The plan seeks to preserve the town’s rural character while encouraging modest growth through improved zoning and the creation of a new light industrial area. In Pine Plains, that vision is laid out in the town’s Comprehensive Plan, a decades-old foundational document last updated in 2019. Many members of the Pine Plains business district – the 32 properties lining the central intersection of Church and Main streets – say without a proper septic system, challenges will continue to daunt the underused town center as it aspires to liveliness.Īt the heart of the wastewater issue lies a fundamental question common to many small towns in Dutchess County and beyond: To grow or not to grow? Under New York state law, individual towns have the ability to set a vision for local development. But it still falls short of the capacity the café had hoped for when it opened. Since then, El Guacamole has been allowed to expand slightly, to 16 seats. Victoria McDermott, a former server at the café, described the restrictions as “ridiculous,” adding, “Not everyone uses the bathroom at the same time.” “I wanted 25, 30 seats,” said Sanchez, who came to Pine Plains after working at El Guacamole’s original location in Hyde Park. Disappointed, the team ripped out the homey booths and replaced them with tables and seating for what the guidelines allowed - just 12 diners. But with no central septic in place, it was impossible for El Guacamole to remedy the situation. One thing that would have solved the situation? An entire central wastewater system, shared throughout downtown Pine Plains. What was more, under the same guidelines, the small size of the café lot prevented them from installing a larger septic system that would meet legal requirements for hosting additional patrons. Cozy booths were installed to comfortably seat more than two dozen diners.īut then Sanchez and his co-workers got some bad news: according to Dutchess County health guidelines, El Guacamole’s septic system could not accommodate the number of customers they had envisioned. When El Guacamole café opened in Pine Plains in 2018, cook Antonio Sanchez was looking forward to providing a fun, affordable hangout with tasty Mexican specialties, including his signature mole sauce. But more seats would be better for business. El Guacamole cook Antonio Sanchez is planning for summer with three new dishes and watermelon and peach margaritas.
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