Campground ignores closure by health department
COVENTRY – The rural campground which made headlines earlier this week after four drug and alcohol arrests were made in its vicinity has been operating illegally since May, according to a county health official.
“I closed Echo Lake on paper, officially, on May 22, 2009,” said Marcas Flindt, Chenango County’s Director of Public Health. The facility, however, ignored that closure and has been operating without the necessary permits ever since.
Campgrounds must comply with the state’s Sanitary Code and meet guidelines for safe drinking water, campground operations, food preparation and vendors, Flindt explained. During an inspection of Echo Lake last year, numerous code violations of “basically all” of these areas were found, he said.
According to the public health director, Echo Lake has been given every opportunity to bring their facility into compliance. They were issued a temporary permit in October and given six months to rectify the problems identified during the inspection. That permit expired on April 16, but that didn’t stop them from opening the campground for the season on May 1.
“They have just chosen to open without a permit,” Flindt said.
Echo Lake owner Ahmad Shaheed said he has been working to rectify the issues cited by the county, but that he needs more time to complete the costly work necessary.
“I inherited this problem,” said Shaheed, who reported that issues with Echo Lake date back to the flood in 2006 and previous owner, Kalifa Sayed.
Shaheed, a former captain with the New York City Department of Corrections, claims to have already invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into both Echo Lake and Chenango Valley Ranch, another business he owns in Coventry.
“I think I’m being victimized for trying to do something good,” Shaheed said.
There will be ramifications for Shaheed and the campground, however. Flindt reported that his department is pursuing legal action against Echo Lake. Possible penalties, as prescribed in the Sanitary Code, include fines and/or imprisonment.
“We’re continuing to work on this,” Flindt said, adding that his goal is not to be punitive.
“My goal is compliance and ... to ensure the health of the public,” he explained. “We’re still very concerned with Echo Lake.”
This past weekend the facility hosted the 3rd Annual Orb Festival, a four-day outdoor music festival featuring more than 60 electronic/psytrance artists. The lineup for the event, which drew crowds from downstate New York, included world renowned artists such as Chris Cox, Liquid Soul and Hallucinogen.
They did not, however, have a mass gathering permit for the event, according to Town of Coventry Supervisor Jan O’Shea. Although Echo Lake did apply for the mass gathering permit, she explained, one was not issued because the facility did not meet the basic requirement of being in compliance with all local and state laws.
According to Sheriff Ernie Cutting, sheriff’s deputies served a notice to Echo Lake prior to last weekend’s festival “directing them to stop operation.” This, too, was ignored and the event went on as planned.
The next step, he explained, will be having a judge issue a court order for the facility to cease operation. “When they violate (the order), they will be held in contempt and a warrant would be issued for arrest.”
Echo Lake is “creeping onto the front burner,” Cutting said.
The State Police reported the arrest of three individuals on drug charges Friday as well as another for driving while intoxicated, all of whom were reportedly en route to the Orb Festival at the time of their arrest. Those four arrests were not the first problems at Echo Lake, according to Cutting, who reported that his department’s interest in the facility was “ongoing.”
Shaheed insists that he is working hard to change the image the facility had under its previous ownership, and does not tolerate drug use on the property.
“I’m not about drugs. I don’t allow drugs,” he said, explaining that his own New York City-based security firm, Force One Security, polices the grounds during events.
“Before ... children couldn’t play here,” he said. “I’m making it safe.”
“I closed Echo Lake on paper, officially, on May 22, 2009,” said Marcas Flindt, Chenango County’s Director of Public Health. The facility, however, ignored that closure and has been operating without the necessary permits ever since.
Campgrounds must comply with the state’s Sanitary Code and meet guidelines for safe drinking water, campground operations, food preparation and vendors, Flindt explained. During an inspection of Echo Lake last year, numerous code violations of “basically all” of these areas were found, he said.
According to the public health director, Echo Lake has been given every opportunity to bring their facility into compliance. They were issued a temporary permit in October and given six months to rectify the problems identified during the inspection. That permit expired on April 16, but that didn’t stop them from opening the campground for the season on May 1.
“They have just chosen to open without a permit,” Flindt said.
Echo Lake owner Ahmad Shaheed said he has been working to rectify the issues cited by the county, but that he needs more time to complete the costly work necessary.
“I inherited this problem,” said Shaheed, who reported that issues with Echo Lake date back to the flood in 2006 and previous owner, Kalifa Sayed.
Shaheed, a former captain with the New York City Department of Corrections, claims to have already invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into both Echo Lake and Chenango Valley Ranch, another business he owns in Coventry.
“I think I’m being victimized for trying to do something good,” Shaheed said.
There will be ramifications for Shaheed and the campground, however. Flindt reported that his department is pursuing legal action against Echo Lake. Possible penalties, as prescribed in the Sanitary Code, include fines and/or imprisonment.
“We’re continuing to work on this,” Flindt said, adding that his goal is not to be punitive.
“My goal is compliance and ... to ensure the health of the public,” he explained. “We’re still very concerned with Echo Lake.”
This past weekend the facility hosted the 3rd Annual Orb Festival, a four-day outdoor music festival featuring more than 60 electronic/psytrance artists. The lineup for the event, which drew crowds from downstate New York, included world renowned artists such as Chris Cox, Liquid Soul and Hallucinogen.
They did not, however, have a mass gathering permit for the event, according to Town of Coventry Supervisor Jan O’Shea. Although Echo Lake did apply for the mass gathering permit, she explained, one was not issued because the facility did not meet the basic requirement of being in compliance with all local and state laws.
According to Sheriff Ernie Cutting, sheriff’s deputies served a notice to Echo Lake prior to last weekend’s festival “directing them to stop operation.” This, too, was ignored and the event went on as planned.
The next step, he explained, will be having a judge issue a court order for the facility to cease operation. “When they violate (the order), they will be held in contempt and a warrant would be issued for arrest.”
Echo Lake is “creeping onto the front burner,” Cutting said.
The State Police reported the arrest of three individuals on drug charges Friday as well as another for driving while intoxicated, all of whom were reportedly en route to the Orb Festival at the time of their arrest. Those four arrests were not the first problems at Echo Lake, according to Cutting, who reported that his department’s interest in the facility was “ongoing.”
Shaheed insists that he is working hard to change the image the facility had under its previous ownership, and does not tolerate drug use on the property.
“I’m not about drugs. I don’t allow drugs,” he said, explaining that his own New York City-based security firm, Force One Security, polices the grounds during events.
“Before ... children couldn’t play here,” he said. “I’m making it safe.”
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