Ridge preservation passes, restricting certain development

At its June 10 meeting the Chester Village Board of Trustees closed a public hearing and voted to pass a new law restricting development on lands over 500 feet on any state or county road or public parkland within the village’s perimeter.

The “Ridge Preservation” law requires development on lots over 500 feet to be in the lowest elevation of the lot and restricts the removal of trees, especially on sites visible to the public. The law was modeled after similar laws in the towns of Chester and Cornwall and other local municipalities. In the Town, the ridge preservation line is set at 600 feet.

Short-term rentals

In other news from the meeting, close to a dozen people filled the village board room to complain about activity at 3 Grand View Terrace. This home is for rent on Airbnb and allegedly attracts rowdy groups of men who drink and sometimes get into fistfights. Despite the disturbance, the village police have never been called to the address. Police Chief Timothy McGuire was at the meeting and suggested police be called if behavior warranted it.

Charles Jordan and his wife, who live on the road, spoke. Charles Jordan said almost every weekend a different group is there. According to county records, the owner is named Shalom Landau and lives in Monroe. Airbnb lists the home for rent for $400 per night.

A resident named Lily said she lived on the street and took off from work to come to the board meeting. She said as many as 20 cars will pile on to the street to play football on the property.

Trustee Alan Battiato said he wants Airbnb rentals banned from the village. Other trustees noted this topic would be up for discussion in the coming months as, at a minimum, the village is looking to build a registry and require permits for Airbnb-type short-term rentals. Attorney Brian Nugent said many municipalities have laws regarding short-term rentals. In fact, the town of Warwick recently announced that it had issued about $164,000 in fines since January to short-term renters who violated their rules by not registering their rental operation with the town.

Other business

In other business, the village treasurer announced $111,000 in ARPA funds to be allocated to the village sewer system. And Chief McGuire said the village received $141,000 as part of a law enforcement technology grant to update surveillance cameras in the village.