Opposition has mounted against a 30-site proposed campground at 501 Huckleberry Turnpike from residents who call themselves the Huckleberry Preservation Group.

The members of the group appeared before the Plattekill Planning Board at a December 13 public hearing and urged the board not to grant the Red Cedar Ridge camping facility a special use permit on the 103-acre property.

Among the complaints made to the Planning Board were that the project would cause too much noise and that increased traffic would be dangerous along the narrow Huckleberry Turnpike.

Individual members of the group that opposed the campground also emailed the Southern Ulster Times with their complaints, which included concerns of trespassing from those who stayed at the proposed campground, the possible destruction of the natural beauty of the area and a chance Native American lands could be desecrated.

David Campbell and wife Mallory Cash, who would own and operate the campground, made a presentation at the planning board’s public hearing. Several days after the outpouring of criticism about the campground, Campbell defended the merits of the project in an interview with the Southern Ulster Times.

The planning board closed the public hearing after listening to the presentation by the owners and the complaints by the public before a large turnout at the Town Hall.

The planning board will accept written comments on the campground until December 30.

The 103-acre parcel owned by Campbell and Cash is located in the M-3 zoning district of the Town of Plattekill.

Under the Town of Plattekill Zoning Law, M-3 (Mountain) is defined as a district that “is intended to protect the character of the town’s mountain ridge and associated land areas possessing environmental limitations and special natural features that require more attention to land planning.”

Campgrounds are listed under M-3 as special uses.

Marcy Rosewater of 413 Huckleberry Turnpike said the area where Red Cedar Ridge is proposed is made up exclusively of one- and two-family homes and undisturbed land with monumental rock outcrops and wetlands.

“There are no commercial businesses on this four-mile winding and hilly road,” Rosewater said. “Traffic is generally limited to local access.”

Rosewater said though the project is being described as a campground it appears “to be functioning like a motel. While the plans are not fully clear, the application is for 30 year-round, short-term rental cabins that will house up to four people each. There will be separate electric, septic and water to each cabin, making it hard to imagine how these can be considered a temporary, portable or movable shelter as per section 110-43 campgrounds of the Town of Plattekill zoning law.”

Jeff Anzevino, Director of Land Use Advocacy for Scenic Hudson, said he thought the list of species included in the Environmental Assessment Form (EAF) for the campground was incomplete and “this understates the project’s potential to impact natural resources.”

Anzevino said surveys of listed species and archaeological resources should be conducted before the Planning Board makes a determination of significance under SECRA.

“In addition, we urge the Planning Board to take seriously the comments of residents knowledgeable about the site and who would be most impacted by traffic, storm water runoff etc.,” he said. “We also urge the Applicant to reconsider this site plan and instead locate the campsites at lower elevations in order to spare the higher elevation, forested portions of the property.”

Campbell disputed Rosewater’s claims that the owners planned to build cabins on the property.

Campbell’s original plan presented to the Plattekill Town Board on August 4, 2021, was to build a group of 20 small cabins between 800 and 1,000 square feet with occupancy to be limited to four to six per cabin. He said no more than 100 guests would be allowed at full occupancy.

Campbell’s plans received enthusiastic support of town board members at that session.

Campbell said the campground plans were revised after consultation with the town’s counsel.

“Under the campground code, we are not permitted to build cabins,” Campbell said. “We must use temporary camping unit/structures under 400 square feet, akin to what you’d find in many local campgrounds.”

He said the revised plan of 30 units with a maximum of four guests per unit would limit the campground to 120 guests.

“For the record, the Campground Code would allow up to 240 units and 1,440 occupants on 30 acres, so we have vastly reduced the potential footprint allowable on this property and have done so intentionally,” Campbell said.

Campbell said most of the people he has talked to are supportive of the campground because the design would mitigate the impact on the neighborhood.

“The Code requires that we set aside three acres for open space,” Campbell said. “We are setting aside 63 acres as open space. Our design is effectively an exercise in restraint so we can preserve habitat and our neighbors will benefit from a very light footprint as a result of that.”

As for the comments from Anzevino, Campbell said some of the questions from the Scenic Hudson official regarding the EAF were either misunderstood or misrepresented.

“We had to correct the record for the planning board on several occasions during the meeting,” Campbell said. “We have not had an opportunity to officially review the EAF with the Planning Board yet, and will most likely do so at our next meeting.”