TRR photo by David Hulse Water Superintendent Scott Birney is pictured June 10 as he presents Tusten Supervisor Richard Crandall with the New York Rural Water Association “Water System of the Year” award which Narrowsburg’s water system recently won among a field of some 3,000 water systems statewide. (Click for larger image)

Tusten amends zoning change

Purchase truck for salt elimination plan

By DAVID HULSE

NARROWSBURG — The Tusten Town Board on June 10 decided that the town’s controversial zoning amendment allowing new commercial uses in the R-1 residential zone needs to be amended.

Based on review comments from Sullivan County Planning Commissioner Alan Sorensen, the town board on Monday night agreed to amend the new proposal to strike the addition of “small retail businesses” from the new amendment.

Following another public hearing and adoption, the revision would leave “eating and drinking establishments” as the only change in the R-1 zone.

The board has left a written comment period open following last month’s public hearing and Supervisor Richard Crandall said several letters, for and against, were received. One letter, “I read several times and I couldn’t figure out whether he was for it or against it,” so Crandall categorized it as “concerned.”

Sorensen’s June 10 review letter called for several new standards for any new eating and drinking establishments: frontage on a state or county road, architectural compatibility with the existing neighborhood, off the street, screened parking and distance separation between new businesses.

His review found against the inclusion of retail business and recommended that retail business be “directed to existing business centers.”

The board scheduled a public hearing for 7:00 p.m. on July 8.

In other business the board agreed to spend up to $13,000 to purchase a used sand spreader from the Town of Wallkill in Orange County. The unit would be used solely for spreading of sand in the flats area, where state health officials have directed the town to eliminate winter salt use after unacceptable levels of salt appeared in the town water wells, located there.

Highway Superintendent Skip Feagles said the elimination of the salt will also require purchase of a 1,600 gallon tank to be mounted on another existing army-surplus truck. That vehicle would be used to spread an anti-icer solution, probably magnesium-chloride instead of salt. The combined sanding and spreading process “is going to be something that we’re going to have to pretty much invent ourselves,” Feagles said.

The board also agreed to seek an Upper Delaware Council grant to study ways to alleviate storm water drainage problems on the flats.