NEVERSINK — The dividing wall between the Neversink Fire District and Superior Building Supply is at risk of potential collapse if something isn’t done quick, according to Neversink Fire Chairperson Richard Kennedy.

This is one of a few issues Kennedy and Neversink Fire interim Commissioner Paul Lepke presented before the Town of Neversink board Wednesday night. The other two issues involved traffic and false alarms at the Hemlock Neversink resort.

Kennedy explained that the dividing wall between the Neversink Fire Department and Superior Building Supply site had begun to dangerously lean and was in danger of collapsing if the issue was left unattended.

“We’ve got water pouring off that retaining wall, and it’s basically shortly going to collapse,” Kennedy cautioned, showing the board a video of recent rainfall. “You’ve got a playground right there, and our equipment and septic field right below it.”

Kennedy highlighted the erosion in which runoff water had been made worse during storms. He stated the issue had been raised with the neighboring property owner to reportedly no response.

Upon request by Lepke, Code Enforcement Officer Glenn Gabbard agreed that he could come take a look at the site. However, with the wall being on a property boundary, he stated it could ultimately be a civil matter.

“At the end of the day, the Town Attorney’s going to tell you it’s a dispute between property owners,” advised Gabbard, though he agreed that safety was important.

Councilperson Rick Coombe echoed the sentiment of both, urging Gabbard to take a look the following week regardless to ensure if the playground is in imminent danger, citing young children playing on the playground as an utmost concern.

This needs to stop, that’s no false alarm

A repeated number of false alarms at the Hemlock Neversink resort over the past year drew an accounted 13 emergency calls. None of these were said to have involved actual fires.

“I know one issue they’re having at the Hemlock... was a smoke detector head right outside the laundry that kept going off,” recalled Lepke. “The simple thing would be to move it maybe. That’d be my suggestion.”

He pointed to Liberty and Fallsburg’s false alarm policy and suggested Neversink implement similar practices.

“We definitely don’t want to stop running the calls as a Fire Department,” Lepke assured. “[But] when you have 13 calls in one place, for a small town fire company, that’s quite a few.”

Putting a stop on accidents

The final issue—also involving the Hemlock—dealt with the front entrance off Route 55. Lepke told of multiple accidents and close calls occurring where the private drive connects to the county road, citing lack of a stop sign.

“One lady blew through and hit my loads truck. She probably would have hit the fire house if she didn’t hit the truck,” he said.

Highway Superintendent Preston Kelly confirmed that, due to the road’s connection from private business to a county highway, the Sullivan County Department of Public Works would be responsible for installing a sign. He said he could follow up again with the county having already tried corresponding with them to reportedly no avail.

Coombe offered that the town submit a formal letter or something similar.

District 3 Legislator Brian McPhillips, who was in attendance, assisted and clarified that the Clerk Staci Conjura would put a request in, because “it’s the township”. He agreed to, in the meantime, talk about it with his peers to which Lepke thanked him and expressed his appreciation for the gesture.

Hemlock Neversink Owner Sims Foster later confirmed to the Democrat that he had been aware of the accident and had ordered a stop sign that had just arrived.

“There was a discussion prior to that [Town Board] meeting with the Fire Chief about putting a stop sign at the end of our road driveway,” Foster told the Democrat. “We know of that accident and that was really unfortunate. We’re trying to do everything we can [to make sure that doesn’t happen again].”