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  1. #1

    Default New Hostel in Waynesboro, PA denied permit.

    Actually the town would have had to change a zoning ordinance.

    WAYNESBORO, Pa.—
    Citing concerns about the location and users, the Washington Township (Pa.) Supervisors said Wednesday they will not change their zoning ordinance to accommodate a man who wants to open a hostel for Appalachian Trail hikers.

    Lawrence "Bogator" Pitt asked to create a hostel at his property in the 11000 block of Mentzer Gap Road, according to a memorandum prepared by township staff.

    http://www.herald-mail.com/news/tris...ry?track%3Drss

  2. #2
    Registered User Wise Old Owl's Avatar
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    Sad Sly, I guess he could have done it on the down low.....
    Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.

    Woo

  3. #3
    •Completed A.T. Section Hike GA to ME 1996 thru 2003 •Donating Member Skyline's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wise Old Owl View Post
    Sad Sly, I guess he could have done it on the down low.....
    Once a hiker hostel catches on, "down low" ceases to exist. Neighbors and authorities will definitely notice and in many cases over-react.

    Ask Mike of Terrapin Hostel near Front Royal VA how far "down low" got him. Years later, he's finally able to be open legally but he had to / still has to jump through a lot of hoops.

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    Registered User Tuckahoe's Avatar
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    I dont see a problem. Hikers are just passing through while the community still has to live there with the results. Atleast from what little detail there is in the article it seems that the supervisors are willing to work with the guy for something a little less grand than what he might have originally planned.

    Supervisor John Gorman said the idea too closely resembles a traditional, commercial camp.

    "I like the concept, but I think this is a little too broad," he said
    "I don't know the hikers are all that (much) trouble. The thing is he's wanting to put a little village down there," Supervisor Carroll Sturm said.
    They one surpervisor, Stephen Kulla, seemed not to really get it.
    Last edited by Tuckahoe; 08-15-2011 at 10:41.
    igne et ferrum est potentas
    "In the beginning, all America was Virginia." -​William Byrd

  5. #5

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    Who wants a flop house in their residential neighborhood? The town got it right!

  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by chief View Post
    Who wants a flop house in their residential neighborhood? The town got it right!
    I agree. Nothing against Miss Janet, but I'm surprised her hostel lasted as long as it did without being closed down.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Wise Old Owl View Post
    Sad Sly, I guess he could have done it on the down low.....
    You mean, illegally?

    Rain Man

    .
    [I]ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: ... Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit....[/I]. Numbers 35

    [url]www.MeetUp.com/NashvilleBackpacker[/url]

    .

  8. #8

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    I don't know, seems like a couple here don't get it. You can have a B&B just about anywhere, and as far as I know that's what Miss Janet's was categorized as.

    It's not like a hostel in Waynesboro PA would be attracting an awful lots of hikers.

    Here's the sat view of the area, not sure which house it is.

    http://classic.mapquest.com/maps?cit...eocode=ADDRESS

  9. #9

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    well that there is the problem - a freeking country club is right there - those remarkable individuals will do anything to keep from looking at people who resemble homeless people - abandon all hope for getting a hostel there

  10. #10
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    too many hostels as it is. let 'em stay in the woods where they belong

  11. #11
    •Completed A.T. Section Hike GA to ME 1996 thru 2003 •Donating Member Skyline's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sly View Post
    I don't know, seems like a couple here don't get it. You can have a B&B just about anywhere, and as far as I know that's what Miss Janet's was categorized as....
    I don't know if Miss Janet's was legally a B&B either, nor what the rules are in Tennessee or Erwin. But in general (in the places I've lived), B&Bs must pass health and safety inspections on a regular basis, local codes declare maximum occupancy, and where lodging taxes exist they must collect and submit taxes to the city, county, state, etc. There are undoubtedly even more regs in some locales.

    Some AT hostels may qualify under this scenario as B&Bs if they applied for that status, but most I've been to don't seem like they would qualify nor that their operators would be likely to go that legit. One that comes to mind that might is Elmer's in Hot Springs, but I don't really know. He runs a tight ship there, so his neighbors (closeby, in town) probably rarely have a problem with Sunnybank Inn or its visitors whether it is following all the regs a B&B would or not.

    On that note, it seems to me that the more rural a hostel is the fewer problems (real or perceived) it will have with neighbors since they would not be closeby. Since the AT is often routed through very rural terrain, it should be a no-brainer to locate hostels close to the Trail—away from towns, suburbia, or subdivisions with nearby neighbors. Good examples would be Kincora, Standing Bear, Rusty's, etc.

    And HOI may be onto something with regard to that country club.

  12. #12
    HIKER TRASH birchy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hog On Ice View Post
    well that there is the problem - a freeking country club is right there - those remarkable individuals will do anything to keep from looking at people who resemble homeless people - abandon all hope for getting a hostel there
    I was going to say the same thing about the Country Club, but thought I may be a bit off track. Moreover, the distance from the trail could be a factor and the scope of the operation which was proposed. Up here, hikers are a mix of both thru-hikers and section hikers. Very few section hikers utilize hostels.

  13. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by birchy View Post
    I was going to say the same thing about the Country Club, but thought I may be a bit off track. Moreover, the distance from the trail could be a factor and the scope of the operation which was proposed. Up here, hikers are a mix of both thru-hikers and section hikers. Very few section hikers utilize hostels.
    Looking at the map the road to the proposed hostel (Mentzer Gap) is less than it is to town on rt 16. It's certainly not long if he's was planning a shuttle service. There's already a B&B and Days Inn in town. Guess they don't like competition.

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    Registered User 4eyedbuzzard's Avatar
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    Hiding a hiker hostel can work for a while, but it's a bit like hiding an egg farm - eventually the wind shifts and people catch on to what's happening.
    "That's the thing about possum innards - they's just as good the second day." - Jed Clampett

  15. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by 4eyedbuzzard View Post
    Hiding a hiker hostel can work for a while, but it's a bit like hiding an egg farm - eventually the wind shifts and people catch on to what's happening.
    That may be true but it's plain to see this guy wasn't try to hide anything.

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    well that's just the way it goes. most hikers don't go to that town any way

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    I like the idea of hikertrash grabbing a quick round of golf while in town & those greens would be real comfortabel to sleep on, come on, can't you picture that foresome now : O D
    Take Time to Watch the Trees Dance with The Wind........Then Join In........

  18. #18
    •Completed A.T. Section Hike GA to ME 1996 thru 2003 •Donating Member Skyline's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sly View Post
    Looking at the map the road to the proposed hostel (Mentzer Gap) is less than it is to town on rt 16. It's certainly not long if he's was planning a shuttle service. There's already a B&B and Days Inn in town. Guess they don't like competition.

    You could be right. When analyzing opposition, it's almost always a good idea to follow the money—especially in a small town.

  19. #19
    •Completed A.T. Section Hike GA to ME 1996 thru 2003 •Donating Member Skyline's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by wornoutboots View Post
    I like the idea of hikertrash grabbing a quick round of golf while in town & those greens would be real comfortabel to sleep on, come on, can't you picture that foresome now : O D
    Yep, I can see them trying to yellow-blaze from about the 11th green to the clubhouse. :-)

  20. #20
    Registered User Wise Old Owl's Avatar
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    Yea the visiting chickens would need to bathe..... can't have that smell drift across a country club.
    Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.

    Woo

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