By Peter Calvert
Planning Board Meeting, June 8, 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.
Another Public Hearing was opened June 8th meeting for Skip Parcell’s request, representing Susan C. Stone, for a Boundary Line Adjustment splitting off the front building of the Delaware House property at 227 Delaware Avenue. No public comments were heard. However, the DelCo Planning Board’s latest 239 review requires that a permit application for a potential new road off Route 28 into the remaining portion of land be submitted by Skip Parcell with the NY State DOT. The Minor Subdivision passed conditionally pending that application. If permit application is successfully received by DOT, the Chair was authorized to give Skip, outside of a formal meeting, the Planning Board’s final sign-off to this Minor Subdivision.
Bluestone Mills Spring Water, at 5534 Barkaboom Road, had been a Spring Water Bulk Water Tanker filling business. The Special Use Permit has expired. Brendon Mills, Senior and Brendon Mills, Junior and brother Brandon Mills purchased the property which contains its own natural spring. They have applied to revive the establishment to bottle themselves or sell bulk water to larger bottlers, like Poland Springs. The buildings, located past the Reservoir Bridge turnoff, and at the beginning of the Barkaboom Road near the Pepacton Reservoir, have been visited by Zack Haverley, Andes Town Code Enforcement officer, and have passed inspection. The property abuts New York City Lands, and the City caretakers have no issue with the revival of the business, despite the water pipeline passing at one place under City Land. A Public Hearing with neighbors notified was scheduled for the next Planning Board Meeting on July 13, 2026.
Vera Korol and Adam Crispo own 130 acres at 1394 Upper Perch Lake Road overlooking the Pepacton Reservoir. They hope to square off 2 acres in the center of this triangular property to construct four, separate, wood-plank platforms; each housing one Dome-Shaped Camping/Glamping entity for short-term rental. (Glamping is a slang term for glamorous camping.) The Aluminum framed Dome structures with their PVC shells would be permanently there, would provide three-season hosting capability, and feature a transparent section facing the view out to the reservoir and mountains beyond.
Zach Haverley, Town CEO, has inspected the site and septic tanks are being installed for use by all four “dome units.” The Planning Board questioned the condition of the private driveway into the site, the access/egress for Emergency Vehicles and the driveway’s turnarounds, and the management team responsible for day-to-day coverage and troubleshooting. Korol and Crispo will engage a management team as they don’t live locally, although they are considering moving here. They mentioned the driveway has been passable when used by trucks constructing the septic tanks. Some Planning Board members will visit to review the actual site and access feasibility. The Planning Board would also like to see maps with further details: zoomed out road/driveway location, site locations of platforms and driveways for dome placements, and a completed application containing missing details about the project.
The other question that arose was whether this was covered by the Town Campsite law or the Short-Term Rental (STR) law. As the structures being built will be permanent and have electricity and plumbing for waste collection, it seems STR regulations apply. The property would need to apply for a Town STR Permit annually to operate legally. A Public Hearing with neighbors notified by mail was set for July 13 at 7 pm, contingent on the application being completed and on file at the Town Office with enough lead time for neighbors to review it prior to the Public Hearing.
Hilton Kaplan presented a request to build an apartment and art studio on the second floor of a garage at the property at 444 Skunk Hollow Road. Owned by Kaplan and Daren Kwok, the apartment would be for his son Jacques Kaplan-Abrahams to live in and the art studio would be for Hilton’s personal use. They have enough septic tank capacity to accommodate a new residence and are not planning to rent any of the current 5 rooms in the main house or this new garage apartment outside the family. A Public Hearing was set for July 13, at 7 pm and Kaplan will notify the neighbors by registered mail as required.
Planning Board continues to work on the complicated operation of consolidating and organizing Hamlet and Town Zoning Laws and Former Village/Town Zoning Regulations.~