Neighbors of Wake Robin Inn sue P&Z

Wake Robin Inn is located on Sharon Road in Lakeville.
John Coston
LAKEVILLE — Angela and William Cruger of Wells Hill Road have filed a lawsuit against Salisbury’s Planning and Zoning Commission, claiming a May 2024 amendment to the town’s zoning regulations was legally invalid.
The Crugers were formally intervenors in a public hearing of an application to expand the Wake Robin Inn that spanned several continuations in late 2024. As intervenors, they argued against the development on the grounds that the area’s ecology would be negatively impacted. The applicant, ARADEV LLC, ultimately withdrew its application in December after the Planning and Zoning Commission indicated it was likely to deny the proposal as it stood.
In January, ARADEV LLC returned before the Commission to hold a pre-application discussion, indicating that the group is likely to reapply with an amended plan.
The Crugers’ representative attorneys, Perley Grimes and Allison Noteware of law outfit Cramer & Anderson LLP, filed the suit against the Commission on Feb. 28, alleging that the Commission acted unlawfully when it changed the town’s zoning regulations to allow hotel development in the “RR1” — Rural Residential One — zone via special permit.
The suit claims that the Commission failed to adequately notify neighbors and the general public of its intention to amend the regulation. Specifically, the appeal states that P&Z acted in violation of Connecticut General Statute 8-8(r), which requires zoning boards to sufficiently publicize hearings and actions. The suit demands that the Superior Court declares the amendments null and void, and that the Commission is ordered to “restore the RR1 regulations in full as in existence prior to May 6, 2024.”
The suit also alleges that the Commission engaged in “spot zoning” by amending the regulation, as ARADEV LLC had requested that P&Z change the regulation several months before they actually did. In the language of the suit, the Commission acted “in favor of [ARADEV LLC] to permit an intensified use incongruous with the residential zone in which it is situated in violation of the law and public policy.”
The suit complains that the amended regulations would “injuriously affect [the Crugers]” by disturbing peace and quiet in the neighborhood and lowering their property values by increasing traffic, augmenting commercial operations at the Inn and raising noise levels in the neighborhood.
The Land Use Office and P&Z have repeatedly denied that they favored the project when amending the regulations. An October memo written by Land Use Administrator Abby Conroy and P&Z Chair Michael Klemens states that the Commission did not deem that the proposed regulation change by ARADEV LLC was acceptable “as it likely constituted spot zoning (a zone change that benefits a single property) and was not broadly applicable to the entire town.”
The letter goes on to affirm that conversations surrounding changing the zoning regulations governing “transient accommodations” had been in progress for years: “Although ARADEV LLC’s request provided the impetus for [P&Z] to initiate a regulation amendment, [P&Z] ultimately adopted their own language which addressed a number of long-standing regulatory problems concerning transient lodging.”
P&Z established a “public notice registry” to notify interested parties of future applications “initiated by P&Z,” such as a regulation change, Klemens and Conroy announced in the letter.
On Saturday, Sept. 6, from 12 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.