ELDRED, NY — Camp FIMFO is nearing the end of its environmental review.

The project is now at Step 8 (see sidebar): The Town of Highland Planning Board adopted the project’s entire draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which includes comments from the public, the National Park Service, the Upper Delaware Council, Keystone Engineering, and the planning board itself.

The applicant, Northgate Resorts/Sun Communities, will now go through the comments and either revise the EIS accordingly or explain in writing why a comment is outside the project’s scope. 

The planning board will review Northgate’s responses, requesting more information as needed. At that point, the board has the option of scheduling a public hearing. Northgate did not provide a date for when it expects to submit its responses.

No further inquiries will be added to the EIS at this point.  All iterations of the EIS will be drafts until the last step, when the planning board approves the final document.

Northgate Resorts/Sun Communities plans to invest $40 million to transform the 235-acre Kittatinny Campgrounds and Canoes–Barryville Base into an RV campground called Camp FIMFO. The project would add to the site 252 RV park models, which resemble small mobile homes. They will have permanent water and sewer hookups and stay put. The total number of campsites will decrease slightly, to 335. 

Proposed new attractions include an aquatic play area, mini-golf course, bouncing pillow, and sports courts. A modern new septic system will replace the current, deteriorating system.

The State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) includes 11 steps, not all of which are conducted for every project. The planning board last year triggered the SEQR process when, in a 3-2 vote, it gave the Camp FIMFO application a “positive declaration,” which means the project could have a significant adverse effect on the environment. Northgate was then obliged to prepare an EIS.

The next planning board meeting is scheduled for August 28.

In other business 

• Special counsel: Javid Afzali of the Harris Beach law firm served as counsel for the Highland Planning Board at its July meeting. At a special town board meeting on April 16, he was hired to serve as special counsel in zoning and planning board matters where the town attorney, Steven Mogel, has a conflict of interest. Why Afzali was serving as counsel for this meeting was not discussed.
• New spa: The Eldred Preserve has an application before the planning board to build a spa. Kenneth Ellsworth of Keystone Engineering, which was hired to review the application, had follow-up questions about parking, paving, and traffic flow. Eldred Preserve co-owner Joan Silna said the spa will be made available first to guests and, if there is extra availability, to the general public. A neighbor “heartily endorsed” the project, saying a spa would “enhance the experience and help the town in general through taxes and employment.” The planning board will schedule a public hearing once Keystone’s questions are answered.
• Short-term rentals: The planning board said it will not enforce regulations on behalf of homeowners associations (see related story).

Read more

Read more about Camp FIMFO at riverreporter.com:

“Camp FIMFO’s environmental review is now available to the public”

“Planning projects can mean heavy lifting for small towns”

“Where will they stay?”