Spring Valley Sues Ramapo Over Affordable Housing Legality And Origin Of Lawsuit Questioned
Originally Published in The Monsey Advocate by Daniel Friedman
The fate of an 8.2 acre area of land near Twin Avenue in Spring Valley has been thrown into question once again, after village officials in Spring Valley filed a lawsuit that would stop the development of affordable housing on that land. After months of public hearings on the matter, the town of Ramapo purchased the land for about $7 million, and then approved the development of 132 units of condominiums for affordable housing.
This project is the creation of Ramapo Town Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence, and the fulfillment of his promise to construct affordable housing units in Ramapo. Despite the likelihood of real affordable housing in Ramapo on the horizon, many registered concerns about the project at a Town Hall meeting in March.
Neighbors, proponents, and opponents of the project gathered in the Council Chambers of Ramapo Town Hall to talk about the benefits and possible downsides of the project. The two biggest concerns discussed were possible flooding issues that could arise from cutting down trees in the area to build the housing. Flooding has been a cause of concern for many in the area, which is home to the Pascack Brook floodplain.
A study completed by engineer Leonard Jackson showed that the cause of the flooding was not the site itself, but a nearby brook. As a result, the proposed project would have no impact on flooding in the area.
Another issue raised was the increase in the number of cars in the area. A traffic engineer who had previously looked into this issue noted that at its worst, the project would add approximately one car per minute during peak traffic hours in the area.
Supervisor St. Lawrence took notes throughout the statements made by members of the public, and later looked into the issues raised. In response to those concerns, Phil Tisi, Assistant to the Supervisor, noted that even though professional studies were performed on the issues of flooding and traffic and no major problems were found, the Supervisor was still looking into those areas to ensure that negative impacts on the area would be minimal to none. After further deliberations, Supervisor St. Lawrence decided to cut the number of units in the project even further, down to 132, to fully satisfy all those who raised questions about it.
This week, officials from the village of Spring Valley, including Mayor George Darden and Bruce Levine, the village attorney who is also the Preserve Ramapo candidate for Town Supervisor, filed a lawsuit that would put a hold on the project. The two contend that traffic and other issues were not adequately dealt with after the March hearing, and they believe the town should perform an extensive review of the project before moving any further.
The bigger issue at stake here, however, is not the contents of the lawsuit, but the actual lawsuit itself. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the village of Spring Valley, but by law, such a lawsuit requires that the village board approve such action beforehand. According to at least one trustee, that never happened.
Demeza Delhomme, a village trustee and candidate for mayor of Spring Valley, attended every recent meeting of the board, and there was never any discussion on the matter. “We never voted on any such thing,” Delhomme said. Saying that he knew that the mayor and Bruce Levine certainly knew that the approval of the board was required, Delhomme was indignant about the filing of the lawsuit, saying he never would have supported it. “This is Bruce Levine’s lawsuit,” he said, “not the village of Spring Valley’s.”
The requirement that the board approve any such action was reiterated by Michael Klein, the attorney for the Town of Ramapo. When asked if there was such a requirement, Klein replied, “Absolutely. The mayor and the village attorney cannot act without a resolution of the board.”
It seems clear that no such discussion or vote relating to this lawsuit ever took place at a village board meeting, and just to be certain, Klein has filed a Freedom of Information request with the village of Spring Valley to provide him and the town of Ramapo with the notices, agendas, and minutes of any meeting of the board that discussed this is
A spokesman for the campaign of Christopher P. St. Lawrence condemned the lawsuit as a campaign tactic. "Once again, Bruce Levine has crossed the line," said spokesman Howard Schuh. "By openly opposing an affordable housing project and impeding the progress of a plan to provide housing to those who desperately need it, Bruce Levine is selfishly putting his own political agenda before the needs of Ramapo families. This is another shameful attempt by Bruce Levine to distort the truth and deliberately mislead the voters."
Schuh went on to say, "This desperate act is the latest in a series of missteps that have come to define Bruce Levine's tenure as the Spring Valley Village Attorney. By using his government office to further his personal crusade against the Supervisor, while he is supposed to be working on behalf of the people of Spring Valley, is an egregious breach of ethics and professional responsibility. Instead of spending his time as an obstructionist, Bruce Levine should be focusing on cleaning up the mess he created in Spring Valley."
Legally, if the lawsuit was filed improperly, which seems to be the case, the suit will automatically be dismissed, and the project will be able to move forward. Bruce Levine, who filed the lawsuit, could also face penalties for doing so, according to several legal authorities. If the lawsuit was filed on behalf of the public, with public funds, and without the legal authority that the village board has to give, legal sources say that charges may be filed against those responsible.
Meanwhile, the project that would house over 130 middle and low-income families has stalled, pending a judge’s review. Noting that the issues raised at the public hearings were already addressed, Phil Tisi, the Assistant to the Supervisor, drew some parallels between the person who made this happen, and the ones who opposed it. “I’ve heard many politicians talk about affordable housing, but Christopher St. Lawrence actually gets things done,” he said. On the issue of the concerns raised and addressed by the town, Tisi stated, “You have to take the concerns of the people into consideration, and Supervisor St. Lawrence has done that time and again.”
Posted by Reserve Ramapo Staff Writer at Monday, August 17, 2009 2:35:00 PM 
Categories: Campaign, Reserve Ramapo, Campaign 2009, Spring Valley
Tags: George Darden Spring Valley Village Attorney Demeza Delhomme Leonard Jackson Preserve Ramapo low-income families Reserve ramapo Town of Ramapo Bruce Levine Christopher P. St. Lawrence
Categories: Campaign, Reserve Ramapo, Campaign 2009, Spring Valley
Tags: George Darden Spring Valley Village Attorney Demeza Delhomme Leonard Jackson Preserve Ramapo low-income families Reserve ramapo Town of Ramapo Bruce Levine Christopher P. St. Lawrence
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