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“Anti-Semitism,” Racism, and Growth in Ramapo

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Commentary from Robert I. Rhodes, Ph. D., Chairman, Preserve Ramapo

Ramapo has a hero in the county legislature.  His name is Aron Wieder.  A man of great courage, he has taken on the burdensome defense of our Hasidic community.  Whenever it is suggested that high density housing is overwhelming Ramapo’s resources he goes on the attack.  This argument, he charges, is an anti-Semitic slur directed against his community.

But Wieder is not a hero, he is a racist.  He knows that much of the housing that has been built in recent years for his community was built on land formerly occupied by modest homes owned by Black and Brown families.  They were block busted out of their homes.  Most of the rest of the high-density developments in Ramapo were built on vacant land that had been drastically down-zoned as a gift to Hasidic developers. [Read more…]

Ramapo mulls future for multiple properties amid deficit, development issues

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The Suffern Quarry Image courtesy Rosspilot

“Town officials continue to wrestle with the future of properties once bought for profit and for green and historic preservation as part of an ambitious plan to prevent development.

With the town facing an estimated $8.5 million deficit, officials are contending with new financial realities as demands for more housing clash with demands for open space.

On Monday night, five of those dozens of properties were discussed during a public hearing that lasted several hours and was attended by dozens of residents who packed Ramapo Town Hall. [Read more…]

The Battle for Ramapo

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Editorial from Robert Rhodes

Shortly after Christopher St. Lawrence became Ramapo Supervisor, he announced that he wanted to pass a new, comprehensive master plan for land use in Ramapo. His initial plan included several “Planned Residential Development” districts. It seemed obvious to me that these PRD districts could not possibly fulfill the basic NYS requirements of a master plan. [Read more…]

Legal challenge of Ramapo Bluefield housing plan OK’d in bid to preserve neighborhoods

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Photo of Micheal Miller of CUPON

Micheal Miller of CUPON Photo by Peter Carr/The Journal News

The larger issue behind the lawsuit remains Ramapo’s failure to maintain single-family housing, say critics of the expansion plan.

“A lawsuit seeking to void a town agency’s zoning variance to allow high-density housing off Union Road has passed muster with a judge.

Acting Supreme Court Judge Sherri Eisenpress rejected the developer’s attempt to derail the lawsuit filed by citizen’s group CUPON-Hillcrest and Sharon Doucette, whose property shares a narrow driveway with the project, called the Bluefield Extension.

The property is targeted for development of 15 to 20 units on approximately one acre.  It sits across from the massive Bluefield complex of multiple family townhouses. [Read more…]

Striker Property sale faces opposition from Skyview Acres neighbors

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The Striker property, left, is 75 acres off Route 45 that the Town of Ramapo is looking to sell for use as a campus for yeshivas Sept. 20, 2018. Peter Carr/The Journal News

When the town bought the nearly 75-acre Striker Property in 2009, Paul Nagin and his Skyview Acres neighbors were led to believe the land would forever be preserved from development.

Times have changed and they are learning the commitment may not be forever.

The deal’s mastermind, then-Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence, sits in federal prison. The town faces a potential budget deficit topping $8 million and are looking to sell properties bought for supposed preservation during St. Lawrence’s tenure. [Read more…]

Ramapo looks to sell about 75 acres for yeshiva campus

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View of some of Striker property

An abandoned building is on part of about 75 acres off Route 45 that Ramapo is looking to sell as a campus for yeshivas. (Photo: Peter Carr/The Journal News)

“Town officials are facing criticism for their vision of a campus for multiple yeshivas on nearly 75 acres of town land along Route 45. 

Officials believe such a campus will improve safety and the property sale would provide millions of dollars for a town facing a potential multimillion-dollar budget deficit. [Read more…]

Pascack Ridge plan would benefit one community, burden all of Ramapo, Assemblywoman says

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Ellen Jaffee Re “Ramapo’s Pascack Ridge housing plan continues amid opposition,” Aug. 17 article:

As an elected official, my job is to listen to those I serve and to alleviate, not impose hardships. Many of my constituents have expressed a broad range of concerns regarding the proposed Pascack Ridge development.

There are those who might justify the need for such a massive project to address the shortage of housing in the Town of Ramapo and the growing number of families with children. However, that is not the intent of this project. The proposed development is not a response to the Hillcrest community as a whole, but rather a proposal to create segregated housing in one of the most diverse communities in Rockland County, a community I am proud to represent. Any justification for a project that will benefit only some residents, while imposing an enormous burden on the entire community is nullified. [Read more…]

Citizens will fight Ramapo on Pascack Ridge housing plan

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Community View first appeared in The Journal News Aug. 20, 2018 

The proposed amendment to the Ramapo Comprehensive Plan is a Trojan horse.

The destruction of zoning in Ramapo has been going on for years. Usually the Ramapo Planning Board puts together a list of all of the variances that a well-connected builder needs to build high density housing where it isn’t allowed. Then the Zoning Board of Appeals approves the illegal variances. Finally, the Planning Board gives approval to the development. Since ordinary residents don’t have the resources to sue, the illegal decision is final. [Read more…]

Ramapo shelves first-time homebuyer tax exemption proposal

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Michael Specht Ramapo Supervisor

Ramapo Supervisor Michael Specht Photo: Carucha L. Meuse/The Journal News

“The Town of Ramapo has pulled a controversial proposal to give tax breaks to first-time buyers of newly constructed homes.

The plan would have lowered town taxes over five years, by 50 percent the first year down to 10 percent in the last, for those who bought a newly built home and had not owned a home before. [Read more…]

Lawsuits: Ramapo bypassed county review, approved high-density housing without zone change

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Micheal Miller, Gordon Wren and Deborah Munitz of CUPON Hillcrest Photo: Peter Carr/The Journal News

Double-barreled legal actions seeking to void a high-density development accuse the town of bypassing a legally mandated county planning review and allowing the Union Road project to move toward final approval without an approved zone change.

The legal actions are asking a state judge to void or block plans for 10 townhouses with 15 to 20 units on 1.05 acres down a narrow driveway behind a four-story building and a single-family house. [Read more…]