By Peter Calvert
Planning Board Meeting, May 11, 2026
Planning Board: Bill Palmer, Chair, Cyndi Wright, Eric Van Benschoten, Frank Winkler, Joanne Callahan, Cricket Keys, Greg Evans. Support Staff: JoAnn Boerner, Kristin Schneider.
Skip Parcel, representing Susan C. Stone, continued the request for a Boundary Line Adjustment splitting the front building off the Delaware House property at 227 Delaware Avenue. Skip received approval from the Zoning Board of Appeals. A Public Hearing on the variance was held and no comments were heard. The Planning classified it as a Minor Subdivision, and it was referred as a 239 review to the DelCo Planning Board and another Public Hearing set for the Planning Board June 8th meeting.
For the next item on the agenda, Cindi Wright recused herself. The Planning Board opened a Public Hearing to discuss the requested Boundary Line Adjustment for Cindi and her husband Lester Bourke, owners of Dirty Girl Farm at 114 Delaware Avenue. The deed lines would be redrawn and the upper 10 acres of their 36 acres sold to the company constructing the new Andes Cell Tower. The Cell Tower would be placed higher on the slope within those 10 acres, and thus boost the town’s signal coverage. Dirty Girl Farms could continue grazing goats and sheep on the relinquished land for a nominal $1 per year. One neighbor asked for details of the proposed plan and following the explanation was amenable and glad for the opportunity to have improved cell phone connection. The Planning Board closed the Public Hearing and approved the Boundary Line Adjustment.
Konstantis (better known as Konsta) Damianos and June Bee are the new owners of the 103 Main Street parcel, also known as the Andes General Store building. They have a background in restaurant management, they have lived in Andes over the past 6 years in the home they purchased, and have a young child in the Andes School. As the 103 Main Street property has not been a General Store for more than 2 years, a Special Use Permit is required to revive the General Store Usage in the front 2/3rds portion of the building. Dana’s Pub would continue to occupy the rear of the property, but the front would resume year-round with a general store serving both breakfast and lunch—opening 6 or 7 am through 4 pm. They plan to fix the parking lot, have picnic benches out front, and switch from oil heat to natural gas. NY State applications for licenses for Tobacco, Lottery, Beer and Wine are anticipated. Propane BarBQ tank swaps, opening the side service window after 4 PM to sell ice cream seasonally, and fulfilling after store hours emergency requests (milk, eggs, Tylenol, etc.) are planned. New gas pumps are not planned at this point as the gasoline tanks out front were previously removed.
The Planning Board opened a Public Hearing. Jim Andrews is a neighbor across the creek from the rear of the General Store. He noted that the noise from Dana’s Pub was excessive in his place and each weekend he vacates his home and the Hamlet to avoid the disturbance. He also remarked that an exhaust fan venting the General Store’s kitchen area, when run by previous owners, could sound like an airplane was revving up in his home. And sometimes a broken fan blade resulted in a repetitive thunking sound with each revolution. Dorothy McCardle, owner of the Apple Tree Realty business next door, concurred with remembering that thunk, thunk, thunk noise annoyance. Konsta noted their concerns and explained the fan had completely cleaned and serviced since he and his wife June had purchased the property. They are required by law to vent their kitchen area to the exterior environment. He offered to exchange numbers, which he did following the hearing, and to set up a time to meet with neighbors to listen to how the fan was working following cleaning and the noise it generated. Dorothy McCardle started by saying she was glad, as are many others, that the General Store was reopening. As a neighbor, she has been facing an unfinished wall along the side of the building. Previous owner had started a construction project but never went beyond putting up insulation boards. Konsta understood how offensive this would be to work next door to on a daily basis and promised to visit the eyesore wall spot with Dorothy and work to ameliorate the issue. Others spoke of how they look forward to patronizing the store and are craving bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast rolls. The Public Hearing was closed. The Planning Board passed a motion to approve the Special Use Permit.~