Mareesa Nicosia

mnicosia@lohud.com

Religious camp is missing permits for pool prep work done on school grounds

Under summer lease with camp, East Ramapo district would get $125,000

Lease could be renewed for up to five years

CHESTNUT RIDGE – A religious day camp angling to set up four swimming pools at Chestnut Ridge Middle School under a summer lease agreement has begun work on the property without the proper permits.

Chestnut Ridge code enforcement officials issued a stop-work order to both the camp and its landlord, the East Ramapo school district, after workers at the middle school were seen earlier in the week trenching and laying electrical lines and installing a new electric meter on school property during the day, Village Mayor Rosario Presti Jr. said.

"I saw the work in passing, because I drive by there every day. Then people started calling the village," he said Friday. "Code enforcement went out and politely asked them to leave the site, but everything was already done."

Presti said the workers claimed they were employees of the school district.

Camp Shalom, based in Teaneck, New Jersey, approached the village in the winter about its plans to move the camp to the middle school from its previous location in Orangeburg. It also had a new proposal to lay concrete pads for four temporary, above-ground swimming pools.

The village told the camp owner, Yosef Levine of Teaneck, he'd need to complete the application process and get zoning board approval to proceed with the pool plan, Presti said, but the village never received an application.

The camp's initial response was to insist, incorrectly, that it didn't have to go through the permitting process because they'd be located at a school, Presti said.

"We're not trying to be an adversary, we're trying to make sure everything gets done safely," he said. "I don't believe that the camp is proceeding in a prudent manner. They've had plenty of time and notice and now it's almost like they've waited until the 11th hour and that's where we have a problem."

Also required are two approvals from the county Health Department, which issues summer camp permits and inspects pools to ensure they meet sanitary codes. A camp permit is expected to be approved, but so far the department hasn't received a plan for the pools, Director of Environmental Health Judi Hunderfund said Friday.

Levine's attorney, Ryan Karben, issued a statement on Levine's behalf.

"Camp Shalom is committed to the safety and comfort of its neighbors, campers and staff. Any approvals required by law will be obtained," he said in an email.

Camp Shalom opens June 30 and offers drama, sports, art and other activities for observant Jewish boys and girls, according to its website. It serves about 600 children from Bergen and Rockland counties.

East Ramapo school board Vice President Yonah Rothman said Friday he was expecting work to go on at the middle school, but was unaware that a stop-work order had been issued. He said he didn't recall any requirement to get permits for work done on school property.

"This is news to me," he said.

The school board approved a plan in February to lease the property to the camp and then spent months hashing out the specifics before making the document public.

Under the lease, the camp will pay the district $125,000 for use of the middle school building and grounds for June, July and August. The lease is for two years and may be extended for up to five years. After the first year, rent will increase 1.5 percent annually.

The lease says the tenant may install four pools measuring 25 feet by 40 feet. The tenant is responsible for installing a dedicated service line to provide electricity to the pool filters as well as all other costs related to operating the pools. At the end of the summer, the tenant must drain the pools and restore the areas for "anticipated year-round athletic activities."

East Ramapo officials have said the concrete pads will improve the value of the property and that Chestnut Ridge students can use them during the year for basketball courts or the like. That announcement — made at a board meeting earlier this year — didn't sit well with some parents who are angry that funding for middle school sports and summer school for East Ramapo students has been cut.

Superintendent of Schools Joel Klein and board president Yehuda Weissmandl did not return messages seeking comment.

Levine has also expressed interest in purchasing a 10 1/2-acre land parcel adjacent to the middle school on Red Schoolhouse Road for use as a permanent home for the camp. He did not return messages seeking comment.

Twitter: @MareesaNicosia