Experts testify at hearing ahead of Wake Robin decision

Wake Robin Inn is located on Sharon Road in Lakeville.
Photo by John Coston
LAKEVILLE — Noise pollution continues to be a crux of the public hearing to expand the Wake Robin Inn. On Aug. 26, the fifth hearing session of the month and second-to-last in the statutorily defined window, the question arose: is any additional sound permissible at all?
Bennett Brooks, founding sound engineer of Brooks Acoustics Corporation and an expert hired by Wells Hill Road residents William and Angela Cruger in opposition to the project, said no: “I think all the experts agree that the project will be audible and that’s the criterion.”
Attorney Josh Mackey, who has represented the applicant Aradev LLC since its first appearance before the Planning and Zoning Commission last fall, countered Brooks: “The idea that nuisance within the regulations means anything that is audible to neighbors is simply ludicrous.”
He referenced air conditioning units, dogs barking and children playing as inevitable sounds in a residential neighborhood. Herb Singleton, a sound engineer with Cross-Spectrum Acoustics and the Commission’s third-party expert reviewer, agreed with Mackey, explaining that defining nuisance as any sound emission that can be heard by neighbors “gets dangerous very, very quickly” due to those complicating factors. He suggested that nuisance “implies a level of annoyance based on audibility,” rather than audibility itself.
It was the third hearing in a row in which sound took center stage in the discussion, with the focal point being what constitutes “nuisance,” as it appears in the town’s zoning regulation 803.2 for special permit approval: “The use shall not create a nuisance to neighboring properties, whether by noise, air, or water pollution; offensive odors, dust, smoke, vibrations, lighting, or other effects.”
A sound study commissioned by Aradev for its application and Singleton’s third-party review both stated that the noise produced by the redeveloped hotel would be below a nuisance level at the property boundaries. At the Aug. 12 hearing, though, neighbors countered that any additional noise intrusion onto their own properties would be against the regulations, as they are intended to “protect abutters and neighbors” from intrusion beyond what they are used to, as Bill Cruger put it. Brooks argued in his Aug. 26 testimony that “in terms of size and scope, this project is almost identical to the former application,” which Aradev withdrew in December due to a likely denial.
Brooks was one of three experts brought into the Zoom room on Tuesday evening to provide testimony against the proposed hotel development. The Crugers, who were intervenors in the 2024 round of hearings for the first iteration of the Inn redevelopment proposal, decided not to formally intervene again during this cycle. Instead, P&Z Chair Michael Klemens stated that the Commission decided to allow the Crugers’ experts to “engage in a dialogue” during the process, but without formal party status in the proceedings.
The other two presenters, wetland scientist George Logan of Rema Ecological Services and Brian Miller of Miller Planning Group, echoed Brooks in their testimonies that Aradev’s current application has not satisfactorily reduced the scale and intensity of the first proposal. Representatives of Aradev have continued to argue that the current plan, which reduces the total occupancy from 158 to 130 and downscales its build footprint, among other alterations, adequately address scale and intensity concerns raised by the Commission and the public.
Of Tuesday’s three-hour meeting, only 20 minutes were left for public comment, leading to a much-abbreviated session for residential input. Klemens announced that the next hearing session, scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 4, at 6:30 p.m., will prioritize the public’s chance to speak.
Thursday is the last scheduled date for the public hearing, which state law deems must close on Sept. 9.
On Saturday, Sept. 6, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Rock Steady Farm in Millerton opens its fields once again for the third annual Farm Fall Block Party, a vibrant, heart-forward gathering of queer and BIPOC farmers, neighbors, families, artists, and allies from across the Hudson Valley and beyond.
Co-hosted with Catalyst Collaborative Farm, The Watershed Center, WILDSEED Community Farm & Healing Village, and Seasoned Delicious Foods, this year’s party promises its biggest celebration yet. Part harvest festival, part community reunion, the gathering is a reflection of the region’s rich agricultural and cultural ecosystem.
Rooted in justice and joy, the event will feature over 25 local vendors and organizations, live performances, healing workshops, family-friendly activities (yes, there’s a bouncy castle), and abundant local food. And while the festivities are certainly reason enough to show up, organizers remind us the purpose runs deeper.
“This isn’t just a party. It’s a place to build the kind of relationships that keep our food system alive,” said Maggie Cheney, Rock Steady’s co-founder and worker-owner. “We’re creating space where farmers, growers, families, and community organizers can connect, celebrate, and support one another.”
Proceeds from the event support Rock Steady’s POLLINATE program for queer and trans BIPOC beginning farmers, as well as Catalyst Collaborative Farm’s food justice initiatives. With sliding-scale tickets from $5 to $250, the organizers aim to make the event accessible to all, including free entry for children under 12 and volunteer options for those who want to pitch in.
For those who’ve attended before, it’s a welcome return. For newcomers, it may just feel like coming home.
More info and tickets: rocksteadyfarm.com/farm-block-party
Waterlily (8”x12”) made by Marilyn Hock
It takes a lot of courage to share your art for the first time and Marilyn Hock is taking that leap with her debut exhibition at Sharon Town Hall on Sept. 12. A realist painter with a deep love for wildlife, florals, and landscapes, Hock has spent the past few years immersed in watercolor, teaching herself, failing forward, and returning again and again to the page. This 18-piece collection is a testament to courage, practice and a genuine love for the craft.
“I always start with the eyes,” said Hock of her animal portraits. “That’s where the soul lives.” This attentiveness runs through her work, each piece rendered with care, clarity, and a respect for the subtle variations of color and light in the natural world.
After painting in oils earlier in life, Hock returned to art when she retired from working as a paralegal with a goal: to learn watercolor. It wasn’t easy.
“Oils and watercolor are opposites,” she explained. “With oils, you build your darks first. In watercolor, if you do that, you’re in trouble.” She studied online, finding instructors whose approach clicked, and adapted to the delicacy of the medium.
“When I’m working, everything else falls away,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what’s going on in life. While I’m painting, time disappears.”
Her studio, formerly a home office, is now her sanctuary and the pieces in this exhibition are the result of three years of that devoted studio work. While this is her first full public show, Hock previously tested the waters at a small fundraiser at Noble Horizons, where one of her pieces sold. That experience — and the consistent encouragement from her family, especially her husband — pushed her to pursue a full exhibition. With gentle encouragement from her husband and family, Hock reached out to the Town Hall’s curator, Zelina Blagden. “My husband kept saying, ‘You’re as good as all those other people out there, why not show your work?’” And so, here it is.
All paintings in the show are for sale, though Hock admits a few are priced high — not because of their size or complexity — but because she’s not quite ready to let them go. “There are a couple I’ve priced high because I’m not sure I want to part with them. But we’ll see,” she laughed. “It would be nice to support the habit a little bit.”
As for aspiring artists or anyone hesitating to begin something creative, Hock’s advice is simple: “Go for it. If it fails, toss it in the basket and start over.”
The exhibit will be on view at Sharon Town Hall through Oct. 31 with an opening reception on Sept. 12 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.
Carissa Unite, general manager of Oblong Books in Millerton.
Carissa Unite of Millerton, began working at Oblong Books 16 years ago as a high schooler. She recently celebrated her eight-year anniversary as the general manager.
Unite’s journey at Oblong began even before she applied for her first position.An avid reader from a young age, she was a frequent customer at the store. During those years, Unite bonded with a former employee who encouraged her to apply for a position after connecting over their shared love of reading.
As a teenager, Unite enjoyed reading Ellen Hopkins, John Green and Ann Brashares. With the busyness of adulthood, she now favors the convenience of audio books. In the past year, however, she has made it a point to read more physical books.
With a preference for contemporary fiction, she raved about “Atmosphere” by Taylor Jenkins Reid. The story, set in the 1980s, follows two women who become astronauts at a time when women were not widely accepted in the field. A beautiful love story emerges between the two characters. Unite described the writing as sensational and commended Reid’s ability to tackle complex themes without them being muddied.
Unite has developed a deep appreciated for classic literature. Her two favorites are “Giovanni’s Room” by James Baldwin and “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde. She was amazed by the philosophical nature of both words and the way their dialogue challenged her perspective.
In an effort to read beyond her preferred genre, she recommends the following:
“Some Desperate Glory,” by Emily Tesh, “Midnight Rooms,” by Donyae Coles and “Clear” by Carys Davies.
For Unite, the beauty of reading lies in its power to develop perspective, empathy, and compassion. Through books, readers learn that everyone is fighting different battles and no two stories are the same. She encourages people to choose kindness because you never know what someone else is facing.
Above all, reading brings Unite peace. If offers transcendence to another world, a pause from outside noise, and for Unite, it is where she feels most at home.
For anyone hesitant to being reading, Unite suggests: just do it! Read 10 pages a day and find the book that speaks to you. Any Oblong staff member would be happy to offer recommendations.
Oblong is located at 26 Main St., in Millerton and 6422 Montgomery St. in Rhinebeck.