COUP work goes on

By TOM RUE

NARROWSBURG - Following a disruption at the October 22nd meeting of the Conference of Upper Delaware Townships (COUP), business returned to normal and the meeting proceeded. Much discussion concerned getting the final river corridor boundary placed on county tax maps to let landowners and local officials know where they stand. According to the recently approved River Management Plan, one of the tasks of the Upper Delaware Council will be to determine whether the 15 riverfront towns have zoning codes that "substantially conform" with guidelines in the plan.

However, Lumberland Supervisor Tom Hill pointed out that, "You can't even start with substantial conformance until you let these people know if they're in the corridor or out of it."

In response to a question by Hancock delegate George Frosch, planning consultant Chuck Hoffman defined substantial conformance as, "the reasonable judgement of wise people acting in a reasonable manner."

The project review committee will meet one last time to finalize draft conformance checklists and related items at 6:00 p.m. on December 7th in Narrowsburg, Hoffman said.

In other business, COUP members: heard reports from NPS regional chief scientist John Karish concerning a survey of livery operators, and NPS managers about services and conditions on the Upper Delaware; and set their next meeting for December 7th at 7:30 p.m.