The owners of the abandoned and nearly forgotten Pavilion Cottages are looking to create a “private, queer-centric Victorian Resort & Glampground” on the grounds of the once-grand Sharon Springs landmark, as a way to both save the cottages and give LGBT+ members a place to create community–and family.
Nick Drummond, an architect, and his business partners, husband Patrick Bakker and Paul Pekarek, brought their project to the Joint Planning Board Wednesday.
Their plans have changed significantly since the Pavilion Cottages were included on the list of projects for possible NY Forward funding in November–applicants are still waiting to hear--but Mr. Drummond told the JPB they’ve already been talking with the state about those changes.
No longer just a $1.5 million restoration of the five, two-story “cottages” or townhouses, The Pavilion Cottages now also includes four “tiny cottages,” a row of 10 cabanas–private sleeping cabins with electricity, a sink, and access to a bathhouse--and a spot for glamping, also with access to the bathhouse.
The Pavilion Cottages loom large in the village’s history, Mr. Drummond said; saving them is incredibly important.
Without immediate action, he said, they’re going to collapse–though at the same time, the foundation and frame are in astoundingly good shape.
“It’s built like a tank,” he said.
Mr. Drummond said their vision for The Cottages seeks to capitalize on the dramatic loss of safe, gay spaces since 2020 and the fact that LGBT+ travelers are looking for exclusive camping experiences “that offer a safe space and sense of family, togetherness and community.”
Sharon Springs has a long history of being inclusive, he said, which is why the project will work there.
“The community and its allies have been responsible for trying to save this community,” he said, and having a micro-resort attached to a small village “is very much in line with how the village sees itself” and will benefit everyone, he said.
Their plans call for respecting the history of the Pavilion Cottages while making them safe, Mr. Drummond said; the layout of the cottages won’t change, with all of the original windows and much of the original trim restored.
The Pavilion Cottages would be a members-only resort or social club with seasonal, year-round, and short-term rentals.
In additional to the bathhouse, there would be shared kitchen and dining space, laundry facilities, a gym and a small sauna, but no restaurant: guests who don’t want to cook for themselves would go off-site into the community to eat.
Mr. Drummond argued the project is a permitted use and won’t need any variances, but while they were supportive of the idea, JPB members weren’t so sure.
There’s nothing in the law regulating “tiny houses” or resorts, they said so at the very least, the tiny cabins would need variances or special use permits.
The driveway would also need to be replaced and the cabins and cottages would require water and sewer, they said.
None of that would be a problem, Mr. Drummond said, stressing they want to work with the village.
Of course, it has to be economically viable, he said, but they’re creating community.
“When we talk about family, a big portion of the gay and queer community…they don’t have that connection to community that others do. You build your own family. I want to create that family here.”
Again, a goal the JPB supports, but “our job is to remove all that emotion,” said member Ron Ketelsen.
“Our goal is to interpret the Code.”
Answering questions from the JPB, Mr. Drummond said the project will be done in phases with the priority the cottages.
The timing depends on how the planning and zoning process goes–though they’ll need to put a new roof on the cottages, hopefully this summer—and they’re hoping to be open in 2-3 years, Mr. Drummond said afterwards.
They can’t secure funding without project approval, he said, a process expected to take 5-6 months at minimum.
JPB members said Mr. Drummond needs to take his plans back to Code Enforcement Officer Jim Castrucci and see what his thoughts are on the next step.
Because the site’s use is so different, they may also need to talk to Village Attorney Michelle Kennedy.
In concept though, the project got a thumbs-up from the JPB.
“As a guy who’s lived here a long time and remembers the activity when people were downtown, things like this excite me,” JPB chair Ray Parsons said.
To follow along on the project’s progress, join the project’s Facebook, Save the Pavilion Cottages, where there’s also contact information on getting involved as an investor and volunteering for clean-up days at the site this summer.