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APA weighs Jay cabin development

JAY — A local photographer and developer is seeking Adirondack Park Agency approval as he looks to build up to seven new cabins in Jay on land his family has owned for the past decade.

Johnathan Esper, through his Wildernesscapes Properties LLC, is seeking APA approval to subdivide a 129.76-acre parcel with plans to sell portions of it to his neighbors and create three buildable, vacant lots to put on the market. He’s also seeking approval to form a new 57.62-acre lot, which would be used for the new cabin development on Stickney Bridge Road.

The property is classified as rural use, meaning that most residential uses would be permitted, though a use that preserves the rural character of the land is ideal. Esper said in a statement last week that all of the cabin sites would “take advantage of the best soils away from wetlands,” with a goal of “minimizing disturbance to the property, utilizing a network of existing logging roads and cleared areas, so virtually no additional clearing is called for.” He hopes to “respectfully develop this rural parcel that historically was all old farmlands.”

“This acreage has been within my family for the past decade, and I look forward to thoughtfully developing this acreage while always minimizing disturbance to the land, both in keeping with the historical rural uses of this Ausable River Valley region, as well as my following own ethos of creating opportunities to enjoy the Adirondack nature and mountain views,” he said.

He hopes the cabin sites, “in a private and quiet rural wooded setting,” would give visitors the opportunity to appreciate views of Whiteface Mountain “while always maximizing privacy between the planned cabins and also visually and spatially maximizing privacy to the neighboring properties as well.”

With APA approval, he aims to slowly build the cabins in batches, using materials sourced locally — including trees previously logged from the land where the cabins would be built.

Six of the seven cabins would be used as vacation rentals, according to Esper.

The APA is accepting public comment on the proposal now through Aug. 22. Those interested in submitting a comment can email comments to rpcomments@apa.ny.gov with the subject line “Project 2022-0298; Johnathan Esper; Corrie Magee” or submit a form by visiting https://tinyurl.com/bjk4f57y.

“Pending substantive comments, after the public comment period closes the Adirondack Park Agency has 90 days to review and determine approvability,” APA Assistant Public Information Officer Ben Brosseau said Tuesday.

The project also needs approval from the state Department of Health and the Jay planning board, according to Brosseau.

Starting at $4.75/week.

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