Catskill Mountain Resort served with violation notices

By SUSAN WADE
Posted 7/28/20

ELDRED, NY —The violations noted at the Catskill Mountain Resort have the full attention of the Highland Town Board and others charged with trying to find a resolution to the matter. …

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Catskill Mountain Resort served with violation notices

Posted

ELDRED, NY —The violations noted at the Catskill Mountain Resort have the full attention of the Highland Town Board and others charged with trying to find a resolution to the matter.  

An emergency meeting on July 18 was recessed to early Wednesday morning of July 22, at which time it was reported that violation notices had been issued but had not been served. Town attorney Michael Davidoff said that, upon attempting to serve the notices, the town was informed that the owners were out of town and that they would appear upon their return to receive the notices. 

One of the owners did in fact appear and was served four notices of violation on July 23. 

One notice was not having the required New York State Board of Health (DOH) permits, which voided the site plan approval and special-use permit that had been granted by the town in 2015. The remedy for this violation is to obtain the necessary health permits and reapply to the town for reinstatement of the special use permit and site plan approval. This was to occur by July 24. 

A second notice was the lack of a permit required to erect structures larger than 144 square feet. Temporary trailers had been located on the property, presumably to provide accommodations for providing lodging to guests at the resort. The remedy for this violation is to obtain the necessary permit, special-use permit and site plan approval from the town to allow for such structures or the removal of said structures. This was also to occur by July 24. 

The third notice cited photographs and video recordings of school buses containing as many as 100 minors at the resort facility, evidence that some sort of sleep-away camp or day camp is being operated on the premises. The remedy for this violation is the immediate cessation of such day camp or sleep-away camp operations. This was to occur by July 27. 

The fourth notice was for the accumulation of rubbish/garbage as observed by the Highland Code Enforcement Officer on July 20. The code officer was denied access to further inspect the premises on July 22. The remedy for this violation is to empty the observed overfilled garbage dumpsters and provide adequate storage and disposal of garbage generated at the premises. This was to occur by July 27. 

As of the close of business on Friday, July 24, no corrective measures had been taken by the resort to remedy any of these matters. The violation notices state that each violation is punishable by a fine not to exceed $1,000 and that each day of continued violation shall constitute an additional, separate offense, after court determination. 

The resort has its evening in municipal court on Monday, July 27. 

Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther was on hand for the recessed meeting and noted that during the summer months the county’s population explodes from 80,000 to 300,000, Said she, the potential for a health crisis in the county is “a frightening thing.” She laid blame for the possible crisis during this pandemic time at the feet of the state’s executive branch and commented that the local office of the state DOH is overwhelmed. 

Further, it was noted that the Sullivan County DOH office is familiar with the particulars of the situation at the resort, their officials having been twice denied access. Michael Bass of that office said that they are inundated with similar situations throughout the county. The usual process is that a “cease & desist” order is issued and if further action is necessary, a commissioner’s order is then filed. The cease & desist order was issued on July 22.   

No additional information was available at press time on Monday, July 27. 

Catskill Mountain Resort, violation notices, highland town board,

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