Tusten inherits
deck property

By DAVID HULSE

NARROWSBURG — A proposed Main Street property donation is expected to help insure that the popular viewing deck above the Big Eddy will remain in public hands.

Rasmussen Sons Inc., who donated use of property to the Narrowsburg Chamber of Commerce when the deck was built in the early 1980’s, has offered to donate the property to the Town of Tusten. A letter proposing the transfer was read at the December 10 town board meeting.

Supervisor Richard Crandall said the property owners have been paying taxes on the land, which has an assessed value of $1,000. “I think they want to get out from under,” he said.

The property donation would also transfer to the town whatever portion of legal liability that the private property owner may have been exposed to. Crandall noted that, while the chamber owns the deck and is initially liable, “I’m sure that should anything ever happen, the town would share in the liability anyway.”

The board is likely to discuss the offer at their regular January meeting.

All in all, “It’s a good thing that the town accept the property,” Crandall said, adding, “and I think that the flavor of the board is to accept it.”

In unrelated town business, Crandall said that the town engineer has inspected the old highway barn on the flats and found the structure fine for dry storage. Crandall said the town has planned tree plantings to help screen the property in the spring.

The board has scheduled a year-end business meeting for 7:30 p.m. on December 27.