Foil: Your right to Know.
The following email notice was sent out by ROSA 4 Rockland November 14, 2024
On May 8, 2024 the Town Board of Ramapo passed RESOLUTION NO. 2024-203 approving $2,000,000 in bonds (!) to do a sweeping update of the Town’s Comprehensive Plan. The Town of Ramapo is poised to spend money to hire professionals to plan.
HOWEVER, the Town just announced a public hearing for a MASSIVE CHANGE to Zoning Code before even proposing a new Comprehensive Plan. Mind boggling!
The new proposed overlay district states – the Town Board has determined “the establishment of PUD (Planned Unit Development) Districts “throughout the Town is in the public interest” – but is it? Is a local law inviting an anything goes approach to zoning really in the public interest? Especially when considered before the Town passes it’s update to the Comprehensive Plan?
It is the current position of ROSA 4 Rockland that the consideration of this local law is premature and is being considered without any support. FOIL requests for more information have yielded not a single document other than the local law document.
This local law should not be considered outside a comprehensive planning process that examines and determines the unique environmental constraints and existing development patterns of the various areas in unincorporated Ramapo. It should contain specific provisions to ensure that applications are made that are compatible with existing zoning districts. Water and sewer infrastructure constraints are not the only limitations to massive increases in density. All impacts MUST be considered. The Town should consider all development approved but not built and we need to avoid further impacts on dangerous and overburdened traffic corridors. This is not incentive zoning. This is just a massive zoning give away plan.
The new local law invites owners of 10+ acre properties throughout Ramapo to submit applications for whatever Planned Unit Development project they want if they have an existing 10+ acre parcel(s) or if they have acquired multiple parcels that can be consolidated to reach the 10-acre minimum. It’s up to the developer to tell the Town Board what rules they want to follow with respect to setbacks, building heights, building spacing, amount of recreation area, whether streets will be private or public, and to suggest what mixing of housing and any other type of buildings they wish. With this new plan we could see commercial zoning anywhere and everywhere without provisions for public parks, or even public streets, no mandated perimeter buffers, and the introduction of private gated communities everywhere. The densities can be up to 50% of the highest densities allowed in Ramapo, which at this time is 24/acre or even unlimited number in the large lot R-15C requirements. Are you ready for your 1/2 – 1 acre zoning to be replaced with condos at up to 12 UNITS per acre?
| All residents are encouraged to read the existing Town Comprehensive Plan and in particular section D. (The amendment for Northeast Ramapo is here and that area of Town is excluded from this new proposed local law.) While there are affordable housing needs throughout New York State, this free for all approach in the Town of Ramapo in the absence of comprehensive planning is not the way to approach the housing issues affecting our area. Since the proposed local law does NOT determine or directly consider the rezoning any specific parcel of land, (in fact, there is a utter failure to identify any potential parcels of land where this PUD district could land), neighbors of parcels that will be rezoned in the future under this new local law will NOT get mailed notices at this time. SO SHARE THIS EMAIL WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS. Good planning principles begin with understanding what protective conditions need to be stipulated to protect views, wetlands, water supply, sewers and roadways from massive traffic jams. This is what comprehensive planning is about and this is what is needed NOW before any more proposed zone changes. Residents of the Town of Ramapo – including its Villages – living close to any 10-acre parcel of land and those currently impacted by sewer overflows, water and flooding issues, stalled traffic, and those who shudder at the idea of losing every tree on nearby vacant lands should be paying close attention and should take the time to come out and speak or send in written comments by next Tuesday evening. We will send another email on this topic by Monday and post to the website and/or our Facebook page. What? Public Hearing on New Local Law – Notice Here The text of the new Local Law can be found on pages 13-26 of the Town Board Meeting Agenda of 10/29/24 When? November 19, at 7:00 pm Where? Town of Ramapo Town Hall – 237 Rt 59 The questions for residents to consider is what kind of protections from a radical change in zoning do you want to see? Are there specific benefits that you might want to see that would make you feel that the large zoning gifts being handed out will have value to you? What is the depth of perimeter buffers that are needed to shield the view of new housing from existing housing? What protections do you want to see included to keep your living in place and ready to welcome new neighbors who are seeking out a different style of housing? Think about these questions and more. Come to the meeting and be prepared to speak. Most of all, be prepared to ask questions. See additional information including maps of the affected areas at the ROSA facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ROSA4Ramapo/, and visit their website at https://rosa4rockland.org/. |
