The Hunter Town Board conditionally renewed scrap facility and junkyard licenses for Haines Falls Auto Service and Sales Inc. on June 9, after residents said the Route 23A property had become an eyesore and was not complying with town rules.

At a workshop meeting at Hunter Town Hall, the board voted unanimously to renew the licenses, on the condition that the owner, Rory France, remove all junk vehicles and scrap from outside the fenced portion of the property and repair fencing at the back of the scrap facility.

The board also directed France to keep gates closed during off-hours, remove debris from the inside perimeter of the fence, and replace a smoke detector that had been removed because of painting.

France’s company has 60 days to make the repairs and clean up the property. After that, town code enforcement officer Rose Santiago will evaluate the property. If the repairs and cleanup are not completed to the town’s satisfaction, the board can revoke the licenses.

France said he was already taking steps to address the board’s concerns, including repairs to the fence. He said some gates had been left open for a month or more after a windstorm, but had been repaired before Santiago inspected the property.

“We had a windstorm and it blew three of them open, and they are right, it was open for a month or longer,” France said during the meeting. “But they’re repaired now and they were repaired when she came to inspect.”

During a public hearing before the vote, residents said scrap metal and junk cars were piled above the property’s fencing, affecting views along the Mountain Cloves Scenic Byway and Sunset Park Road.

Haines Falls resident Margaret Nihan criticized the appearance of the property and said conditions had not improved in recent years.

“I think it’s a joke, how Haines Falls Auto looks. It looks the same as it did several years ago,” she said. “It looks the same. The junk is piled up high in the back.”

Christine Arleo, also of Haines Falls, said the facility was an “eyesore.”

“The junk is everywhere. If you go into the post office, it just keeps creeping up and creeping up,” Arleo said.

Arleo said she had pictures from 10 years ago showing what the property looked like then, and urged the board not to renew the scrap facility license until the property met town requirements.

“It’s atrocious,” she said.

Mahoney said the facility had passed an inspection by Santiago.

“I understand your perspective, and I think what this board is tasked to do is enforce the law and maintain balance, so that’s what we’re attempting to do,” Mahoney said. “I’m not going to change anyone’s opinion of anything tonight, but what I can do is deal with the data that’s in front of me right now, in the inspection report from our staff, and go with that.”

Mahoney said the town would address any issues that required attention.

“What I can promise you is that if there are issues that require attention, the town will take care of it, but right now, I think what we’re dealing with is the facts of what we have on the application and what we can see from ourselves and from our report.”

Connor Greco is a staff reporter for The Overlook covering Windham, Hunter and surrounding Greene County communities. Send correspondence to connor@theoverlooknews.com.