Forget the concept of affordable housing. It's a myth. Cut the taxes in half and people can afford to live here.

The other issues here with RGHDS is that there are other buyers waiting to snatch this property up. It would be a short ride down New Hempstead to Philips Hill road from Ramapo. And I would bet that the new owners would be tax exempt too.

Used to be it was the best part,Now it looks like the rest of the town..cheap. It reminds me of the jersey shore when I was a kid.

I WAS hoping that they cut the trees down to widen the street and remedy that accident waiting to happen where people who are making a left up laurel block all traffic from proceeding south to 304 but I doubt it. we must preserve that telephone pole at all costs.

alas tha tis second to the other accident waiting to happen in front of higgins where you must change lanes to go straight and then change lanes again when you go through the intersection all the while hoping no one decided to take the shortcut and use the right lane which is strictly for right turns and go straight..into the side of my car.

Please god you are not stuck behind some one making a left into chase which will require another lane change or 2

Most accidents happen during lane changes.

LOL.good one

Watchdog, would you agree that the owners of the property have a right to sell the property to who ever they so choose? Would you also agree that the owners of the property have a reasonable expectation to maximize their profit through the sale of the property? If the town is ultimately the highest bidder, who wins? Not the taxpayer, for we have now been stuck with the bill which shall be due every year. If the highest bidder is a private party, who wins? We all do - they get the building and we don't get stuck with the tab.

If the sale is to the "HASIDS" (as you derogatorily refer to them) would that not be the best for all parties involved in the transaction? You have no interest in this transaction, of this I am sure. You have only a personal reason to want to see this property go into any hands other than the "HASIDS". What if the "HASIDS" are not the purchaser? Would you still be against the sale if the buyer is another Orthodox group? You base your assumptions on the false premise that all Orthodox are Chassidic. And what if the highest bidder is a Chassidic group? How does this in any way affect you? What harm comes to you though this private transaction?

Marc, you are all over the place. Hasids is a shortened version of Hasidic. Hasids have taken control of the elective process by virtue of being told for whom to vote. In that sense, they are not a free people. It is disturbing for our democracy and it hasZERO To do with their religion per se. Politicians especially Democratic politicians have sold their souls just to get elected and it destroying our County. IMO it is already too late. Taxpayers have been sold down the river and protecting one building will not stop the ruination of Rockand.

Michael, I agree that the numbers need to worked out and shown to the taxpayers. I would trust either Frank Borelli or George Hoehman, who both have good business sense, to captain this analysis. From where I sit, it seems like a no-brainer. The value of Street School (which is just the land) plus the cost to refurbish it I think roughly equals the purchase price of Gittleman. If the town sells Street School as is to a local developer and he builds 20 affordable housing units, the town increases it's tax base by $200,000/year. Also, money will be spent locally for materials and by the workmen all over town, as well as by the occupants of the new housing once it is complete. It makes perfect financial sense to me.

I agree with your line of thinking, but to estimate that 100 people would use this facility is really silly. The Street center hosts the preschool (about 100 kids just in that program) plus a number of sports classes and sports leagues for kids (mixed sports, indoor soccer, basketball, indoor hockey, etc.). These are programs that get our kids moving over the winter, and that each child pays a registration fee to participate. The gym at Street Center is very small and really only appropriate for youth programs (but barely so); a center with a full-sized adult gym would allow for even more programs to be run. Street Center isn't just a hang-out spot for seniors to play pinochle.

My son went to Street School for preschool last year, but I didn't keep him there for Pre-K even though I liked the program, because the possibility of a renovation meant the preschool would be relocated to Congers, and I didn't want to have to drive there every day. A bigger facility would allow them to potentially expand their very lovely preschool and provide more stability and better facilities for the program, which is one of the more affordable preschool choices for Town residents.

the appraisal will have to be very close to what they are assessed at now. how could they hire someone and have them come in with an assessment that would invite another tax refund, and for how many years back would it apply. they will hire a company that has been vetted to comply within their specs. making it appear like they aren't is what they will mostly be paid for. To he__ the towns best interest.

Gromack has been told that he better want it and like the good little puppet he is..he complied.

Politicians who have nothing to lose have nothing to gain by doing the right thing, There is no legacy to worry about for Clarkstown supervisors like the presidency We have nothing to gain by keeping them on the payroll but we do by not forcing term limits.

Term limits needs a big movement to clean out all the crap

The town should buy Hillcrest also, and resell it to a private developer who they can work with to make it a profitable project. This is a good time to buy anything. If the town does it right, they will increase their tax base and recoup their investment within a few years.

Catherine, I hope you would agree that religious extremism, whether it be Jewish, Muslim, or Christian, is not a good thing. Freedom of religion does not mean that you can burn down your neighbor's house.

Catherine, you are absolutely right. One of the greatest freedoms we have in this great Country is the freedom of religion, but when a person/group practices their religion and it has a drastic affect on my life or my family's life, i have issues with that. Clarkstown should follow in the footsteps of others. St. Agathas property was bought by the Nanuet School district in order to keep the area from turning into a slum, a slum that would have been taken off the tax rolls. Pearl River bought the African mission for the same reason. Catherine, most people move to Clarkstown for the great Schools, the investment in buying a house, and for the safety of their family. As most of us can see, these things mean nothing to others that hide behind the freedom of religion that they are afforded. In a certain community, if you don't do what the Grand Rebbe says, he sends someone to your house to try and kill you and your family( That community backs up to Hillcrest Elem school). The Rockland DA will not protect you from them, because in the end he needs their bloc vote to be reelected. only in Rockland can you be charged with attempted murder and be out on a low bail. Only in Rockland can you be charged with attempted murder, have a rock solid case for that charge and give the criminal a sweet plea deal that the Grand Rebbe is ok with. So Catherine, when a group of people hides behind their religion to get what they want and my family's health and happiness is

affected, i hope that someone has the guts to stand up for the community and do the right thing. Clarkstown needs to buy Hillcrest and RGHDS.

You make some excellent points however, purchasing the properties will open the door to everyone who has a piece of land or decent sized property holding the Town hostage to purchase the property. This is a symtomatic solution at best. To solve this problem, we have to band together the best we can to eliminate the power that people like Vinny Reda and Ed Lettre have over our elective process. The Dems in the North are a lost cause but when Gromack hires Cornells son for the Town Attorneys office and at the same time wants to protect the Town from issues largely created by Harriet Cornell, it sounds like a stop gap measure at best. These self serving politicians must be driven from office. Personally, I think it is already too late but it is worth a try. Ever thought of what would happen if the rest of Davies Farm comes up for sale? Would the Town have enough money to buy it at the inflated price? We cannot go on like this. These politicians must be driven out .....very soon.

Interesting comments all. However, none respond to the point that the town officials keep insisting that it is needed for a recreation center. Why don't they admit what it is for? Do they really think it would lose them votes at the next election? They should at least be honest about the fact that they are no better than those they want to exclude from their island

It makes perfect economic sense to exchange an old rec center for a new one at no cost and broaden our tax base in the process. If there is an added benefit of keeping religious extremism out of our town for the time being, so much the better.