MONTICELLO, NY — When Ben Wechsler was alive, he and his neighbor, orchid magnate Stuart Salenger, were locked in a fierce legal battle, which included the charge that Wechsler’s dog killed six of Salenger’s alpacas.

But Wechsler died in 2011, at the age of 81, and now Salenger owns Wechsler’s former home and he wants to include the property in the Sullivan County Agricultural District Number Four. County officials are in the process of updating the ag districts and Salenger would like them to renew the status of his parcels that were previously added to the district.

As with Salenger’s previous efforts, his neighbors are not happy about his agricultural activities, and several of them turned out to the government center in Monticello on June 18 at a public hearing on the matter.

A letter from Eugene Raponi was read into the record. It said, “Putting an agricultural district on the front lawn of the former home of Ben Wechsler is wrong. Think about your own community; would you want alpacas, lamas, a camel and goats living next to you?”

Richard Robbins, who lives in the community, said, “Taking forestland that has existed as such since this county [was founded] in 1809… in the name of preserving an industry, agriculture, that has never existed in Forestburgh,” is wrong. He also said Salenger’s “menagerie” consists of about “200 non-native animals.”

Marty Miller, who introduced himself as Salenger’s attorney, said that before the county was established all of the land was forested. He also noted that the county legislature had received a recommendation from the Sullivan County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board, that Salenger’s parcel should be included in the ag district. Miller said this recommendation was based on an inspection and activities at the facility, and was not based on emotion. He added that the Forestburgh Town Board did not pass any resolution opposing the recommendation.

That prompted a member of the board to say that the board did not have time or opportunity to discuss the matter.

To that, Robert Kaplan, chairman of the Sullivan County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board said, “That the Town of Forestburgh did not have ample notice… of the fact this was going to be added into the ag district, is just not true. They had at least 30 days’ notice.”

In a letter recommending inclusion in the ag district of Salenger’s parcel and seven others, Kaplan wrote to the board and said, “In December of last year, the legislature adopted the new Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan for Sullivan County. That plan was approved by the Commissioner of Agriculture this past Monday. In that plan, we speak of the vision for agriculture for our county. The vision includes: (1) Farms that are financially successful; (2) Agriculture will be a top economic driver in the county; (3) Public education as to the role and importance of agriculture to the county; (4) Promotion and enhancement of agriculture; (5) Supportive County programs and policies; (6) Available and accessible farmland; and (7) Sullivan County is a location for farming and offers a stable and viable career opportunity for the next generation.”

In the past, the previous legislature approved Salenger’s projects on five to four votes. The current legislature will be making a final decision on the matter in July.