[CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article used an incorrect photo. We regret the error.]

NARROWSBURG, NY — Armed with a report from a professional planner and an engineer, Jonathan Hyman, a planning advocate with the Public Forum Group, addressed the Tusten Planning Board on November 16, and said a plan submitted to create 10 apartments and a caretaker apartment in a seasonal hunting camp building was lacking. He then urged the board to postpone a decision on issuing a special-use permit for the project.

The project is located at State Route 97 and County Route 25, and it is being pursued by a developer named Philip Geras, who recently completed an apartment renovation project in Lake Huntington and owns apartments in Orange County.

Hyman said that among the shortcomings of the site plan was its failure to show enough detail. He said, according to Willingham Engineering, which reviewed the plan, it must include “the type of use, square footages, quantity of units, bedrooms per unit and floor plan usage. Without this information, conformance with applicable codes such as parking, zoning and sanitary wastewater usage cannot be verified.”

Hyman said further that there were questions about access to the building, which has been through a right-of-way on a private road, which would need to be improved. Planner Alan Sorensen wrote in his report that the developer must demonstrate to the board that any planned improvements are lawful.

Clark Kelly, a resident who said he owned the private road, told the board that he would not agree to allow any improvements.

Town attorney Jeffrey Clemente said that Geras had a right-of-way, and he said that would cover the right to improve it.

On another matter, the application said the project would disturb only two-tenths of one acre of land. But town code would require the creation of 20 or 30 parking spaces for the project, depending on how it is defined by the planning board. Hyman said Willingham’s analysis of the site plan showed that it would disturb 1.15 acres, triggering a need for a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP), which requires review by the NY Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC.)

Hyman was representing Geoffrey and Wanda Gangel, who own a property adjacent to the proposed apartments. They have raised the point that it is not clear how many people would be living in each apartment.

At one point, planning board engineer Donald Schmalzle noted that the project was going to target seniors or residents over 55, but it was not clear whether occupancy would be restricted to senior residents, and the planning board needed to clear this up as well as address various other questions.

Another concern raised by more than one resident was that the words “asbestos in wall” were written on one of the walls. Planning board chairman Ed Jackson said, “We know there is asbestos in there,” but he said that according to Tusten code enforcement officer Gary Amerbach, it does not fall into the category of requiring special abatement measures because the building is not old enough.

Jackson said further that a review of the project by the Sullivan County Department of Planning and Environmental Management found no issues of concern.

Most of the comments were in opposition to the project, but a couple of people spoke in support of the developer.

In the end, the planning board decided they needed to get more information from the developer and answer some of the questions raised by the neighbors. The planning board will address the issue again at the meeting on December 21.

Changes at the Narrowsburg School

Another matter addressed by the planning board was two special-use permits for the former Narrowsburg School, which has been renamed Narrowsburg Union. Brendan Weiden, who with his wife Kathy owns the building, told the planning board one of the permits would allow Sullivan County Community College to conduct classes in the building beginning in the new year. Weiden said he has a “handshake” agreement with the college, and they would like to start teaching classes there in January.

The other permit would allow for the operation of a farmers’ market at the property. It would be located outside in warmer months and inside in the winter. Weiden said they were considering operating the market on Friday evenings so as not to conflict with the markets in Barryville and Callicoon.

In response to a question about the proposed ice cream manufacturing facility, Weiden said “We found out today that the ice cream guy made a decision to stay in Brooklyn,” so the Weidens continue to look for tenants.