Celebrating the Good in Clarkstown

BY MARIA BROWNSELL 

A special presentation of the Clarkstown Police Department Youth Academy graduates opened up the town board meeting on February 3. Sergeant Kieran Dwyer. He explained how the program began over fifteen years ago to get local high school students to have more knowledge about how the police force works. Over a 10 week period, all different aspects of being a police officer are experienced.

“It’s been  a pleasure working with out students in this graduating class,” said Dwyer. “I hope you came away more knowledgable about what officers experience on a daily basis.

The Pride of Clarkstown Awards were also given out during the meeting. This year is the ninth anniversary of the awards.

“It is a wonderful opportunity to look at your overall community and commercial properties. I think you will find tonights award winners very worth,” said Councilman George Hoehmann.

The winners are as following:

Community Projects – Mr. Landscape Inc., Freedom Causeway Adopt-A-Spot, New City

Food/Hospitality – Ambulance Brew House, Nanuet

Industrial – Cal Mart Enterprises, New City

Non-Profit – Congers Valley Cottage Volunteer Ambulance Corp., Valley Cottage

Professional Office – Jacob J. Katz and Co., Bardonia

Small Business – Champion Day Camp, New City

Service Business – Clarkstown Retail Corp., Shell Gas Station, New City

Shopping Center/Retail – The Shops at Nanuet, Simon Property Group

There were five public hearings held. The first revised the flood map of Clarkstown from suggestions of FEMA. The second was about rezoning various parcels along main street in Nanuet for mixed use, such as having apartments above storefronts. Joe Simoes explained that this is part of a project that has been going on for three years now with the revitalizing of all the hamlet centers. This hearing will be continued on March 3.

The next hearing was about rezoning various parcels along Route 59 to act as a buffer. Cambridge Systematics recommended certain changes for the zoning map. It was closed and adopted.  Another hearing was about the proposed abandonment of Long Clove Road in New City, which has become a driveway to Tilcon. Members of the NY/NJ Trail Conference were concerned about a trail that runs through there, but were assured it would not be affected. It was also closed and adopted. The last hearing was for Nanuet Self Storage to open a mini warehouse facility where Huffman Koos used to be in Nanuet. There was no opposition, so the petition was closed and adopted.

Tom Nimick of New City asked about the contract negotiations that the town board had with the Special Bargaining Unit during executive session before the public meeting. He urged the board to consider terminating this arrangement. Supervisor Alexander Gromack said the town has also proposed individual contracts instead of the group bargaining. Town Attorney Amy Mele said that the unit is similar to the CSEA and the PBA and would have to dissolve themselves. The town doesn’t have the power to terminate it, but the board has been exploring all options.

Pete Bradley and a few other residents asked about any discipline that will come out of the Highway review that was recently released.

“What will be cone by the board to protect citizens of Clarkstown again lawsuits?” asked Bradley.

Gromack explained that many different areas of the review have been looked into and they have taken many steps to decide how to handle the situation. He assured that more information will be available at the next meeting.