GETTING ORGANIZED: 800 show up at Nanuet High School for “CUPON” meeting

Concerns take hold following bid to purchase Grace Baptist

BY JOE KUHN 
PHOTO BY KATHY KAHN

Last Thursday, Nanuet High School was the scene of an informational meeting held by Citizens United to Protect Our Neighborhood (CUPON) – a community organization dedicated to preventing illegal land-use practices and preserving local neighborhoods.

Founded in 2016 by Rockland resident Mike Miller, CUPON fights to stop “overdevelopment, illegal housing, code violations, spot zoning, excessive variances, and abusive rental situations.” CUPON has already established chapters in Monsey, Nyack, New City, Spring Valley and many other towns within the county.

Last week’s informational meeting was the first step toward establishing a Nanuet chapter of the organization and was spurred by the impending sale of Grace Baptist Church to Rabbi Aaron Fink, Dean of Ateres Bais Yaakov yeshiva.

Many Nanuet residents are concerned that the sale of the church, and subsequent relocation of Ateres Bais Yaakov, will create significant traffic congestion and other disturbances for the Nanuet school district and neighborhood. They have turned to CUPON to learn more about local law on land use and development.

If established, Nanuet’s branch of CUPON would monitor the current controversy, as well as the sale of other town properties likely to request changes in their designated land use. CUPON is “in it for the long haul” and would work to ensure that all new property development would be done responsibly and that growth did not happen at the expense of the larger community.

Members of the “interim leadership group” who organized the meeting repeatedly encouraged the crowd to donate to the cause and to help establish “a formal organization with a board of trustees.”  Citizens were invited to run for office in the new organization or nominate suitable candidates, and to visit CUPON’s website. [www.cuponnanuet.org]

  Citizens United to Protect Our Neighborhood, CUPON