The Carriage House on Hermance Street, originally built for the grand Terwilliger House Hotel that stood on the corner of Canal Street and Liberty Square in Ellenville for much of the 19th century, is about to be revived in a manner that those who built it could never have imagined, according to plans presented at a recent Ellenville Planning Board meeting.

The building has not housed any horses since a fire burned down the Terwilliger House in 1904. In 1907, construction began on the Wayside Inn, which succeeded the Terwilliger on that property along Liberty Square, and where now stands the Publik House at 130 Canal Street. The Wayside burned down in October 1967. Throughout that period the Carriage House mostly stood empty, a little forlorn on its end of Hermance Street.

Now, the Carriage House, and the paddock area it once served, are planned to become an event space and a venue for gatherings, corporate retreats, weddings as well as community events. This is how Eric Springer, speaking for the investment group that has bought the property at 130 Canal Street, described what they plan to do with it.

Springer explained that the group was actually attracted to the property by the carriage house and the large open “lawn” space of the paddock, from their earliest investigations of Ellenville as a place to invest in, even move to.

Springer introduced David Lowenstein, a restaurateur from Manhattan, as the partner in their group who would be in charge of designing the operational side of the business, as he has experience in large catering operations. Lowenstein said later that he has bought property in the village and is becoming a resident.

Springer added that their group had held the former Wayside Inn property for a year now. The plan, as can be seen in the attractive renderings they brought to the meeting, includes having a large tent, the kind used for things like graduations and weddings, which would be pitched on part of the former paddock, now a lawn, that makes up the largest portion of the property. The weddings and corporate retreats business has seen steady growth in the region, though this plan would be unique in bringing that kind of event into the heart of a village.

However, Lowenstein explained that the Hermance Street entrance, which will be renovated to look like a barn door, will be used only for vendor deliveries of food and beverages and only between noon and 2 p.m.

Plans for the main building, lying along the east side of Liberty Square, which was erected in the wake of the 1967 fire that destroyed the Wayside Inn, are also being worked on by the group.

Springer explained that the focus in that area remained on food and beverages, but other concerns were being explored too, including a “youth center,” something that the village currently lacks but which has been discussed many times in the past few years. Indeed, there was a use of the Carriage House about a decade back as a community center of a kind.

Village Code Enforcement Officer Brian Schug commented that the application had been discussed with Village Planner Dan Shuster. The questions that had come up were about operating hours for the events, how parking issues would be addressed, and the effect of noise on adjacent properties. Schug added that more details would be needed as the plan went forward on lighting and how parking would be managed.

Lowenstein said that all activities would be inside, and if there were cocktails served in the tent, that 7:30 p.m. would be the latest time for that. After 8 p.m., all activity would be inside the Carriage House, and anyone seeking to go outside, perhaps to smoke, would be monitored by staff.

Todd Drucker, the architect for the project, asked about how noise levels would be measured. And it should be noted that measuring noise levels is a notoriously tricky task. Schug responded by saying that the village was actually investigating a place where noise complaints were being lodged, so the topic was on their minds. He referred everyone to the Village codes available on the village website.

In part 147-5 Prohibited Acts, amplified sounds — from TVs to musical instruments or devices — is not allowed if audible beyond the property line of the premises between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. And in the daytime, if audible 50 feet from the property line, between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.

In section 147-6, a level of 60 dBAs, as measured 20 feet from the “sound producing device,” is also mentioned. That level is regarded as a normal sound level in an office or a busy restaurant. A motorcycle engine will come in at about 95 dBA, loud noises above 120 dBA — firecrackers, sirens, explosions — will cause damage to human hearing.

Lowenstein said that a firm that specializes in acoustic design and engineering would be brought in, and that while weddings could run to 10 p.m., care would be taken not to allow boisterous groups to depart into residential neighborhoods as things came to an end.

Schug also noted that noise levels are very subjective, and said that “anything that disturbs the public is where judgement comes in.”

Springer voiced concern there that even a quiet wedding could be called disturbing by some people. Schug said that there will be a public hearing about the project, neighbors will be informed about it, and that concerns about noise and things like cigarettes being smoked on Hermance Street will be discussed. But he also said the application of the rules will be reasonable and nothing “harsh and crazy” will be imposed.

Schug observed that this was a “unique situation” and that parking wasn’t required, but obviously events like those imagined would bring quite a few automobiles into Ellenville. Thus, parking would be an important issue. Springer said they could provide 24 spots on the lawn area, and add in 18 from the village parking lot, the rear part of which actually belongs to this property. Access and egress from the event space at the Carriage House to that parking area was also discussed. In addition, Springer added they would work with Ellenville Central School District regarding their large parking lot, and employ golf cart shuttles to move guests back and forth.

Lowenstein added that they are looking at using commercial parking areas around the village and will seek to avoid having large groups of people moving to and fro in the evening. However, Canal Street is well accustomed to having people out and about, especially on weekend nights and so the center of the village is primed for a certain amount of that anyway.

What’s next? The application will have to go to the county, because the property spans across to the edge of Canal Street, which is a county road. Schug noted that the county is very concerned with lighting issues. The application will return on August 17 to address comments from the county and elsewhere, and a public hearing will be set for September 21, with a conditional approval attached if no significant complications arise.