Yasgur Farm plan bogged down

Posted 8/21/12

WHITE LAKE, NY — The effort to open a campground at the famed Yasgur Farm on Route 17 in Bethel was once again up for review at a meeting of the Bethel Planning Board on August 1.

There was …

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Yasgur Farm plan bogged down

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WHITE LAKE, NY — The effort to open a campground at the famed Yasgur Farm on Route 17 in Bethel was once again up for review at a meeting of the Bethel Planning Board on August 1.

There was quite a bit of discussion about emergency services and how close emergency vehicles should be able to get to any of the camp sites. The issue was raised at a previous meeting by a first responder, but none turned out at this meeting.

Wes Illing, the engineer for the project, said in state law there is no defined distance, and provisions in the site plan outlined to accommodate emergency vehicles are adequate.

Planning board chairman Dan Gettel said he would have expected Illing or the owner of the property to get in touch with the fire department and ambulance corps to discuss their concerns.

Illing and property owner Jeryl Abramson both said several times that they tried repeatedly to get in touch with the individual in question and others, but got no response.

Another sticking point was the so-called 239 review of the project from the Sullivan County Department of Planning and Environmental Management, which is required for some projects. Planning commissioner Freda Eisenberg wrote in a letter to the planning board that in her view, Abramson’s application for a special-use permit was incomplete, and Eisenberg had some objections to the site plan.

Illing defended the project against her concerns, but Gettel said that because Eisenberg had not signed off on the plan, it would need to be passed by a supermajority of the board, and this planning board was not likely to give such a vote while the commissioner considers the site plan to be incomplete. (It is interesting to note that different boards show varying degrees of deference to the county planning department. In 2013, the county objected to the proposed comprehensive plan for the Town of Callicoon, which invited drilling into the town. In that case, the town board ignored the 239 review, and adopted the plan anyway.)

Noise from the campground was another topic of discussion again, with Gettel arguing that because there was going to be amplified music on outdoor stages at the facility, a noise permit from the town board would be required. Illing argued that because the noise would be limited to 65 decibels it would be reasonable, and no noise permit would be needed.

Gettel said that in order to move forward, he would need to see a letter from the sound designer who is going to install the speaker system at the camp.

The matter will once again be brought before the planning board on September 12.

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