Starkey project plans for 11 resort units

STARKEY--After many years of spending summers in Starkey, Jose and Donna Medeiros have decided to move to the area full-time and build a new 11-building resort and restaurant on 14 acres just off of State Route 14. With the land already purchased and plans approved by the planning board, Jose said the project, called Red Cedar Falls Resort, is starting to ramp up. Phase one will have six buildings and phase two, five. The final design can handle 66 proposed bedrooms.
"We are going through the environmental review process right now along with looking for contractors and starting the process to obtain any permits we might need," Medeiros said.
Along with building all the structures needed for the resort Jose said plans right now call for multiple trails to be constructed to take advantage of the scenery as much as possible.
"I mean, it's such a beautiful area," Medeiros said. "There are waterfalls, great views of the lake. I could understand how growing up around here you could become almost numb to it, but for people who aren't from around here the natural environment is amazing."
A for sale sign on a parcel of land Jose and his wife spotted while driving through the area in the summer was just the beginning on their way to developing a resort.
"It was close to our summer home, so we decided to buy it," Medeiros said. "Then we went to the Starkey officials and asked them what they would want us to do with the land. We gave them three options, building homes over the entire area, building homes concentrated by the lake, or a resort. [The] resort was the preferred option."
While this will be the Medeiros' first experience running a resort, Jose said he is an experienced business owner in New Jersey and he has sought advice from every resource the Finger Lakes has to offer.
"For the restaurant, I am currently in discussions with local wineries to figure out who would be the best option to run it along with working with local (tourism) organizations to ensure we maximize the potential of the property," Medeiros said.
To aid in that effort, Jose said the project has been designed to emphasize the natural beauty of the area and not to intrude upon it.
"The units and buildings will all be on the other side of a hill, so the resort will more or less be completely unseen from the road," Medeiros said of 4793 Red Cedar Lane, approximately 0.7 of a mile north of the Crossing Diner.
The individual units themselves will be built into a hill, which not only ensures a maximum view of the lake but also means guests will be inherently separated.
"This project has been in the works for years, but the fact that our plan for a resort includes individual units instead of a single structure with rooms has made it a lot easier to get financing during the COVID-19 pandemic," Medeiros stated.
With multiple projects being planned for or already under construction in the Finger Lakes, Medeiros said he is confident in the future of the business.
"A rising tide lifts all boats, and this area is a rapidly growing area in terms of tourism," Medeiros said. "The wineries, the views, and all the effort and money that is being put into the tourism industry means there is real potential here."
Jose added he plans to retire from his current business in New Jersey and then to move to his summer home in Starkey with his wife year-round to oversee the resort.