PINE PLAINS — The developers behind the recently-approved cannabis dispensary on South Main Street plan to further develop the property with a grocery store and an ice cream shop.
Architect Kristina Dousharm appeared before the Planning Board on Wednesday, April 8, with plans to demolish three buildings at 7723 South Main St. and construct an 8,989-square-foot grocery store. An existing structure will be renovated for the planned ice cream shop.
Christopher Gumprecht — who owns the property under the name C.G. 79 Realestate LLC — and business partners Bryan Seiler and Benjamin Abrahams received approval for the cannabis dispensary in December 2025. That business will occupy a historic weigh station building on the property, which is separate from the proposed grocery store and ice cream shop.
Dousharm first introduced the additional concepts during the dispensary approval process, noting at the time that details were still preliminary but sufficient to meet environmental review requirements.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Dousharm argued that the prior environmental approval should still apply, saying the current proposal largely aligns with earlier plans.
Planning Board attorney Warren Replansky, however, pushed back, saying the board had clearly anticipated further environmental review once detailed plans were submitted.
Replansky cited the board’s Dec. 17, 2025, resolution, which stated that plans for the additional uses were not developed enough at the time to allow for “meaningful environmental review.”
The resolution also referenced guidance from Dutchess County Planning & Development that review could be deferred until the plans are "fully developed," and acknowledged that the Planning Board has jurisdiction to "conduct an additional" review.
"I don't know how it can be any more clear than that," Replansky said.
Planning Board members view plans for the proposed new grocery store and ice cream shop to be located at 7723 South Main St. on Wednesday, April 8. Photo by Nathan Miller
The exchange became tense, with back-and-forth between Replansky and Dousharm with occasional interjections from Planning Board Chair Michael Stabile, zoning enforcement officer Ed Casazza and town engineer George Schmidt.
Dousharm asserted that additional review under the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act was unnecessary — a claim that Schmidt and Stabile appeared to support — because the described plans largely align with the preliminary details provided last year.
Replansky responded by pointing out that the preliminary details described renovating an existing building for the grocery store. He said the demolition and subsequent construction of a brand new building constituted a significant change.
"The Planning Board has a duty to conduct a SEQR review," Replansky said. "The fact that you don't agree that it's necessary is irrelevant."
Stabile recalled the board telling the applicants to return for "technical review" once plans for the grocery store and ice cream shop were developed. Schmidt said the board can use technical review to determine whether differences from early plan details require further environmental review.
Dousharm said she would compile a list of differences between the current proposal and earlier plans to assist the board in making that determination.
The applicants must now seek a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals to exceed lot area coverage limits before returning to the Planning Board for further review.
New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey buys two books from Oblong Books in Millerton on Thursday, April 23, after inducting the business into the state Historic Business Preservation Registry.
Hermans and Nelson opened Oblong Books in 1975 after graduating from college, finding a home for their bookstore at 32 Main St. Multiple relocations and more than 200 employees later, the business remains a fixture in Millerton.
“We’ve been through thick and thin,” said Dick Hermans. “I think we’ve been successful because we stay involved in the community.”
Employees of Oblong Books and local Town of North East and Village of Millerton officials gathered with State Senator Michell Hinchey on Thursday, April 23, to honor the bookstore’s placement on the New York State Historic Business Preservation Registry.Photo Provided
The designation honors New York businesses that have operated for at least 50 years. Oblong is the first business from Millerton to receive the honor. “Oblong has stood the test of time, even in the age of e-commerce,” Hinchey said. “It has remained authentically true to its mission of human connection.”
In 2001, Hermans opened a second store in Rhinebeck. Hermans’ daughter Suzanna started working at Oblong shortly thereafter, helping the store navigate the newly-imperiled physical market.
“We thought that was going to be the death knell of books,” she said, “but it turns out a physical book is actually a perfect object. You can share it with a friend, or you can keep it for 50 years.”
The bookstore is known not only for its literary inventory, but also for author events, music selections and children’s toys.
The owners’ commitment to community also extends to the nonprofit world: since 2023, Oblong has partnered with the Beacon Prison Books project to provide free books to incarcerated individuals in the region.
E-books are now available on Oblong’s website, too. But the space has largely remained the same, with its weathered wooden floorboards and cozy nooks. There’s a section for music and records upstairs, and Oblong Jr. downstairs for younger readers and toy connoisseurs.
Next time visitors stop by, they will see something new: a window decal bearing the New York State Historic Business Preservation Registry logo.
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