ELDRED, NY — As a last-ditch effort to re-open the Catskills Mountain Resort as a family restaurant and resort, co-owner William Zaccarri asked the Highland Planning Board on June 23 to renew the required special use permit.

Berry Hafkin, planning board chair, said that it was not possible to renew the permit, as it had been voided in July last year. “You are applying for a brand new permit,” he said.

While he assured Zaccarri that there was no problem in receiving a new permit, an application would need to be filed, letters sent to neighboring property owners and a public hearing would need to be held. After discussion, the board set the hearing for their next meeting on July 28.

“That will not work,” Zaccarri told the board, as there is a potential buyer of the property. “They know what’s coming,” he said. “And I have been asked by the townspeople to re-open the resort as a family restaurant and resort.”

Attorney for the town Michael Davidoff said that the board had no choice but to follow the legal procedure stipulated by the town code.

Members of the public asked whether the public hearing could be extradited to speed up the process. The board held firm that the legal obligations of notification of the hearing and neighboring property owners would require 30 days.

“I see no reason why we cannot issue the permit next month, at the conclusion of the hearing,” Hafkin said.

Last month, in anticipation of the sale, a blessing banner written in Hebrew was hung across the front of the building.

“I tore it down,” Zaccarri said. “I don’t want to see the town getting hurt. And the people need to realize that it’s not me; it’s all on the town.”

In other planning board business, the board approved the combining of two lots into one for Chris and John Trifari of Lumberland.