Fireworks And Noise Levels
Following what was a routine and uneventful regular meeting on Monday, October 16, planners heard from some neighbors of the newly opened Greywacke Meadows, often referred to as the “Wedding Barn.” Rick Ungaro and his wife Sara stated that last Saturday night’s, October 21, fireworks show was unsettling and came as a surprise to them.
The fireworks presentation was part of the Tamarac Class Reunion held at the venue that evening. It should be noted, that town officials say the proprietor and the fireworks company involved had all permits necessary in place. It was the beginning of the display that had the Ungaro’s upset. They claim there were one or two very loud bangs, Mr. Ungaro noting he was wondering if something had exploded. He also expressed his concern about the volume of music being played at events there.
Board Chairman Tom Withcuskey said the barn’s doors are supposed be closed at such times, but Ungaro says they are not. His concerns were echoed by Mike Salway, who also took the time to speak to the Board about the noise levels. Greywacke Meadows is located on Dunham Reservoir Road. Ungaro lives on Madonna Lake Rd., and Salway on South Road, neither very far from the event center. They also brought up traffic concerns and speeding along the road. Withcuskey said the town has been receiving numerous speeding complaints, especially since the road was recently repaved.
After some more back and forth discussion, it was agreed to that Withcuskey would set up a meeting between the concerned neighbors and the owners of the business, Jane and Brandon McDermott. Ungaro stated for the record, he was not opposed to and welcomed new business in town, but that he felt “they just needed to tone it down a little.”
During the regular portion of the meeting, the Board approved a pair of minor two lot subdivisions, one from Terry and Deborah Myers at 124 Fox Hollow Road, the other from Mark Castiglione at 115 Stuffle Street. The Board determined prior to the approvals, there was no negative environmental impact on either application.
Withcuskey then left his position, turning the meeting over to Vice-Chair Owen (Skip) Grandjean, to formally request a change of use permit for the onetime Grafton Elementary School at 13 Babcock Lake Road. Withcuskey recently purchased the property from the Berlin Central School District and plans mixed usage, including offices and possibly some apartments. A public hearing was set for 6:45 pm on Monday, November 20, the date of the Planning Board’s next meeting