NY campers bug PA residents

LINDA DROLLINGER
Posted 4/18/18

LAKE HUNTINGTON, NY — During the public comment period concluding the April 11 Cochecton Town Board meeting, several Milanville, PA residents, newcomers to the area, expressed frustration with …

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NY campers bug PA residents

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LAKE HUNTINGTON, NY — During the public comment period concluding the April 11 Cochecton Town Board meeting, several Milanville, PA residents, newcomers to the area, expressed frustration with noise and other conditions at Landers Skinners Falls Campground. Lori Zambarano, her boyfriend and five of their neighbors wrote letters to Cochecton Supervisor Gary Maas complaining of late-night noise, including loud music, the drone of gasoline generators and booming illegal fireworks displays that they allege all came from the campground across the river from their homes. Maas invited them to attend the board meeting and tell the board and the town’s code enforcement officer of their concerns.

The PA folks waited patiently as, one by one, routine matters were addressed. The draft summer camp/private schools amendment to the town’s zoning ordinance will be presented at a 7 p.m., May 9 public hearing prior to the town’s next regular board meeting. Annual cleanup days, when residents may bring bulk items to the old town hall for disposal, will be held Saturday and Sunday, May 19 and May 20, from 9 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. each day.

Methods for citizen input in the Public Service Commission’s investigation of New York State Electric and Gas’s slow response to widespread power outages caused by March storms were also provided by Maas: visit the PSC website at www.dps.ny.gov; send e-mail comments to secretary@dps.ny.gov; or send written commentary to Secretary Burgess, New York State Department of Public Service, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12223-1350, or call the toll-free opinion line at 800/335-2120. The opinion line is set up to receive calls 24/7. Callers should press “1” to leave comments about March winter storm matters.

When at last Maas invited public comment on any matter, Zambarano stood up and told the board how she and her boyfriend had been drawn to the area by its pristine natural beauty and serene rural solitude. Then she described how, last summer, she had to call police numerous times to report noise, illegal fireworks and rowdy behavior by campers. Her neighbors corroborated her complaints, adding that campground owner Bob Lander had been unresponsive to their frequent calls. At that point, Maas introduced them to Rick Lander, owner of Landers Skinners Falls Campground for over 40 years, sitting beside them the whole time.

Lander was sympathetic to their complaints, telling them he and his staff have also called police to enforce campground regulations. When residents asked what noise level breaks the law, code enforcement officer Gregg Semenetz told them Cochecton doesn’t have a noise ordinance, but New York State does. And New York State finds overnight noise in excess of 72 decibels unacceptable. “How do we determine the decibel level?” asked Zambarano. “With your cell phone,” said Semenetz. “There’s an app that assigns decibel level to noise detected.”

Zambarano went on to say that noise coming from New York seemed louder than anything in PA; Rick Lander was quick to agree, saying sound carries louder over water. “But what do we do about it in the middle of the night?” asked her neighbors. Lander said, “There are two security guards on duty every night, but here’s my cell phone number. Call me.”

lake huntington, camp

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