Akiko Matsuda

amatsuda@lohud.com

Sloatsburg sued the Ramapo Planning Board over its approvals of a 384-unit housing plan.

Sloatsburg argues the board's decision arbitrary and capricious.

Ramapo Town Attorney said he believed the board's decisions will be upheld by court.

RAMAPO – The village of Sloatsburg has filed a lawsuit against Ramapo town's Planning Board, challenging its approval of a 384-unit housing complex just outside the village's border.

In documents, filed in state Supreme Court in New City, the village charges that the board's approvals for the development, to be known as Woodmont Hills were "arbitrary and capricious, an abuse of discretion in excess of the ... board's jurisdiction and in violation of lawful procedure."

The village is seeking to vacate the board's decision to stop the apartment project.

Ramapo Town Attorney Michael Klein said although he respects the village's opinions, he believed that all concerns raised by Sloatsburg had been adequately addressed by the Planning Board.

"We anticipated ultimately, the court will dismiss the lawsuit," Klein said. "And the Planning Board decisions will be upheld."

The development is proposed for 54 acres in unincorporated Ramapo, just south of the Sloatsburg border. The developer, Woodmont Properties of Fairfield, N.J., wants to build on a swath of woods along Route 17 southbound.

The site, owned by Ramapo Land Co., is zoned for mixed use of residential and commercial. Auntie El's Farm Market — a 30-year-old store that sells baked goods, fruits and vegetables — would be part of the project, making the plan eligible for the mixed-use criteria.

One of the main concerns raised by Sloatsburg is the site's fire safety.

The developer has proposed building 16 three-story buildings, each containing 24 units. The Sloatsburg Fire Department is the first responder to any fire emergency at the site, but the department isn't equipped with "an aerial ladder truck to combat fires at those heights," the court documents stated.

The village wanted the developer to purchase an aerial ladder truck for the fire department. But Planning Board Chairman Sylvan Klein wrote in his decision that the board "determined that it was not legally required, nor in fact necessary for proper fire safety."

The village also expressed concerns about the location of the project in relation to Route 17, which is divided by a center barrier. As a result, the southbound lanes are the only direct access to the site, making it even more time-consuming for the Suffern Fire Department to provide a mutual aid aerial truck for the Woodmont Hills site.

Sylvan Klein wrote that the developer addressed fire safety by agreeing to fully equip all residential buildings with sprinklers and provide a proper fire access road.

Twitter: @LohudAkiko