WAWARSING – Sidewalks, who needs them? That was the gist of stated business concerns regarding an Ulster County recommendation to Wawarsing planners that two Route 209 businesses coming before the board be required to install sidewalks to obtain final approval.

Tariq Gujar, owner of the Mobile station across from Dunkin Donuts on Route 209, proposed to demolish his existing building and construct a new one in its place. Planning board engineer John Lanc replied that certain stipulations had to be met before any approvals could be granted. One was to hook into the village's water and sewer system and another was to create an easement with adjacent property owners so they, too, could have access to water and sewer lines. Third was the construction of a sidewalk up 209 on, and from Beckley Street.

The Ulster County planning board has asked for 183 feet of Beckley Street to have a sidewalk constructed, along with one along Route 209. Gujar has said, however, that he has sold the property in question and isn't willing to install a sidewalk on property he no longer owned.

Ellenville mayor Jeff Kaplan asked the board to consider sidestepping the sidewalk construction request because of Gujar's interest in investing in the community by creating a more aesthetically pleasing building at a cost estimated between $300,000 and $400,000. The sidewalk, the planning board's James Dolaway replied, would benefit the safety of pedestrians walking the area. Planning board attorney advised more research be done before any decision gets made. Gujar will return to the planning board next month.

Meanwhile Tom Pinkerous, who purchased the former bowling alley across Route 209 for a storage unit business, also saw his project stall over his reluctance to put in a recommended 400 feet of sidewalk. He told the planning board he didn't believe any of the other twelve businesses along Route 209 would construct sidewalks, adding that local business owners shouldn't foot the bill for such things. To install the sidewalk, Pinkerous said, would cost $30,000.

Wawarsing supervisor Leonard Distel, who had heard from Pinkerous at a town meeting the week before, said he was proposing that a study be conducted by the state to determine if there is a level of pedestrian use that would require sidewalks as suggested by the county.

On March 16, Pinkerous inquired if the Wawarsing town board would work with the planning board to come to "a reasonable solution" regarding the county planning board recommendation to have sidewalks installed along Route 209 to the hospital and supermarket plaza, including the property in front of the old bowling alley. He specifically asked the town board to attend the upcoming planning board meeting to show solidarity against this recommendation, something planners tend to shy away from given the independence of municipal planning boards.

On Tuesday night, March 21, the planning board decided, in a required super majority vote, that because of the steep terrain and unlikelihood of other businesses selling and having to meet sidewalk construction criteria, that they would override the county and remove the sidewalk from Pinkerous' approval requirements. Pinkerous was granted conditional final approval to construct his proposed self-storage facility at the former bowling alley site. No mention was made as to how this would affect Gujar's application.

In other news, Camp Rav Tov on Ulster Heights Road was also granted conditional approval on their amended site plan, and Greenfield Resorts was granted a six-month extension on its longstanding application.