ELDRED, NY — With neither Camp FIMFO or 211 Mail Rd. on the agenda, the Highland Planning Board turned its attention to local short-term-rental special-use permits, and two local residents who are looking to start new businesses in town.

Short-term rentals

The board held three public hearings on short-term-rental applications. As a way to maintain control over these transient rentals, Highland’s ordinance requires that the applicant apply for a special-use permit. As part of that application, the homeowner must put on record the maintenance company, landscape company, snow removal company and a local agent that can respond within 24 hours to any emergency or problem that would occur at the property. The application has an annual $500 fee, and a fire inspection must be completed before the permit is issued. Other stipulations include parking requirements, lighting that will not interfere with the neighbors, quiet hours from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. and garbage collection.

All together, it was not enough for Barbara and John Donnadio, a neighbor to a potential short-term rental, who objected to the change in their neighborhood. “I’m not comfortable,” Barbara Donnadio said. “I want to know my neighbors and now there is going to be someone new every weekend.”

Planning board chairman Norm Sutherland explained that the application process was the best method to keep the rental safe, and that short-term rentals are a permitted use as per zoning changes last year. If there are violations, the special-use permit would be nullified, he said.

Other neighbors were in attendance because they had gotten letters from the town alerting them to the public hearing. Despite the neighbor’s objections and concerns, and given a SEQR form that indicated there were no environmental consequences from the rental, the board approved applications for Dusten Tomes and Julius Robinson. 

The board tabled the application of Drew Villano, saying that they needed to check with the county, which creates the list of those homeowners who are within 500 feet of the property, to make sure the neighbor list was correct. “There’s no way I’m 500 feet,” said another neighbor, John Calamari. 

The board set two additional public hearings for 6 p.m. at its May 24 meeting.

Subdivision and new business

The board scheduled a public hearing for a three-lot subdivision on Route 97 for Fred Reber, who said that he wanted to sell the resulting three commercial lots. A public hearing will be held during the regular meeting on May 24. 

The board also reviewed a site-plan application for Eve Fisher and Andrew McGrath. Fisher and McGrath have renovated a small cottage, and they want to turn it into a wine shop on Route 97 in the hamlet of Barryville. Sutherland told them that they needed to submit an engineer-signed site plan and an escrow payment. The plan would also need to be submitted to the Upper Delaware Council for review, as the project is in the river overlay district.

Under old business, the board read a letter from its cannabis consulting firm, Laberge Group. According to the letter, the application of Shane Pearon and Courtney Crangi to develop a cannabis microbusiness to cultivate and sell their product was not permitted, as the property at 3465 Rte. 97 in Barryville was within 100 feet of another property line. 

The partners are seeking to establish a micro business cannabis establishment in the form of a greenhouse, which requires a license that is different from that issued to a dispensary. As the New York State cannabis laws are evolving, the partners said, a micro business cannabis license is not dealt with in the town’s code, which indicates where dispensaries can be located. Pearson, Crangi and their consultant said that New York State was in the process of developing different regulations, which might need to be amended into Highland’s cannabis law.

The next Highland Planning Board meeting is scheduled for May 24, beginning at 7 p.m. Public hearings for short term rentals are set to begin at 6 p.m.