Dear Suffern Residents,
I am very optimistic that prospective buyers of the Novartis site located in the village appear to be actively negotiating for the acquisition of the property.
Of paramount importance to me is that Village residents not be adversely impacted by any potential proposal. The right proposal will be a vehicle to reduce our current tax burden as well as drive job generation.
Unfortunately, the Town of Ramapo recently adopted a resolution which will likely produce the exact opposite results. Note, there have been published reports stating the Town of Ramapo is pursuing the purchase of the Novartis property with the intention to lease the land to Merlin Entertainment so a Legoland Theme Park can be established.
Let me be perfectly clear, since this type of purchase wouldn’t be in the best interest of our Village, Suffern will not support an agreement between the Town of Ramapo (or any other entity) and a
potential buyer/developer, that is not advantageous to the Village of Suffern. Suffern’s property tax revenue will be potentially reduced if the Town of Ramapo purchases this land.
Suffern/Ramapo taxpayers should not be expected to pay millions of their hard earned dollars on a parcel which is currently being pursued by two interested private sector businesses. With a property development deal of this magnitude, it’s critical for us to continue the research into all available options and the related impact to our local residents and the Village.
As your Mayor, I strive to bring responsible, private development to the Novartis site; development fitting to the community; tax revenue to the Village of Suffern and the Ramapo Central School District and; implement such development in an open and transparent manner for all our citizens. When the Novartis property is sold, whether it be to Legoland or any other bona fide buyer, that purchase must make sense to all affected parties, especially to the residents of the Village of Suffern.
I appreciate your support while I continue to work closely with Rockland County Executive, Ed Day, Ramapo Central School District, Rockland Economic Development Corp., Rockland County Industrial Development Agency, Village of Montebello and the Town of Ramapo. Together, we can do great things for Suffern.
Thank you for your support.
Mayor Ed Markunas
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