The Town of Gardiner’s Zoning Board of Appeals ruled on Oct. 29 that the Awosting Club met the requirements to qualify as a tourist camp, approving seasonal use of eight platforms with soft geo-domes as tent houses and four cottages as camp cottages under pre-existing, non-conforming status from a 1964 ordinance. The decision, reached by a 3-2 vote, allows the club to operate seasonally but restricts year-round use of the platforms.

According to the published decision on the town’s website, the property has been used for camping since the 1950s, originally operated by the Girl Scouts as Ridge-Ho Campground before zoning ordinances were in place. The board found the Awosting Club’s operations were legally compliant when the 1964 ordinance took effect. However, since year-round use of the platforms was not established, the ZBA ruled they could only be used seasonally. The club must also obtain a camping license and site plan approval from the town planning board before using the platforms for camping. The four cottages, however, may continue year-round operations.

ZBA Chair Rich Cerruto clarified at the meeting that while it was open to the public, the hearing itself was closed, and only representatives from the Awosting Club, ZBA members, and associated counsel were permitted to speak. The ZBA reviewed the Awosting Club’s financial records as part of its evaluation. ZBA member Lisa Lindsley, who voted against the appeal, questioned whether the records demonstrated revenue specifically from camping on the platforms. Cerruto responded that the platform structure’s nature—as a covered camping area—did not differ from an uncovered campsite.

Club owner Camilla Bradley acknowledged that not every platform showed use each year but provided financial records indicating consistent income. Cerruto noted that campground operations typically rotate site closures for maintenance, saying, “In my view, as long as somebody was camping every year, then the continuous hurdle has been met.”

During the meeting, the board also debated entering a letter from the law firm Rupp Pfalzgraf, sent on behalf of the town board to ZBA counsel, into the record. Cerruto explained that since the public hearing was closed, the board was not required to accept it, and doing so could allow the appellant time to respond. Ultimately, the board voted not to include the letter, citing potential delays and lack of new evidence.

The town board’s Oct. 21 resolution provides insight into its concerns, which included a prohibition on campgrounds in the Shawangunk Ridge Protection Zones, the Supreme Court’s previous rejection of certain evidence provided by the Awosting Club, and concerns that the geo-domes are suitable for year-round use, potentially inconsistent with the intended definition of a campground. The town board also raised questions about the club’s compliance with local laws.

The Awosting Club’s representative criticized the town board for hiring separate counsel, suggesting the board acted in private interests rather than the public’s. The ZBA’s decision not to enter the letter keeps it from public view, although the resolution hints at key points in the town board’s objections.