Dragon Inn owner yet to see ‘stop work’ order
SAUGERTIES, N.Y. >> If there really is a “stop work” order from the state Department of Labor regarding the overhaul of the former Dragon Inn, it isn’t being provided to the property’s new owner or village officials.
The owner, Nina Schmidbaur, said state labor employee Jason Pensabene has refused to provide evidence of his claim that the order was issued six years ago. Also, she said, nothing was found by the banks or attorneys involved in her recent purchase of the burned-out restaurant on U.S. Route 9W.
“I’m happy to do whatever needs to be done for this building, but this is a matter of ethical and legal integrity,” Schmidbaur said.
Schmidbaur said Pensabene contacted her contractor by phone and said the “stop work” order was issued in 2015. When Schmidbaur asked for a copy of the order, she said, Pensabene told her she would need to file a Freedom of Information request for it.
Schmidbaur said she has done that but has received no response. Also, she said, people working on her behalf have been told they cannot see a copy of the order because “there is confidential information about the previous owner and therefore cannot disclose this information to the building’s current owner.”
“This all feels like an arbitrary and malicious abuse of power,” Schmidbaur said.
Village of Saugerties Mayor Bill Murphy said last week that the order was the result of a previous owner failing to test for the presence of asbestos. Murphy said the village, like Schmidbaur, has been unable to get a copy of the order from the state.
The extent of cleanup at the 3.3-acre Dragon Inn site, also known as Clovelea, has been limited to picking up debris outside the building, which was badly damaged by a fire in 1993 and has been a dilapidated eyesore ever since. Village of Saugerties Code Enforcement Officer Eyal Saad the work being done
is permitted by the village but that Schmidbaur will need a permit once work on the structure itself begins.
“Cleaning up debris, garbage and rubbish that’s on the property for years doesn’t need my permission,” he said.
Saad agreed it doesn’t make sense that a property owner would not be given a copy of an existing “stop work” order if one existed.
“I told Nina to step up for [her] right as a property owner and demand it,” he said.
Pensabene, reached by phone Thursday, declined to confirm the existence of a “stop work” order before referring further questions to the state Department of Labor’s press office. That office declined to answer a reporter’s questions.
“Let’s put it this way,” Pensabene said. “Whether there is or whether there isn’t [a stopwork order], the things that need to be done in order to follow the regulations are the same.”
Schmidbaur bought the Dragon Inn property in May from Baran Hospitality Group, which bought the site from Clovelea Dragon Fly LLC in March 2018. Clovelea had been the owner since May 14, 2015.
Schmidbaur, a certified social worker, plans to restore the section of the building that was constructed in 1883 for use in her private practice. She also plans to live in the building.