Shandaken Exploring Water Revitalization Committee, Parks Budget, Future of Phoenicia School

SHANDAKEN — The Shandaken Planning Board met on March 3 to discuss a variety of current issues and upcoming events, including a Water Revitalization Committee in Pine Hill, the possibility of taking over the Phoenicia School for public and governmental uses, and the Mountain Jam music event.

The idea of revitalizing the Pine Hill Water Committee was proposed to get people involved and address water issues, including a possible new committee. A motion was made to put out an announcement to request volunteers for the Pine Hill Water Committee, with the goal of gathering interested individuals to join the committee.

The town is seeking volunteers for water-related tasks and is reviewing options for handling permit fees and professional services.The water committee met on Feb. 4th and recommended Jameson Joyce as a candidate for hire for the position of deputy superintendent. Issues with broken hydrants and water pressure were also discussed.

A public hearing is being held to discuss the installation of a new water metering system for Pine Hill, which would include meters, transponders, and readers. The current water meters in Pine Hill are over 25 years old and are “no longer remotely readable,” requiring manual digging to access them. Dynamic, a company that presented to the board six or seven months ago, has provided a quote for the new system, which would be funded 75% by a loan from the Water Loan Fund.

A discussion was held about monitoring water output and detecting leaks in the water system, with a metering device that can send information to a computer system

In other water related news: 

The Water Conservation Advisory Council is working on emergency preparedness as well as a community climate action plan, with a meeting scheduled for May 17th at 6:30 pm. A meeting will be held on June 10th to address flood mitigation. A separate meeting for household preparedness on fire and a further meeting on individual preparedness for fire will be scheduled. 

The town is considering options for the Phoenicia Elementary school building, including a potential lease agreement with the school district, which would allow the town to use the building for various purposes. The town is considering the possibility of taking over operation, maintenance, and future repairs of the school. If leased, the town indicated that it would be used for town business, as well as being rented out for use to help offset the costs of use and maintenance of the building. The town indicated the school would only be rented out for uses that are for public good, to certain not-for-profits, or to other governmental entities that the town feels would be for the public good. The town emphasized the need for more information before a decision could be made. 

A music event, Mountain Jam, is planned to take place at Belleayre Mountain in late June, organized by Gary Chetkof, who presented plans to the board. Plans for the event include power, electricity, fireworks, public relations, staffing, food service, and non-food vending, with ticket sales capped at a certain point.

The event is expected to have around 1,600 attendees per day, with 1,200 coming for the weekend and the rest split between the three days. The town's approval is related to the campsite, and the county is evaluating the event itself, with the town not requiring separate approval from other agencies.

A public assembly permit is being filed, which covers campgrounds, and a State Environmental Quality Review Act is being sought to reform the process. The town is being asked to be the lead agency for the review, and to confirm that separate approval from other agencies is not required since they are already obtaining approval through other means. A mass gathering permit is being filed with the Ulster County Department of Health, which has detailed reporting requirements, and the town is being asked to authorize the law firm Whiteman, Osterman & Hanna to circulate a notice to interested agencies.

A special meeting was planned for March 13th at 6:30 p.m. to discuss the Mountain Jam event, including a public hearing and a potential SEQR review. A motion was made to hold a public hearing for the Mountain Jam event on April 7th at 6:30 p.m. and to hire an engineer for a SEQR review and appraisal inspection.

The Parks and Recreation committee has a budget of $30,000, with allocations for a match of $20,000 for Crest funding, $5,000 for a summer recreation program, and $5,000 for various parks projects, and is seeking donations and volunteers for park improvements.

The committee is seeking donation of a concrete culvert for Glenbrook Playground. Anyone who knows of a culvert, contact the committee at shandakenparksproject@gmail.com

The Parish Field Committee aims to have nine mini golf modules in the park by September 1st and is working with the parish for storage, with a survey of Smith Park and Glenbrook Park also planned.

In other news: 

• A resolution was passed to pay all bills, and another resolution was discussed regarding the relinquishment of various cemeteries to the town.

• The town is planning for summer activities, including a children’s trip to a Yankee game at Yankee Stadium on July 31st, with tickets available for purchase online, and a limited number of 120 tickets available. 

• The Shandaken Historical Museum hosted events, including a rug hooking demonstration and a multimedia presentation on the early days of skiing in Phoenicia, and is looking for volunteers.

• A motion was made to review and update the Planning and Zoning fee schedules, with a public hearing to be scheduled for April 7th at 6:45 p.m.