Lake Huntington  — The Cochecton Planning Board moved forward plans to construct a gas station plaza in Fosterdale at the corner of 17B and NY-52 in their meeting on Thursday, April 24. They also discussed a proposed yurt campground and a lot improvement on County Road 114.

Engineering Consultant Glenn Smith presented his building plans to the board for a plaza on a 60-acre parcel in Fosterdale that will become three retail commercial buildings and a gas station. Each building will be approximately 80’x 30’ and they will be connected. 

Smith, who has been working on the project for two years, explained that the planning board needed to approve their plans before the New York State Department of Transportation could give their approval. 

He mentioned that the NYSDOT will require them to install a very costly sidewalk in front of the building, even though it’s unlikely that it will be used because the location has no regular foot traffic. 

Smith explained that the project is on the border of wetlands and because the regulations changed on January 1, they might have to ensure that there is 100 feet of a buffer zone between the building zone and the jurisdictional wetlands. He said that if the New York State Department of Conservation doesn’t respond in 90 days with any issues, they can move forward with their plans.

Brad Cleverley from MJS Engineering presented plans for Golden Horde Farm and Campground along Route 97. The camping site includes plans for 22 yurts (dome-shaped tents), a pool and restrooms. The board ensured that all necessary details were in the plans, including campsites, electricity, landscaping, lighting, storm grading and septic tank. 

Attorney Jacob Billig raised the issue of sightlines from Route 97: “What is the visual…how will it look?” Cleverly responded that the view will be screened by existing vegetation. Billig also asked, “Do we need emergency services to look at the plans?” Cleverley said the entrance on Route 97 is 22 feet wide; Town of Cochecton Volunteer Ambulance Corps President Mike Attianese said that was adequate for their ambulance to use the road, should an emergency arise at the campground.

Foesterdale local Aaron Schor brought forth a lot-improvement plan for his property on County Road 114 that is 0.4 miles up the hill from Fosterdale. Land Surveyor Grant Decker presented the plans, which included changing the lot lines of their property so an old logging trail could be utilized and Schor could sell one of his parcels. 

Decker said the improvement would “change the acreage slightly and there will be a new description written with a fifty-foot strip attached to the twenty-acre parcel in the back. Before [the logging trail road] was part of the front parcel,” and the owners want to move it to the back parcel. The section in question is 1.9 acres and Decker said they have county approval already, which is needed because 114 is a county road.