A Critical Look At Roxbury Run Village
Roxbury Run Village ia a group of towr.house con1 dominiuma in the Catskill Mountains near .Woodstock* 1 N.Y. It has been planned by the Lynmark Group and the > Heritage Savings Bank as an all-year resort, where a "diverse and mixed" group of residents can "spend their leisure time in a natural country setting." "Diverse and mixed," in this case, translates as 70 per cent gay, 30 per cent straight, according to Taussig Realty, Roxbury Run's sole agent in Fire Island Pines. Spokesmen for Lynmark deny that these figures exist, but in the meantime they are spending large amounts of money on promotional campaigns aimed directly at New York area gays. With this gesture, they Join others in the business community who realize that this previously invisible group now has enough economic clout to warrant attention. In press releases, prospective buyers are refer red to as "performing arts people," "theater people," and a "narrowly defined group of metropolitan people." Jim Ball, project manager, compares the resort to "special-interest camps for children." In an article in the Catekill Mountain News, included with the press releases, he notes an industry trend to successful vacation-home projects for groups of people who share similar work and interests. No where in his article does Ball mention that 70 per cent of the people he is talking about are supposed to be gay — presumably a tactic to avoid local op position and reticence on the part of straight buyers. The profile of Roxbury Run Village is apparently to be kept as low as possible: no day-trippers, no tourists, no intruders, no way in or out but through the gate. The entrance will be guarded and monitored by closed-circuit TV. It is also clear that Roxbury Run is intended to be an affluent community. The basic price for a three-bedroom home as of October 1978 was $57,900, and the four-bedroom model was priced at $64,900. Lynmark claims that they are offering easy, non-discriminatory terms to facilitate the purchase of a house by more than one person. Theoretically, lovers or groups of three or four friends could enter into a purchase agreement if they can show a clean credit record and a combined annual income of $30,000. At first glance, the prices seem almost reason able — if not in comparison with older, existing properties in the area, at least compared to similar property on Fire Island. But there are significant differences. Even if convenience factors were the same as on Fire Island, which they definitely are not, the prestige of this spot is yet to be established. It is not an "in" place, and has none of the charisma that characteri zes Fire Island. If and when it "arrives," prices of the two could then be compared. Lynmark says many of those who are purchasing houses at Roxbury Run are hoping it never will "ar rive," that it never will become as famous, or infa mous as Fire Island. The company is loath to describe this publicly as a gay resort. Their guides do not bring up the subject of gay percentages to prospective
straight buyers, and the company hopes tnat gays pur chasing homes will be as discreet as possible. Jim Ball says many gays want to escape from Fire Island because of high prices and what he calls "screamers." There are homosexual businessmen, he suggests, who feel threatened by the stigma of hav ing a vacation home in an area known to be gay, and for these businessmen it seems clearly advantageous to purchase into a community that will offer protec tive ambiguity. For those who can afford it, Roxbury Run sounds like a remarkably good offer. There are magnificent views of forested mountains and the Delaware Valley, ski slopes, fireplaces and ice skating on frozen tennis courts in the winter; swimming and other out door sports in the summer; disco, of course, all year long. These facilities already exist, some permanent and some temporary. Roxbury Run is a peaceful place to spend time away from the noise and pressure of the city. But there are problems. There is no direct public transportation from New York City. The Trailways bus that takes you to Margaretville, seven miles from the Village, costs almost $30 round trip, and you still have to pay for a seven-mile taxi ride to and from Roxbury Run. The nearest grocery store is eight miles away. The restaurant, boasting a "famous New York chef," is beyond walking on any but the most temperate days, and the ski slopes are off in the distance. The houses are undistinguished. Models of finished homes shown to the press were poorly laid out and the workmanship appeared shoddy. When questioned, Glen Pederson, press agent for Roxbury Run, stated that the models were finished very rapidly and were in fact incomplete. He also said that while the older houses tended to be noisy, the newer models were made with superior materials and exceed minimum standards set for New York State. No hotels or motels exist or are planned for construction on or near the grounds of the settle ment, but there is a motel four miles from the Village — a tiring trek if you have to do it several times a day on snowshoes. This lack of accommodations makes entertainment possibilities difficult, and effectively eliminates tourists from the roster at Roxbury Run. As far as the "natural setting," it is indeed all around you, everywhere you look — except in74 side the gates of the development. Almost all the