NARROWSBURG, NY — An article about a proposed apartment house in the Town of Tusten ran last week with a picture of the wrong building. The building at right is the one that has neighbors questioning the town zoning laws. A special-use permit is needed for the conversion of the 100 by 20 foot seasonal hunting camp into an apartment building with 10 single-bedroom units along with a caretaker’s apartment.

There is some question about whether the building is situated in a Rural Residential District (R1), or a Rural Development District (R2), but the districts together comprise the vast majority of parcels in the town. Further, both districts come with nearly 30 listed special uses. Therefore, with a special-use permit issued by the planning board, the following operations are among many that could be opened on the majority of parcels in the town: gasoline service stations, light industrial operations, value-added wood-processing operations. Further, in the R1 districts, operations that may be opened with special-use permits include adult businesses and group homes.

The proposed apartments will be built in a former seasonal hunting camp located off of County Route 25 by developer Philip Geras, who recently completed an apartment renovation in Lake Huntington.

Geoffrey and Wanda Gangel own an adjacent parcel, and have hired professionals to help them fight the development. They and their neighbors have a long list of questions about the project, which will once again be addressed at the planning board meeting on December 21.