Richard Liebson

rliebson@lohud.com

Key events in the evolution of zoning in Ramapo, N.Y.:

1954 — Brooklyn-based Skverer Rebbe Yaakov Yosef Twersky purchases a 130-acre dairy farm near Spring Valley, in Ramapo, to establish a Hasidic Jewish community that became known as New Square. The name, anglicized by a typist, is taken from the City of Skver in what is now Ukraine.

1955 — The Tappan Zee Bridge opens, connecting Rockland and Westchester counties. With commuting to and from New York more convenient, more city residents begin moving to Rockland.

1961 — New Square incorporates into a village after the Ramapo town attorney calls for the settlement to be condemned for not complying with zoning laws and building codes. One of the main issues concerns construction of the community’s synagogue.

1970 — Ramapo’s population, which stood at 35,000 in 1960, is now almost 77,000, according to census figures. Much of the increase comes from the growing ultra-religious Jewish community.

1982-1991 — The “zoning villages” of Wesley Hills (1982), New Hempstead (1983), Chestnut Ridge and Montebello (1986) and Airmont (1991) are incorporated in an attempt to control zoning and high-density development by Hasidic and other ultra-Orthodox Jews.

1990 — The Village of Kaser is incorporated to allow denser zoning to accommodate the continued growth of the ultra-religious Jewish community within the Ramapo Hamlet of Monsey.

2000 — Christopher St. Lawrence becomes Ramapo supervisor. Soon afterward, the town creates zoning that allows higher density residential development.

2005 — Ultra-religious Jews gain control of the East Ramapo Board of Education, thanks to support from a voting bloc of Hasidic and other Orthodox Jews.

2010 - Ramapo's population is 126,595, according to census figures, a 16 percent increase from 2000.

2015 — The East Ramapo School District is placed under state oversight in the wake of lawsuits and complaints to the state Education Department over allegations of financial mismanagement by school officials.

2015 — In May, Rockland's Health Department begins inspecting housing and issuing summonses based on the county’s sanitary code in response to the lack of enforcement in Ramapo.

2015 — County Executive Ed Day says Rockland is ready to take over inspections in Spring Valley at the state’s request.

2016 — In May, Rockland is authorized by the state to inspect more than 20 Ramapo yeshivas that have not filed the required inspection reports in years.

2016 — In June, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signs into law a measure requiring more state oversight of the East Ramapo School District. The one-year deal requires the school board to submit its budget to state Education Commissioner Maryellen Elia for approval.

2016 — In July, Albany orders Ramapo to change local laws to bring them into compliance with various provisions of the state's fire, building and energy conservation codes. The town adopts the changes in November.

2016 — In December, residents approve a $58 million bond to repair East Ramapo school buildings. Advocates say the approval is a sign of confidence in the state's oversight of the district.

2016 — Also in December, the state appoints oversight officers to monitor the Ramapo and Spring Valley building departments.