ROCK HILL — At the most recent meeting of the Thompson Planning Board, it was announced that The Hamaspik Resort project had changed its operational plans.

The site has been operating as a private hotel since the location was purchased in 2021 by New York State Hamaspik Association (NYSHA). The hotel will again be open to the public from Monday to Wednesday only.

From Thursday to Sunday, the hotel will return to being a private hotel that will be used for Hamaspik affiliate agencies “and its entities for weekend retreats.”

Furthermore, the applicants state that the resort will not be available to any guests during July and August as it will be converted into an overnight sleepaway camp for Hamaspik.

According to the operation plan, the camp will cater to individuals who are “diagnosed with autism, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, behavior disorders, brain injury [and] will have the opportunity to enjoy a summer camp catered to their needs,” according to the operation plan.

Additionally, the planning board rescinded their request to the Thompson Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) to review its use of the hotel.

Previously the applicant said the ZBA did not need to interpret the use of the hotel since it has been operating as a private hotel since the purchase.

And since the visit to the ZBA, the applicant changed the operation plan to include guests outside of Hamaspik.

More recently, the appellant was before the planning board after a Thompson Building Inspector denied a permit to build a mikveh in the basement in one of the buildings at the site.

A mikveh, a ritual bath used in the Jewish faith, will be built in one of the building’s basements that will not be the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant. There are plans to develop an additional mikveh that will be ADA compliant.

Since the ritual bath will not affect the main structure, it does not need site plan approval from the planning board, but instead, it will need to be decided by the Building, Planning & Zoning Department of Thompson.

The applicant will need planning board approval once they start to construct the ADA compliant mikvah. Furthermore, Hamaspik wants to install a new playground, an outdoor pool and a sports field with basketball and soccer facilities.

Moreover, they plan to build a 25,000 square foot building that will be used for classrooms, an indoor sports arena, an additional shul and mikveh, as well as a recreational area.

The applicant will go before the planning board at the next planning board meeting on March 9 to discuss the project again.