Here's the story from the Urinal News:
After surviving Superstorm Sandy and a life-threatening illness, a marina owner is back before the Town Board, making a third attempt to promote his idea of building a housing complex with a view of the Hudson River.
In May 2012, Wayne Corts, who owns about 30 acres of waterfront property known as Willow Cove Marina and Stony Point Bay Marina, proposed building 300 condominiums, restaurants, a yacht club, and a marina. It was his second attempt since 2007, when he withdrew a similar idea amid opposition from residents and some officials.
The second try didn't go anywhere, either.
Corts, 59, said he had to put the process on hold because later that year, Superstorm Sandy wiped out his marina.
The 2012 storm swallowed Stony Point's waterfront and about 120 homes and several businesses along the Hudson River were severely affected. The recovery process has been long and frustrating to many storm victims. The town has recently taken down a couple of storm-damaged homes that had been left deteriorating.
While working on storm recovery, Corts was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and had to focus on fighting the disease for about six months, he said.
Corts, who says he is in remission, said Friday he recently resumed discussions with the town. He now wants to build a community of about 100 to 150 housing units with a marina and restaurants.
To proceed, Corts, who is also a developer, has to seek zone change because the project would be considered a mixed-use development of residential and commercial.
Town Supervisor Geoffrey Finn said the Town Board recently held a workshop meeting to start looking into possible revisions of the town's zoning to encourage economic development as well as public access to the waterfront. The zone change will affect only a handful of properties, such as marinas, U.S. Gypsum and the former Lovett plant site, Finn said.
Finn said he expected the zone change process to be completed in about five to six months.
Corts said he has always wanted to develop his waterfront property since he bought it more than 35 years ago. Despite his failed attempts in the past, he was still hoping to move his plan forward, he said.
"Now we do have a leadership that realizes how important it is to have good ratables. They understand that I do a quality job," said Corts, whose projects include the Greens of Woodbury in Orange County. "They've seen the work I do, so I'm hoping, but I don't get real optimistic. ... At my age, it's my last time that I'm going to try."
Corts can expect opposition from residents who are afraid their river view would be blocked by his development.
"It would severely affect all the homeowners here. I would be totally against it," said Bob Livsey, 75, who was at his Jackson Drive home on Friday. His home, which he inherited from his father, has an unobstructed view of the Hudson.
"People bought their houses because of the view," Livsey said.
Corts said his plan would not block anybody's view.
"In fact, we're going to make it look nicer from up top," Corts said. "Because there'll be no more boats on the land for winter. The boats will be left in the water. The whole place will be cleaned up. And we will respect all view corridors."
