A small crowd of concerned neighbors attended the Town of Wawarsing Zoning Board of Appeals meeting on Tuesday, July 13, as the owners of Wagar Farm on Ulster Heights Road provided information about their project for an occasional venue for weddings and other events.

Phil and Patty Coombe, well known business people and benefactors to the town, bought the property in 2011. They appeared before the ZBA to provide information behind their request for variances that will be needed for any “events” venue at the site.

Their plans have aroused strong opposition from neighbors, who have voiced concerns to the Wawarsing Town Board regarding noise and traffic on a rural route.

The Coombes are seeking an interpretation of the town zoning law and the new “Events Law” that the town produced last winter. The Events Law is the town’s first effort to grapple with an issue that can become pretty thorny, pretty quickly. In effect, such a law seeks to control noise and nuisance levels in our rural townships. Who would want noise? Those with property that might be suitable for events, ranging from weddings and political gatherings, to get togethers for large families. Two American dreams meet in the ring — the right to peace, quiet, and privacy versus the right to make money from use of a nice piece of property.

The interpretation by the ZBA will determine whether the farm’s occasional hosting of events would be considered an “accessory use” of the property. Phil Coombe noted that they have maintained the property as a short-term rental (STR) for some time now and that up to 11 people can stay there within the limits of the STR law. They began to use the property this way in 2014 when they had their first “event.” Patty Coombe explained that the most they had ever had was eight events, in 2019. The events are only held on Saturday nights, and normally, as she explained, guests arrive on Friday, set up on Saturday, hold their event, and take everything down and out on Sunday.

The ZBA asked about parking. There are spaces for 55 vehicles, with an imagined capacity of 110 persons. The property is six acres in extent and Mr. Coombe said he thought they could hold 250 people for an event, but they wished to limit things to 110.

Asked about alcohol, a normal component of a wedding celebration, the Coombes explained that all of that is left up to the guests. The guests must also provide a state-certified sanitary trailer, and if they do have alcohol served, they must have a bartender on hand to control it.

Noise? A study has been performed, and the Coombes believe the noise of music and celebration is within the limits set by the town.

ZBA Chair Jack Grifo said the town planning board would study the noise issue.

More details emerged, such as there being seven bedrooms. The name of the property comes from the Wagar family, which owned it for three generations after 1856.

Board members will visit the site to study it before the interpretation is made.

Grifo set a public hearing for August 2 at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall Court Room, when the interpretation will be given and the public will be able to comment.