State halts controversial development work

SWAN LAKE, NY — The state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) last week issued a stop-work order that halted road construction at a new housing project abutting Swan Lake.

The DEC reportedly found that uncontrolled erosion and storm water runoff of dirt from road construction at Anthony Murolo’s AJM Associates 21-lot project had muddied the lake. Murolo’s contractor, Nastro Construction of Mongaup Valley, was cited for a misdemeanor violation of state water quality standards.

In addition to weekly inspections in the future, the agency will require implementation of erosion and runoff control measures prior to the resumption of construction.

Producing photographs of the muddy runoff, lake neighbors confronted Murolo on June 7 about the runoff problem and other concerns in a meeting prior to that evening’s meeting of the Town of Liberty Planning Board.

Murolo currently has an application before town planners for a second, 19-lot project adjoining his earlier project.

Former Shohola teacher faces molestation charges

SHOHOLA, PA — A third-grade teacher, who was employed by the Delaware Valley School District for more than 17 years, has been arrested by state police on charges involving the molestation of three former students in 1997 and 1998.

Police reportedly have been investigating Thomas Matthews since an initial complaint in 2000. Matthews resigned six months after the first complaint was revealed to district officials and moved to Virginia. Two other complaints surfaced during the police investigation through the fall of last year.

Extradited from Virginia earlier this month, Matthews has been charged with three felony counts of aggravated indecent assault, 25 misdemeanor counts of indecent assault and three counts of corruption of minors. Matthews is being held at Pike County Correctional Facility in lieu of $200,000 bail and was scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Alan Cooper on June 22.

Pammer pans mushroom plant size

MONTICELLO, NY — Saying the scale of a proposed 80-foot tall central building is too large for the surrounding landscape, Sullivan County Commissioner of Planning and Community Development Dr. William Pammer has advised the Mamakating officials against approving variances for a proposed Yukiguni mushroom culture facility off Route 209 in Wurstsboro.

Pammer’s decision does not carry a veto for the project but will now require a “super-majority” approval by the Mamakating Zoning Board of Appeals for variance approvals.

The tall and windowless building has repeatedly been cited by project critics as an eyesore which would spoil surrounding views of the Shawangunk Ridge.

State grant for canal trail development

WURTSBORO, NY — The Town of Mamakating will receive $15,530 in state administered federal recreational trail development funding, Governor George Pataki and Senator John Bonacic announced on June 14.

The money, a grant requiring matching local funds, will be used to develop a 3,000-foot trail along the former path of the Delaware and Hudson Canal and will link the Wurtsboro business district to a larger portion of existing county-owned park trails along the canal.

Baseball, retail and housing proposed for airport property

MONTICELLO, NY — In baseball, it’s three strikes and you’re out, so developers of the former Monticello Airport feel they have a legitimate swing left for a plan that would place a new minor league franchise in a proposed 3,000 seat stadium off Route 42.

The new team franchise, reportedly part of the Canadian-American Association, would be owned by Jefferson Development Partners LLC of Westchester, with principal developer, attorney Michael Kaplan. The baseball project would be part of a plan that is also said to include an ice rink and 1.1 million square feet of retail space on some 650 acres.

Developers blamed two prior-failed attempts to operate a minor league franchise in Mountaindale in the mid-1990s on the hamlet’s remote location.

Additional development at the former airport, proposed by the Rockland County developer, would construct some 700 units of housing on 300 acres. Village of Monticello Manager Richard Sush said Tuesday that the developer is considering an application for the village to annex the property to provide water and sewer.

Highland sorts out local laws

ELDRED, NY — Addressing fire department and ambulance service concerns about emergency access to gated communities, the Highland Town Board approved a new local “Knox-box” law on June 14, which codifies an umbrella access policy and authorizes officials to implement it.

Still grappling with details about the possible obstruction of access for emergency vehicles posed by the parking of multiple vehicles in narrow private driveways, the board postponed action on a separate emergency access law proposed to provide emergency access requirements to seasonal homes with long and often narrow or unplowed driveways.

The board also postponed action on a proposed local law regarding the posting of street addresses for emergency responders.

In another action, the board, by a 3-2 vote, with Supervisor Allan Schadt and Councilman Joe McDonald opposed, agreed to advertise a public hearing date of July 12, at 6:30 p.m. for a proposed local law requiring 500’ setbacks for new construction on property adjoining hunting club lands.