At the September 13 Marbletown Planning Board meeting, residents had the chance to comment on the changes that the new owners of Cherries Ice Cream have in store for the location. This was the third presentation to the board on this topic. Lawrence O’Toole, the new owner of Cherries, and Diego Celaya, an architectural designer that represents the architectural firm A Plus C, presented the proposed upgrades.

Cherries has been an institution in Stone Ridge for over 70 years. Though not always named Cherries, it has been a place where residents can meet while eating great ice cream. Erin Bush, who grew up next to the ice cream stand and was present at the meeting, said she remembers as a little girl “walking up to the stand and buying ice cream cones.”

In March, Cherries was sold by Alyson and John Reidy to O’Toole and his wife Jolene Delisle. The stand was opened by the new owners in May. It was freshened up with a shiny new white tile front. Now O’Toole and Delisle want to make more serious changes that require planning board approval.

Although this was the third presentation in front of the board, there were still concerns about the amount of parking that will be available at the stand. As board member Max Stratton stated, “Parking is always a problem in this town.” Board Chairman Paris Perry stated that the picnic tables in front of the building are still a problem. The public who spoke had many of the same issues as the board. They were concerned that the expansion of the building and increased service would cause more traffic and parking issues. In addition, they noted an increase of trash on the road.

At the end of the meeting, Perry stated, “We are far from a conclusion now,” and said there would be a continuation of the public hearing at the October 17 board meeting. O’Toole said at the end of his presentation that you should always expect push back and he is “willing to work with the town.”