At its February 22 meeting, the Gardiner Planning Board completed the Environmental Assessment Form and issued a negative declaration on the proposal by Tuthilltown Holdings, LLC to increase the capacity of the Visitor Center at the Tuthilltown Spirits distillery. The plan is for the building, located at 14 Grist Mill Lane in the Tuthilltown neighborhood, near the banks of the Shawangunk Kill, to expand by 3,850 square feet. The number of visitors who could be seated at one time would increase from 36 to 56.
In terms of potential adverse environmental impact, the sole concern raised by the Planning Board was noise. The number of exterior speakers on the building would increase from two to four, per the site plan. Engineer Andy Willingham explained to the Board that the speakers would have volume limiters that could be preset to keep any amplification of outdoor events within the parameters set by Gardiner’s zoning code. “They have tabs on the back that limit voltage,” Willingham said. “They would need to be tested on-site.”
Planning Board member Marc Moran reminded the applicant’s representatives that volume testing would also be necessary at the property line, in order to ensure that ambient noise be kept within the 70-decibel limit imposed by the Town. All parties agreed that it would be the responsibility of the Gardiner code enforcement officer to determine the acceptable level of amplification.
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