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Archives for January 2018

Chestnut Ridge Zoning Board revokes certificate of occupancy for garage used as synagogue

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3-car Garage at 3 Spring Hill Terrace

Monday night at a meeting of the Chestnut Ridge Zoning Board of Appeals (Jan. 29), the board voted 5-0 to revoke the C/O (certificate of occupancy) that had been granted by the Village’s building inspector to an oversized, two-story 3-car garage at 3 Spring Hill Terrace. This was the second meeting about the garage, and both sessions lasted almost three hours and had to be held at the Chestnut Ridge Middle School due to an overflow of those attending. The difficulty of arriving at a conclusion was not due to the facts but rather a Catch 22 in the state’s zoning law. [Read more…]

Hillcrest CUPON meeting tonight

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The first CUPON meeting of the new year will be held tonight, Wednesday Jan. 31 at 7pm at the Hillcrest Firehouse, 374 North Main Street, Hillcrest.

Items on tonight’s agenda include:

1. Overdevelopment— Bluefield Extension, 9 Northbrook Rd. Updates

2. Illegal housing and Code enforcement—updates

3. In the news, items of interest

4. Look ahead for 2018

Spring Valley Mayor Alan Simon dismisses fire inspector

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Fire Chief John Zajac at his desk

West Haverstraw Fire Chief John Zajac

“With the village Building Department and inspection program being monitored by New York state for ineffectiveness, Mayor Alan Simon has dismissed the village fire inspector just before his six-month probationary period was set to expire this month.

The village hired John Zajac, a longtime West Haverstraw fire chief, in July as a full-time fire inspector to succeed the retired Raymond Guarnuccio, a former Spring Valley fire chief. Zajac was paid about $47,000. [Read more…]

The state of Ramapo: Looking ahead

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Supervisor Michael Specht at his desk at Town Hall.

Ramapo Supervisor Michael Specht Photo: John Meore/The Journal News

“Ramapo Supervisor Michael Specht and the Town Board have ambitious plans for 2018, an agenda being watched closely by critics and supporters. Along with goals to improve services for residents, they are looking to change the culture of the town, one dominated by corruption, poor fire and building enforcement, over-development, and a lack of transparency.  “We want to restore our credibility and demonstrate we are transparent,” Specht said recently during an interview in his Town Hall office. “We want to show we’re fair to all our residents. We understand this will take time. One major goal is to save the taxpayers money.” [Read more…]

Ullman resigns from Town Board, named tax receiver

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Councilman Yitzchok Ullman Photo: John Meore/The Journal News

“Councilman Yitzchok Ullman resigned Monday night from the Town Board and was immediately named the town receiver of taxesto succeed the retiring tax collector.

Ullman, a board member for a decade who served as acting supervisor for six months in 2017, will succeed 88-year-old Nathan Oberman, who submitted his retirement papers on Friday, according to town officials. Oberman’s retirement takes effect Tuesday after 21 years on the job.

Oberman, a former Ramapo Democratic Party chairman named in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission legal action, had been one of several holdovers not reappointed by the Town Board. His health and personal issues led him to retire, officials said. The SEC case is continuing. [Read more…]

Rockland lawmakers probe Sewer District projects costing millions

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Sewer processing plant in Western Ramapo

Sewer District 1 Western Extension Photo by Akiko Matsuda/The Journal News

“A Rockland County Legislature investigative panel has started digging into the county Sewer District’s management of projects that have cost taxpayers millions of dollars.

The panel meeting Monday has obtained mounds of documents from Rockland Sewer District 1, including the Western Ramapo Sewer Extension project that has ballooned from a starting cost of $72 million to $181 million and is plagued by lawsuits.

The panel’s overall goal is to determine what mistakes occurred, offer suggestions on approving the administration or making changes, and making referrals, if necessary, to law enforcement for further investigation. [Read more…]

Landlords rented out house after it was seized for back taxes

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“Two landlords rented out a single-family home even though the house had been seized by Rockland County for lack of property tax payments, according to a lawsuit.

After finding the house occupied and tenants paying rent to the former owners, Joseph Greenbaum and Elazer Dancziger, the county filed a civil lawsuit against the two New Square men and referred the case for criminal investigation to the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office.

The county contends Greenbaum lost ownership for not paying property taxes since 2012. Dancziger used the address for his two medical-related businesses and managed the property, the county said. [Read more…]

Kaser: Fire-damaged trailer sits on same property with Village Hall

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Trailer on Kaser Village Hall property

A fire broke out in a group of trailers across from the Kaser Village Hall at 15 Elyon Road early Sunday morning. The unattached trailers, village hall and attached boy’s school are on the same fenced-in property. (Photo: Rochel Leah Goldblatt/lohud)

“A Sunday-morning fire in trailers that raised questions among fire officials occurred on the same property as a yeshiva and Kaser Village Hall.

The property belongs to congregation Khal Torath Chaim, according to Ramapo town property records. The Village Hall rents an office from the yeshiva, Kaser Deputy Village Clerk Binyomin Mermelstein said. [Read more…]

Reader says developers ought to obtain acknowledgement of neighbors

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The following letter appeared in The Rockland County Times just before New Years.

To the Editor,

On December 21, 2017 I attended a meeting of the Town of Ramapo Zoning Board of Appeals where I witnessed an extremely acrimonious dispute between long-time residents of the Fred Eller Lane, Monsey, NY community area and the attorney for a developer seeking to put multi-family housing into their neighborhood. Many of the feelings expressed by the residents were identical to those of my family and neighbors who are fighting a similar development. What these residents and their attorney noted in particular was the developer was not going to reside there on Fred Eller Lane. [Read more…]