Neighbors on Great Sacandaga Lake (New York) are voicing concerns as Sunset Bay RV Park moves forward with plans to more than double its size, an expansion that has already entered the state’s review process.
Several residents have already submitted objections, citing campfire smoke, noise, well water supply, vehicle and boat traffic, and public safety.
The Mayfield-based resort, which currently has 299 seasonal campsites, is seeking approval to add 357 more.
Plans also include three bathhouses, a community building and pool house, a pickleball court, and an outdoor amphitheater.
If approved, the main entrance would shift to state Route 30.
The Adirondack Park Agency (APA), which regulates development within the park, is reviewing the application. The public comment period began in August and closed on Thursday, Sept. 11.
According to an article published by Adirondack Explorer on September 10, Rick Becker, the applicant and part-owner of the property, did not respond to phone calls or emails requesting comment.
In filings, Becker and his engineers argued that the project would provide much-needed access to Great Sacandaga Lake, which has limited public entry points.
They cited Mayfield’s 2013 comprehensive plan, which noted a shortage of tourist accommodations in the area.
The expansion is tied to the extension of the Fulton County Sewer District No. 5 line.
Aaron Enfield, senior planner for the county, said extending the line to Northville “will certainly transform this corridor of the southern Adirondacks.” While the sewer line’s initial reach does not require APA oversight, the remainder of the RV park project will.
The Mayfield Town Planning Board has reviewed those issues during its consideration of the project but has not yet granted a special use permit.
The board is scheduled to take up the matter at its Sept. 17 meeting.
Enfield said he personally surveyed the site over the July 4 weekend and counted 23 campfires at most.
He suggested some smoke complaints may also have been linked to Canadian wildfires.
Water supply remains a central concern. Neighbor Christy Gifford said residents have long faced issues with well water and low water tables.
The planning board has directed the resort to test neighboring wells, but residents said the testing was offered during the off-season rather than peak demand.
Former resident Alexis Ostrander said shortages were common during summer weekends when she lived in the park in 2017 and 2018.
Ostrander, who has since bought a home nearby, added that boat traffic on the southern end of the 29-mile lake has increased.
Though the project does not add boat slips, she and other neighbors expect visitors will still seek access.
Residents say overlapping construction projects have left them frustrated. Some describe the RV park’s fencing as “unsightly.”
Others point to road damage on Paradise Point Road, which town officials said will not be repaved until a 40-megawatt solar installation permitted earlier this year is complete.
