Hoshino at SSJPB Meeting

By Alexis Pencar

SHARON SPRINGS — There’s been lots of talk and resident concerns leading up to the Sharon Springs Joint Planning Board Meeting that occurred on Wednesday, October 15th at 6:30 pm in the Sharon Library Community Room. This meeting was a hot topic and drew quite the crowd with the Hoshino Resorts New York LLC project on the agenda.

Running this meeting was the Chairman of the Sharon Springs Joint Planning Board, Ray Parsons with other board members present including Ron Ketelsen as Secretary. Starting off with the rules, of brief comments of 3 minutes or less and that this was a way to “gather information from the public to aid the board on a decision on this project” and this was “not a debate” according to Parsons.

This proposed Japanese hot spring inn or ‘onsen ryokan’ is by world-renowned and internationally established Hoshino Resorts, who just celebrated their 111th anniversary, making this their first North American project, stated on their website. The project is a large undertaking and intends to be ”open to resort guests and staff only, includes a shop, library, lounge, bar, multi-function space, all-day dining area, fine-dining restaurant, a spa including meditation baths and room for individual spa treatments, and 30 guest room units, each with its own outdoor onsen (heated mineral water) bath” according to Mary Beth Bianconi, a Partner with Delaware Engineering, the agency working with SSJPB.

At this meeting, Hoshino Team presented information with the foreword that they are “far from breaking ground” and that this “planning board process has been going on for over a year”. During the presentation there was a detailed survey of the property showing 57 acres in the Village of Sharon Springs and 7 acres that are in the Town of Sharon. The survey plan and map separates areas dependent upon use, stipulating maintaining “75% as open area” with the remaining 25% as the facility.

According to permission from Historic Preservation, Magnesia Spring and Temple is to be restored, with that area off Main Street as the initial public parking area or “drop off” with a funicular, or type of cable railway system for steep slopes that would take guests up to the actual spa site. In addition, there would be a private entrance for deliveries and ‘back of house’ activities. There is also permission to knock down the house within the Magnesia Temple lot.

The landscape plans and development are to keep the property as natural as possible with intention. There was discussion of ‘low light’ for outdoor lighting and that it would be “low key residential lighting” and that the architecture style of the buildings itself is meant to “blend” with the surroundings.

It was added that the on-site restaurant with 30 seats would be available “just to the guests” with intention to provide a “farm to table experience” with products “purchased locally”, “meant to be a local experience as much as possible”.

Municipal water will be used from Main Street, with additions on Beechwood. The project would also use the Village water treatment and sewer systems as well. Initial concerns were addressed at the SSJPB meeting on September 17th, 2025, including disruption to Village-wide pressure and issues with Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) concentrations. These concerns “may require mineral water discharged from baths to be held on site and introduced into the sanitary sewer system over time to ensure proper dilution.” This request of mitigation would reduce the overall ‘work’ the Village Water Treatment system would have and help to “prevent upset” to the system. According to the Hoshino Team, there have since been “lots of dialog” with Delaware Engineering and edits to the plans that would address and remedy those issues before moving forward.

In connection with this meeting, on Oct 6th, 2025 the Hoshino Team, specifically attorney Libby Clark, as well as Village Attorney Michelle Kennedy (representing lead agency SSJPB) had a back and forth dialog at this County Planning Board Meeting, with overall agreement that Delaware Engineering is acting as the SSJPB's “expert on the project” and would continue to review impacts, with specific concerns on wastewater treatment.

Regarding the mineral waters and the whole reason for this white sulfur spa project, there have been “two mineral wells drilled about a year and a half ago” and that they (Hoshino) “are going to heat it (mineral water) then redistribute it from this ‘plant’ to each of the rooms”. There are reports that have been created for water pressures, water content, potential usage, etc., including a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) that takes into account “karst geology of the site and when implemented and will reduce or eliminate stormwater impacts”. In this meeting, there was a mention of these “caverns” and that they will soon perform radar scans to ensure there wouldn’t be any settling of the structures.

After an informative 20 minute presentation by Hoshino, the floor was opened up for the planned public hearing for residents to ask questions and voice concerns. Check out another extended feature next week outlining the public reaction and response.

Sharon Springs Joint Planning Board Meetings are the 3rd Wednesday of Every Month at 6:30 pm in the Library Community Room located at 129 Main Street, Sharon Springs, NY 13459. Look out for more updates and continued coverage on this evolving story. For more information or questions, please contact SSJPB at (518) 284-2682.