public support for a 5-backing the possibility.
And it was there.
Doug Shaver, a lifelong resident who lives in the Caverns' backyard, was the first to take the microphone in support of the casino, followed by developer Mark Nadeau, who called the shovel-ready Caverns "the only one that makes sense" under Governor Cuomo's guidelines.
"The opportunity is here," Mr. Nadeau said.
Don Massey, former CEO at then-Bassett Hospital of Schoharie County and past director of the Schoharie County Chamber of Commerce, echoed Mr. Nadeau's words.
"This is an opportunity that doesn't come along often," he said, "and I don't believe it will be a negative."
Susan Spivack, however, disagreed and urged the town board to take a closer look at the real costs of casinos and gambling.
"The house always wins," she said.
Michelle and Bruce Stacey also questioned a casino's real costs and Rebecca Eckel, a local doctor who owns her own business, said she'll be one of the first to leave if a casino comes here.
"Pawn shops and pay day lenders" are the only businesses that benefit from casinos," she said, "adding, "I need to know so I can sell by business, sell my home, and get out before it's too late."
Other speakers, however, spoke to a casino's financial benefits to the local tax base and to school taxes.
"It's not that I think it will solve all our problems, but we need something to draw people to Schoharie County," said Brian Kaiser.
Mary Ann Willaber-Bryan said she kept a casino's possible downside in mind when she visited Mohegan Sun in April with friends on a bus trip.
"You bet we paid attention," she said, starting with the trip there. "And it all looked just like Route 7."
Ms. Wollaber-Bryan said she and her friends stayed at a hotel off the casino grounds-but built because of the casino-and casino employees they spoke with talked about both their benefits and the opportunity they have to move up the ladder.
"People who come to a casino here will drive past the Carrot Barn, they'll go to Justine's and the Bull's Head, they'll take their kids to Gobblers' Knob," she predicted.
Supervisor Leo McAllister said probably no one's agonized as much as he has over whether Cobleskill should support a casino.
"I don't think it will be a panacea, but I do think it will help," he said.
Mr. McAllister also said one of the reasons he changed his mind to get behind the project is Caverns' co-owner Emil Galasso.
"I believe in the gentleman proposing this," he said. "He's done a heck of a lot for this community and he will do this right."