Please read my statement on the Pascack Ridge development, as given at the Town of Ramapo Public Hearing last night: As both a Rockland County Legislator speaking on behalf of my constituents in the Towns of Clarkstown and Ramapo, and as a concerned resident, I am adamantly opposed to any zoning change proposed for the area targeted by the developers of the Pascack Ridge project. The town has an obligation to its residents to develop and adhere to an overall plan for housing density and distribution that is fair and sensible for all. The Town of Ramapo’s most recent Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 2004 and has this land area designated as R-15 medium density housing, noting an average density for that designation of roughly 3-4 dwellings per acre. The town is now considering changing the zoning to accommodate up to 294 units on a land parcel that is fraught with environmental and geographical challenges. Moreover, in order to appropriately evaluate the merits of increased density in this area, the town must study the entire town and not just the subject area itself. The town is in conflict with this obligation to the Comprehensive Plan. If approval is granted here, it will appear to be spot zoning, as other areas were not considered as more potentially viable options. Therefore, the town has no obligation to even hear this application and the developer has no right to an approval or even a hearing. Nonetheless, I would like to go on record to note some of the many objections I have regarding this site, the population density and the impact it will have on the area. The project essentially hits upon every one of the major concerns and issues facing Rockland County today: over-development; environmental issues; school district funding; water and waste management; and quality of life. Let’s start with looking at why the town chose this particular site for development. The land along Ewing Avenue is steeply sloped, with a narrow ridge of relatively flat land that quickly drops off and steadily descends down to Pascack Rd. The Pascack Brook runs through the lower half of the property and is already a known source of flooding in the Town of Clarkstown. There is an Orange & Rockland easement on the property in place due to the presence of high tension power line towers. There is a sewer district easement that comes within 5 feet of dwelling units as currently proposed in the building plans. The property has little access to main roads to account for the comings and goings of its residents. There are no sidewalks available for walking to the nearest shopping points, which are up to a half a mile away from some of the units. There was no better site for this type of development in the entire Town of Ramapo? Surely, there would be if the town had followed its obligation to review the entire Comprehensive Plan. That is what needs to be done, as this site is clearly ill-suited for this type of development. The current plan also lacks some of the required specifications for multi-family housing. There is no access to a state or county road, which is a requirement. The narrow local roads that surround this property are not equipped to handle the increased vehicle or pedestrian traffic. Last I checked, the county had not received a copy of the traffic study done for the town report. The plans do not meet the requirement for 2 parking spots per dwelling, as there are only 420 spots for 294 units. This would require the granting of a variance of 31% to over-ride the requirement. 24 of the buildings do not meet the separation requirement of 30 feet. These, however, are minor issues compared to the main ones regarding the poor overall location for a development of this size and density. Anyone driving by this parcel of land can tell you it is a bad idea. Respectfully, given the adverse impacts and, perhaps more importantly, the lack of a comprehensive review as to the actual public benefit that this development will provide to the citizens of Ramapo, I ask that you deny this application and move to the development of a new Comprehensive Plan that will evaluate the land use needs of the town in total. That would be a more appropriate avenue to pursue in order to determine if this type of housing is needed, and if so, where it would be most ideally located. In any event, it can’t be here and it can’t be now. The Town of Ramapo must call for a complete environmental study pursuant to the New York State Environmental Review Act and move to re-examine the entire Comprehensive Plan before it can move forward with any re-zoning of land such as this parcel. The Pascack Ridge project cannot go forward without having all the concerns and questions addressed by the developer. The town must recognize its obligations to protect the best interests of its residents and its neighbors.
Posted on: Fri, 16 Jan 2015 02:59:45 +0000
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