Cranes can stay at former quarry
Storage OK under approval granted to previous owner
Cranes and other equipment can remain at a the site of a proposed concrete and steel fabrication plant on Route 28 because approval was given to a previous owner of the property, a town official said Monday.
Town Planning Board Chairman John Konior said then-owner John Smith received permission to store heavy equipment at 850 Route 28 some 10 years ago.
“We had to do some ... research,” Konior said. “... What we found out is [the equipment storage] is an approved usage because, back in 2009, the ... owner received site plan approval for equipment storage and heavy maintenance repair facility in that building.”
The property, a 110-acre former quarry, currently is owned by Thomas Auringer, who oper
ates a town of Ulster company called 2-4 Kieffer Lane/U.S. Crane. Auringer has proposed creating a two-building operation at 850 Route 28 for the fabrication of steel and concrete, but the town of Kingston has yet to approve his application.
Auringer, doing business as 850 Route 28 LLC, wants to construct two 120,000-square-foot buildings at the town of Kingston
site — a plan that has drawn opposition from numerous residents of the town. The property is near Onteora Lake, a popular recreation area, and land owned by the Open Space Institute and the Bluestone Wild Forest Preserve.
His application does not including storing cranes at the site, and town officials have not said whether the storage will be allowed to continue should the concrete and steel proposal be approved.
Town leaders were caught off guard in late June by Auringer’s storage
of cranes an other equipment at the Route 28 site. Ground-level and aerial photos of the site showed lattice work from cranes, at least one crane and two earth movers, and various large containers.
Konior said at the time that none of the items were at the site when the town Planning Board visited the property earlier in June.
Town Code Enforcement Officer Bob Cologero said last week that land-use regulations were being reviewed as a result of the photos.
Konoir said Monday that
the cranes and other items can remain at the site because quarry equipment and junked vehicles previously were allowed there.
“He (Smith) had a junkyard permit on that property and he was also doing some quarrying taking out some rubble that was in there,” Konior said.
“It’s like ... you had a garage, gas station or a bakery. and you sold that property. That bakery [approval] is still in effect,” he explained. “You can still run it as a bakery. You basically bought the business.”