TRR photo by David Hulse Tusten Supervisor Richard Crandall (Click for full story)

Residents say keep it small

By DAVID HULSE

NARROWSBURG — A standing-room-only crowd of about 45 persons packed the Tusten Town Court on March 11, as they questioned a town board measure to expand business in the town’s predominant R-1 residential zone.

The board is recommending a change to the special use provisions of zoning, which would allow eating and drinking establishments and retail sales in the zone. Supervisor Richard Crandall said it had only been by oversight that the provisions had not been included in the town’s last zoning update. Variances to the current zoning can’t be granted newer property owners now because the hardship they seek to reverse was legally brought on by themselves, when they purchased property in the zone, Crandall said.

If enacted, the new uses would only be allowable after a mandatory site plan review by the planning board, Crandall said. The R-1 area, which comprises about 70 percent of Tusten’s land mass, traditionally had small “mom and pop” businesses and eateries in areas along Route 97, Lava and Beaver Brook, he said. Crandall and other officials insisted that there was no intent to open the door to larger businesses or franchise food operations. “We can’t absolutely stop growth, but we don’t want golden arches and ticky tack…. Nobody wants to see a Kiamesha Lake,” he said.