Clarkstown to oppose construction of Pascack Ridge housing project

NANUET – Three representatives sitting on Clarkstown’s Town Board have expressed plans to oppose a zoning change which they argue will bring high-density housing units within walking distance of the town.

Town Supervisor Alexander Gromack joined Councilwomen Shirley Lasker and Stephanie Hausner to propose a resolution opposing the Pascack Ridge subdivision, which is situated just over the Clarkstown-Ramapo border border near Spring Brook Road. The measure was introduced to the Town Board at their November 5 meeting.

At issue is not so much the development itself as its size. The Town of Ramapo is slated to approve a zone change for the property which will upgrade it from “medium density residential” to “multifamily residential.”

This would allow Ramapo to increase the maximum number of units from 2.9 per acre to 12 per acre. With the change in place, the town could build a maximum of 210 four to six bedroom units on the 28.5 acre plot.

Clarkstown officials, however, contend the decision would congest an already crowded area. In a press release issued by the Town of Clarkstown, the reps expressed concerns about the potential for over-development and damage to the environment around Pascack Brook.

“The Town of Clarkstown has strict zoning laws to protect our neighborhoods from over-development,” Gromack stated in the release. “This proposed zoning change, adjacent to our border in Nanuet, does not fit the character of our local neighborhoods and burdens our local roadways, water resources, and natural environment.”

Clarkstown has maintained relatively strict enforcement of its zoning codes compared to neighboring Ramapo, partly to prevent over-development which has proven a persistent problem in Ramapo.

The Town of Ramapo will hold a public hearing on the zoning change on November 12 at Ramapo Town Hall at 8 p.m.