The town's last comprehensive master plan came in 2004 and should be reviewing every 1-3 years

Zoning updating process has been met with caution and concern by citizen groups

RAMAPO - The piece-meal remaking of the town's zoning for major parcels starts tonight at the baseball stadium.

Called charrettes, these meetings with the town's zoning planners, residents and businesses are designed to elicit ideas for what all stakeholders want built in the northeastern section of Ramapo.

The area includes undeveloped parcels such as the former Minisceongo Golf Club, the Striker Property in Pomona, property along Conklin Road area and other smaller parcels. New Hempstead also is conducting similar sessions with same planners for the former Matterhorn Nursery in the village.

E. COLI OUTBREAK: Is it safe to eat the romaine lettuce yet?

Many residents oppose massive housing developments in this area of Ramapo, fearing high-density housing similar to what's built in Monsey and proposed on Patrick Farm along the route 202-306 corridor.

Schedule

The working schedule at the ball park, 1 Palisades Credit Union Park Drive is:

Tuesday, Nov. 27, 6 to 9 p.m.: The kick-off and hands on design session, which will include a presentation on town planning and community revitalization. Following the presentation, neighbors can draw their own vision of northeast Ramapo.

Wednesday, Nov. 28 to Friday, Nov. 30, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.: Residents can stop by the design studio to talk with the design team and provide input as the plan evolves.

Thursday, Nov. 29, 6 to 8 p.m.: An open house to review the community ideas, draft plans and illustrations for the future of northeast Ramapo.

There's also a meeting at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday for religious institutions, such as the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Rockland.

Ramapo officials said the point of the sessions is to hear from residents and allow them to work with town planner Michael Klatsky, land-use designers Dover Kohl & Partners, and the Laberge Group.

Ramapo Supervisor Michael Specht said the open discussion and training sessions will allow residents and planners to play around with ideas for development of the parcels, or not develop parcels at all.

He said Labarge officials will also meet privately with residents, businesses and other stake-holders.

"We're hoping for a collaboration among citizens, planners and architects," Specht said.

Mona Montal, the town's purchasing director and Specht's top aide, said the same crew and process will move onto other areas of town, including Monsey.

She estimated the rezoning process could take 2 1/2 years but the town planning board and zoning board could consider development schemes after each area is completed.

Review and caution

The town's last comprehensive master plan came in 2004 and should be reviewed every year to three years, she said. Municipalities should be updating the plan every decade. Airmont recently completed its master plan update and New Hempstead is reviewing. The sessions "will provide a forum for ideas and will allow resident to offer immediate feedback to designers," the town statement said.

The zoning update process has been met with caution of citizens activist groups such as CUPON-Rockland and ROSA, the acronym for Ramapo Organized for Sustainability and a Safe Aquifer.

ROSA's legal actions have blocked a nearly 500-home development on Patrick Farm. CUPON, the acronym for Citizens United to Protect Our Neighborhood, has successfully challenged several town planning and zoning approvals.

CUPON-Rockland director Gordon Wren Jr. said environmentalists and neighborhood leaders remain on alert giving Ramapo's history of high-density housing against the wishes of residents.

"Right now, CUPON is taking the position that we're concerned about what plans may be considered," Wren said. "The northeast area of town remains rather rural and single-family. What Ramapo usually does is allow unfettered growth, which brings multiple family housing and traffic."

Wren, a Hillcrest firefighter and former Ramapo building inspector and just retired Rockland Fire and Emergency Services coordinator, said CUPON is prepared to help any neighborhood take legal action and coordinate opposition to any inappropriate planning.

Ramapo: Striker Property sale faces opposition from Skyview Acres neighbors

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Golf course neighbors vow to fight 700-unit townhouse project

New Hempstead: Residents fret about former Matterhorn Nursery future

"Transparency is always a good thing," Wren said of the sessions. "We will know more as the town moves forward."

ROSA posted on its Facebook page that the town didn't provide residents with much lead-time. ROSA has concerns about the process.

"Rather than putting out a public bid for planners, the Town put out a request for qualifications with a rather assumptive description of what should be proposed for this area." ROSA said.

The nonprofit environmentalist group said the town hired its "new favorite consultant and it looks like they have been busy sketching out a new build up of this very low density area."

"Rather than engage in traditional comprehensive planning the Town Board is embarking on a piecemeal series of planning efforts around the Town of Ramapo with the first area slated for "Northeast Ramapo," ROSA said.

ROSA - like CUPON - urged residents to attend and stay involved.

The town's planners will hold a follow up meeting in December.

Twitter: @lohudlegal