HAMLET HAPPENINGS
by Kathleen Sullivan
March 2022
HURLEYVILLE-SULLIVAN FIRST
Hurleyville-Sullivan First has applied for a Sullivan Renaissance Beautification Grant again this year. The grant will be used to continue the repair and maintenance of completed projects:
• the signs and stone planters at the entrances to Hurleyville
• the stone planter at the Hurleyville Firehouse
• the historical kiosk at the Hurleyville Firemen’s Park
• the Little Free Library at the Hurleyville Firemen’s Park
And, of course, annuals and perennials will be added to the stone planters and to the barrels on Main Street.
Everyone is welcome to come out and help the members of Hurleyville-Sullivan First plant the planters and barrels. The first planting day is Saturday, June 4th. The group will meet at 9:00am at the Hurleyville Firemen’s Park.
Please visit www.hurleyvilleny.com for more information about Hurleyville-Sullivan First. You can also visit Hurleyville-Sullivan First on Facebook.
HURLEYVILLE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Sunday services at the church begin at 9:00am. Children of all ages are invited to attend Sunday school at the church during services.
Pastor Jorge is delivering sermons online on Facebook at 11:00am on Sundays.
The Bible study group meets in the sanctuary at the church every Tuesday at 7:00pm.
The Bread of Life Food Pantry at the church will be open on Thursday, March 17th and on Thursday, March 24th from 3:00pm until 5:00pm.
You can pray with others over the phone on the church’s prayer line on Sundays from 7:00pm – 8:00pm. The prayer line phone number is 605-472-5491 and the access code is 251678.
“Messy Church” began again in February. Children attending this monthly event enjoy arts & crafts, singing and other activities that teach the Bible in a fun way. Children taking part in the fun must be accompanied by an adult. “Messy Church” happens on the 2nd Saturday of each month at 5:00pm.
Youth Group meetings and the women’s group meetings are still cancelled for now.
Please call Katrina at 845-436-7942 for more information. You can also get updates at the church’s page on Facebook.
THE SULLIVAN COUNTY MUSEUM AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY
The museum, located at 265 Main Street in Hurleyville, is open on Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00am to 4:30pm and on Sunday from 1:00pm to 4:30pm. Admission is free. Donations to meet the growing cost of operating the museum are always welcome.
Guided tours of the museum…behind the scenes and regular exhibits…are available. There is no charge for the hour-long tours but registration is required. Please call 845-434-8044 to make a reservation.
The extremely interesting exhibits at the museum include the Sullivan County Time Line Room, the Country Store, the Frederick A. Cook Room, the Lawrence Cooke Room and the Stephen Crane Civil War Gallery.
Volunteers are available to help visitors explore the historical and genealogical resources at the Historical Society’s archives at the museum. The archives are open on Wednesday from 10:00am to 4:00pm or by appointment.
Go to www.scnyhistory.org to learn about the Sullivan County Historical Society and the Sullivan County Museum. You can also visit the Sullivan County Historical Society and Museum on Facebook.
Please call the museum at 845-434-8044 or email info@scnyhistory.org for more information.
COLUMBIA HILL NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE (CHNA)
(Written jointly with Roger Betters)
The new DEIS (Draft Environmental Impact Statement) for Gan Eden Estates was the subject of the work session held by the Town of Thompson Planning Board on February 16, 2022.
Three Planning Board members, other Town of Thompson officials and attorney Paula Kay were present along with town consultants representing Delaware Engineering and McGoey, Hauser and Edsall. They reviewed the voluminous documents comprising the DEIS. The purpose of the work session review between the developer and the town was to determine if the statement and documents therein were complete, were accurate and met the requirements of the scoping document generated in 2020. The statement must thoroughly and accurately address environmental elements and concerns. The town is still waiting to hear back from their traffic and hydro geologic consultants as well. A technical review memo will be forwarded to the developer shortly to address the shortcomings in the DEIS.
Those present at the work session indicated that the DEIS is incomplete in its current form. Concerns with the DEIS submitted by Gan Eden Estates in January 2022 include:
• questionable calculation for water supply and demand
• questionable design and calculation for wastewater treatment plant
• environmental impact of wastewater discharge
• the structural integrity of the on-site dam
• potential impact to wetlands
• support of the habitat of the long-eared bat
• suspect demographic conclusions
• storm water runoff mitigation
• traffic
• community character
• cost community services
• fiscal impact
It’s expected that Gan Eden Estates will be on the agenda for the Planning Board’s meeting on March 9, 2022. The Planning Board and the board’s consultants will then determine if the DEIS is complete and in agreement with the scoping document. If the DEIS is declared complete the completed statement along with all exhibits will be available for public review at www.townofthompson.com under the Public Documents/Development Projects tabs. A public hearing will then be scheduled.
There are approvals and permits required before acceptance of the project:
• Town of Thompson Planning Board – SEQRA environmental review, site plan approval and special use permit
• Sullivan County – Section 239 review, access permit to County Routes 104 and 107
• Delaware River Basin Commission – water taking allocation permit
Permits and approvals must also be obtained from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the New York State Department of Health, New York Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
After approval the Planning Board will review the applicant’s site plan application which will require another public hearing before any approval to allow site work to commence.
The members of CHNA will continue to review the DEIS and to provide input on this ongoing process.
Visit CHNA at www.columbiahill.org and on Facebook to learn how you can help to protect your environment and your community.