Pascack Ridge Location
There will be a Public Hearing for the zone change for Pascack Ridge, from R-15 to MR-12, Wednesday, August 15th, 7:00pm at Ramapo Town Hall.
Here are background statements from the CUPON community, and Micheal Miller, followed by the ROSA explanation and documents that explain the critical nature of the changes proposed by the Ramapo Supervisor and Board:
This is the most important assault on Hillcrest and surrounding communities to date. While most communities in the United States are willingly or being forced to integrate housing and most other basic human rights, our elected officials in Ramapo are aiding and abetting segregated housing, here in the middle of Hillcrest, the most diverse community in Rockland county There is nothing wrong with responsible building to enhance and renew a community. That is NOT what this is. This development, and what’s to follow, will displace practically every person of color, and those with different beliefs, in this portion of the unincorporated Town of Ramapo. Regardless of your financial, health, or social status you will not be able to rent, buy or live in these proposed housing units that the town is ready to enable development.
If we are complacent about this, if we don’t fully come out and object to this, everything you are familiar with will change at your expense. We must make our voices and voting potential heard.
Come out to the Ramapo Town Board meeting at 237 Rt 59, Suffern NY, Wednesday August 15th, at 7:00pm, and make your opinion known.
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See the Pascack Ridge details from ROSA 4 Rockland below:
Note the ROSA statement “this plan does not represent a minor transitional rezoning, it’s a whole hog rezoning plan that will primarily benefit two developers and will set a precedent for rezoning the entirety of the Hillcrest area of the Town of Ramapo.”
Plan for Pascack Ridge
Wednesday 8/15 at 7:00pm – There will be a public hearing at the Town of Ramapo to review and hear comments on the DEIS regarding for rezoning requests to convert the 27.6 acre environmentally constrained “Pascack Ridge” R-15 (1 home per 15K sq. ft., or 2 attached homes mother/daughter style – per 20K) to MR-12 (12 multi-family homes per acre) and the amendment to the Comprehensive Plan that would enable that rezoning. . For reference, the Patrick Farm rezoning was to MR-8 (8 homes per acre). This site has the Pascack River, utility easements, a large ACOE wetland, and steep slopes. Sound familiar?
In February of 2015, ROSA submitted a letter to the Town Board regarding their plan to proceed with the rezoning of this area and it would seem that the current DEIS still does not address the fundamental issues of Town planning. https://www.dropbox.com/…/Pasc…/DEIS%20Posted%20on%20Website
NY State guidelines for updates to a comprehensive plan is to do it every 5-7 years. Our Comprehensive Plan was created in 2003 and approved in January of 2004. It has been 14.5 years since it was approved.
During the last election the administration ran on a platform that had as its first commitment “The Town’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan is now over 12 years old. We will immediately undertake a full review of the Town’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan and Zoning Law. This process will be open to public participation and we will seek the active input of all our residents in determining how to meet the future needs of the Town. During this time, we will implement a moratorium (“freeze”) on certain types of new development. No development of the Route 59 corridor will be considered without the strengthening of the existing infrastructure and only after the public is given the opportunity to participate.”
Whatever reviews that have been taking place are not in the context of updating the comprehensive plan and they certain haven’t been public. Now they are proceeding piecemeal and this is a problem.
At the July 19, 2018 Town Board meeting it was revealed that the Town is hiring LeBarge as the winner of a bid to develop a strategic plan for the Rte. 202 corridor (more on that when we receive the proposal that was approved).
The bottom line is that the Town is continuing to move forward on drastic rezoning plans in the absence of its fundamental responsibility and any homeowner living in a traditional single family district (R-15, R-15A, R-25, R-35, R40+) should pay attention to what is being proposed this Wednesday night.
Without going into details, this plan does not represent a minor transitional rezoning, it’s a whole hog rezoning plan that will primarily benefit two developers and will set a precedent for rezoning the entirety of the Hillcrest area of the Town of Ramapo.
The biggest problem is that in many ways the Town is looking at these proposals in a vacuum. The time has come for a moratorium on development to take the time to analyze where we are at this point in time. This is a good context to remind the Town Board that we need real leadership when it comes to planning and zoning in Ramapo.
Please attend this meeting to learn more and to make thoughtful and respectful comments. This involves a change to the comprehensive plan. Ask the big questions that we all need answers to:
– Forgetting the ongoing insane level of variances, what is the current capacity for development simply based on current zoning?
– What projects have been approved but not (fully) developed?
– What projects are already in the pipeline?
– What homes have already been purchased by LLCs that are targeted for future development?
– What is the status of our road, sewer and water etc. infrastructures compared to development potential under existing zoning?
– The multi-family definitions that came out of the comprehensive zoning recommendations of the past were designed for implementation along the Rte. 59 corridor. Has the Town Planner recommended new multi family zoning districts that would allow for development more consistent with the existing single family zones without drastic impacts to existing community character?
Please come out to learn more and to share your thoughts on Wednesday night and please be respectful and ask the right questions.
The DEIS is available on the Town website and here: https://www.dropbox.com/…/rkkuad…/AADX01WhczFSGNDOXuN6fEcWa…