Potential RV Park In Fleischmanns Raises Concerns - Negotiations Paused, DOH Permit Application In Works

FLEISCHMANNS - Mountain Jam Festival organizers have been advertising and selling tickets for guests to camp RVs at the Fleischmanns Village Park on Wagner Avenue for over a month, but have yet to obtain proper permits. The festival is scheduled for June 20-22 with campsites available for up to a four-day pass.

Trustee Miguel Martinez-Riddle reports having "received a barrage of local complaints from both residents of the village and people who use our park."  Martinez-Riddle is concerned the campsite is not permitted under local zoning laws. He points to several regulations which include site plan review, special use permits, and special rules for campsites in historic, flood, and residential districts.

"While I am not against accommodating such uses of Village property in the future, they should be planned out and set up properly in advance, and not in the park," Martinez-Riddle said, "I believe the people pushing this through, under the cover of darkness, with no community input and no enforcement of our zoning laws are short-sighted and do not value the gift that is the Fleischmanns park."

Martinez-Riddle believes the proposition "clashes with the original intent of the Fleischmanns family when they gifted this space to the village."

The park was donated to the village by Julius Fleischmann back in 1914. The original agreement included a clause that the area be used for a baseball park and athletic purposes only, be free to the public, and never be sold or sublet.

However, Mayor Samuel Gil said the agreement was adjusted in 1934. Gil said the park was used for a similar arrangement a few years back for the Kansas City BBQ Festival which was planned two years in a row. "We will be reviewing all the zoning laws and regulations and any special items that will prevent us from using the village park," he said.

Mountain Athletic Club Vintage Base Ball Manager Collin Miller says the park holds historic value in addition to not being permitted for sublet. Miller has played 19th-century baseball in Fleischmanns since 2007. With a 130-year baseball history, Miller said the park was recognized by the State and National Historic Places Registry in 2021.

"If there is an interest in using the land to generate revenue for the village, it is the mission of the Mountain Athletic Club Vintage Baseball Club to create opportunities for such events to occur, but obviously not if the field is unplayable due to improper use," said Miller, "It's a soccer and baseball field first."

If a permit is requested, Gil said the village will set several clauses in the contract including 24-hour security, a fence around the park to prohibit entry into the creak or surrounding properties, no campfires, no free-roaming pets, and quiet time from 11 p.m. until 7 a.m. The Delaware County Sheriff's Department will be contacted to increase patrolling of the area during camping duration. Gil plans to require organizers to hire a local landscaping company to return the fields to their original or better state. In addition, he hopes to obtain a $7,000 rental fee for the park.

"Everything will be done properly and for the betterment of the Village, whether it happens OR not," Gil concluded.

Although Gil is preparing for a potential permit request by organizers, the village is not currently engaged in contract negotiations. Organizers must first obtain proper permits from the New York State Department of Health (DOH). DOH Public Information Officer Marissa Crary said no permit application has been submitted to DOH for the campground. "The Health Department is aware of the planning and has communicated requirements to the municipality and the event organizers."

More information regarding specific requirements can be found by visiting regs.health.ny.gov/content/subpart-7-3-campgrounds.

Ulster County has taken the role of lead agency regarding health and safety regulations for the festival.

A public informational regarding the festival is scheduled Monday, April 7 at 6:30 p.m. at the Shandaken Town Hall, 7209 NY-28.