CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. -- Some big changes are happening in Canandaigua, and they may have impact beyond the region.
The new owners of Bristol Harbour Resort hope their major expansion plans will bring even more visitors. Todd and Laura Cook plan to make some enhancements to Bristol Harbour’s lodge, banquet, and golf facilities.
The biggest changes would happen on the land they also own across the street. The Cooks bought that land from the Wegman family.
“They proposed that they had the perfect piece of property for this vision of mine," Laura Cook said.
That vision is the luxury 55-room Everwild Inn and Spa.
The plan has divided a community that treasures its lakefront property - some of the most valuable in America. A primary opponent of Everwild is neighbor Wade Sarkis. His father Fred was the original builder of the Bristol Harbour Resort.
“It’s an interesting dynamic, for sure," Cook said. "I do understand that Wade Sarkis owns the property adjacent to my property on Everwild, so of course he does not want to have any disturbance to that property. It has been forever wild for a long time because other people did not develop on it. But if he was in my position, I’m sure that he’d be thinking quite differently. I’m looking forward to possibly working with that family to find a good resolve.”
The Cooks say buying Bristol Harbour addresses one of the main objections to Everwilde by eliminating the need for a new system. They hope that will help as the town continues to review the proposal.
“We’re looking forward to this year," Cook said. "I think there’s a lot of great things happening. The real resolve with the sewer connection is going to be, I hope, a feather in our cap so that the board and the community understand that the Cook family listened, and we’re going forward with positive change.”