ADU Issue need advice

[John Lewis]

Hey guys so I need some advice what to do in this situation:

Basically my first property (STR) had a great possible ADU on it in a small vacation heavy town in upstate NY.

When I originally did permitting on the main house I thought I did it for the detached garage but I didn’t. I did most of the work other than appliances ect it’s very small 400 square feet total so it’s like a little studio with big glass sliding doors to a patio.

Turns out someone called zoning and long story short I was told I can't do an ADU. Now the zoning guy says he loves what I'm doing and that he dosent care at all he just has to because of the complaint.

He permitted me to a recreational building permit so I can finish it but limits it from a perm bathroom and kitchen and he came as close as possible to saying after inspection I’m fine to do whatever. He also said as long as I don’t have 20 people partying and living in it I am ok.

Now I went to speak with the lady who reported me and of course she acted like what I was doing was so amazing ect. My fear now is that by posting it on Airbnb I put it out for the world and I believe technically it can’t be rented separately but zoning said they would just tell her I have a permit pulled or it was just people who are renting my other place on the same lot so basically really no way to prove it.

I was thinking instead of a kitchen is just rent it out 3-4 months a year with an outdoor flattop grill on the patio a nice seating area and maybe an outdoor sink.

I am looking for advice on ideas around this / ways to make things more at ease. This was completely my fault due to lack of due diligence but not having the ADU dosent kill the deal it cash flows great and I can always use the ADU as a single guest bedroom to the original rental but would be better if rented separately