Neighbors of Wake Robin Inn sue P&Z

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.

Latest News

Farm Fall Block Party returns to Rock Steady Farm
Rock Steady Farm during the 2024 Farm Fall Block Party. This year’s event returns Sept. 6.
Provided

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.

Keep ReadingShow less
The art of Marilyn Hock

Waterlily (8”x12”) made by Marilyn Hock

Provided

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.

Keep ReadingShow less
Reading and recommendations from Carissa Unite of Oblong Books

Carissa Unite, general manager of Oblong Books in Millerton.

Provided

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.

Keep ReadingShow less