The Shandaken Zoning Board ruled Wednesday that The Leeway Motel was in violation of town code in its bid to become a wedding venue.
The board heard an appeal from Leeway neighbor Jeanne Maloney, who challenged Zoning Enforcement Officer Grace Grant’s earlier determination that the motel’s plan to host weddings qualified as an acceptable “accessory use” for the nine-unit boutique motel. In a unanimous vote, the board overturned that decision.
The proposal went through various town board meetings for nearly a year. In October, the planning board narrowly approved the motel’s request to erect a temporary tent to host weddings of up to 75 guests at its Mt. Tremper site on Route 28. Critics claimed the proposal was an overreach that could upset the balance between commercial activity and surrounding residential neighborhoods.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Zoning Board Member Gary Guglielmetti explained his vote in favor of Maloney’s appeal.
“I never heard of going to a motel to get married,” Gugliemetti said. “Unless you are in Las Vegas and you want to get married by Elvis.”
The question at the center of the Leeway debate is whether town code recognizes wedding events as a natural extension of a motel’s or lodge’s business. Several residents and town officials said the town code was outdated and therefore not applicable to The Leeway proposal.
“It is true that Shandaken zoning code is rife with contradictions,” Zoning Board Chairman Mark Loete said during Wednesday’s meeting. “It was written in 1976 and is woefully inadequate.” He added that the town is working to update the code as part of its upcoming comprehensive plan.
Charles Gottlieb, the lawyer representing The Leeway, had suggested at several meetings that a ruling against the proposal would lead to a lawsuit from the motel. The motel may now return to the planning board to seek a special use permit or pursue legal action. Once the zoning board files its official resolution at its December meeting, The Leeway will have 30 days to file an Article 78 petition challenging the decision in Ulster County Supreme Court.
“This decision will impact every hotel, motel, and lodge in the town that wants to hold events and weddings,” Gottlieb said after the meeting.
Maloney, who has opposed the project since it began, said she had mixed feelings about the outcome.
“I feel it was fair and I’m sorry that they can’t get what they want,” Maloney said. “I want everyone to have what they want, but not at my expense.”
“I don’t like having a difficult relationship with my next-door neighbor,” she continued. “There is probably going to be hard feelings either way, but it’s not personal.”
Jim Rich is a senior reporter for The Overlook. You can reach him at jim@theoverlooknews.com.