MONTICELLO, NY—Development executives from hotel chains and franchise organizations are scouring New Yorks Catskill Mountains, looking for renovation projects or new sites in the wake of an important step forward in the establishment of gaming in this “former “ resort area. After years of effort, the Sullivan County Legislature last week threw its support behind a proposal by Gov. George E. Pataki to allow up to five Indian casinos as a way to revive the region’s poor economy. The legislature voted six to three at a hearing that drew both pro and con speakers in an impassioned debate that brought to a head mounting local discussion over the costs and benefits of building several Las Vegas-style casinos in this once-famous resort region that was the favorite vacation area for New York City residents before jet travel brought resorts in Florida and the Caribbean closer to New York City. Two weeks ago, Pataki sent the State Legislature a bill that would resolve the major Indian land claims in the state and allow five casinos. Previously, the State Legislature authorized three casinos, but in recent months the Governor pushed to raise the number to five, one for each tribe claiming ancestral lands. While the county’s approval is not binding, it is expected to send a strong message of support to the state legislature, who must now vote on the land claims and casino bill. Observers expect that while there is still some opposition among members of the State assembly, New Yorks mounting budget deficits and resident’s feeling the pain with increased local taxes will mean that the opposition will only be minimal. A recent state task force looking into the feasibility of five casinos estimated that they would attract more than 31 million visitors annually to the Catskills region and generate about 45,000 new jobs, including those outside the casinos, mostly in the expanded hotel sector that will be needed to house the visitors. The only major negative was that the area’s main artery, Route 17, could not handle the expected automobile traffic from New York City and it’s suburban communities. For hoteliers, this could be a positive since more travelers looking for a quick in and out will instead check into lodging facilities for long weekends.