News

The Villages: Open Spaces and Animal Shelters

Published

January 22, 2018

This week in the villages: It’s a week of growth and expansion. The Town of Clarkstown adds to its other recent acquisitions of open space, purchasing Rockland County Day School land adjacent to Kings Park. Rockland County authorized financing for a new building for its animal shelter. And in the Village of Nyack, there’s still time to purchase the Gift of a Tree before the spring planting season.

Town of Clarkstown

The Town of Clarkstown has agreed to purchase the Rockland Country Day School campus for $4.4 million. The agreement, which will be voted on by the town council later this month, will add an additional 20.5 acres of public land adjacent to the town-owned 33.5 acre Kings Park.
RCDS and the town are engaged in discussions to enter into an agreement for the school to lease a portion of the campus from the town while the school seeks a new home. The 20.5-acre campus was originally a working farm, which has served as a unique setting for Rockland County Day School students. The campus contains three academic buildings, an art studio building, a cottage, STEAM Lab, several ball fields, a gymnasium, an organic garden and open space.
The acquisition of the property requires the town council to approve two resolutions at its meeting on January 23. One resolution authorizes the town to pay for the already completed appraisal of the campus. A second resolution authorizes the town to purchase the campus for general municipal purposes, subject to an environmental review required by state law. The town is expected to close on the sale of the property later this spring.

Rockland County

Rockland County legislators have authorized financing for the construction of a desperately needed new animal shelter to house homeless, abandoned and found animals. The animal shelter, known as the Hi Tor Animal Care Center and run by the non-profit Hi Tor organization, is currently housed in an outdated, cramped building near the county Fire Training Center in Pomona. The building and the land it sits on are owned by the county.
The new shelter is to be built on the same parcel, at an estimated cost of $2.05 million. In addition to the $1.2 million to be provided by the county, the shelter has about $350,000 in current funds and a $500,000 state grant to help get the job done. The county would own the building, and Hi Tor Animal Care Center would continue to operate the shelter.

Village of Nyack

A February First Challenge–$4,000 for Forty Trees!
The Nyack Community Tree Project has just received $2,200 for trees from the Rockland County Soil and Water Conservation District. Add to that the contributions received during the holidays, and there is only $1,200 to go to reach the goal of $4,000 for a February tree order for Nyack streets this spring. The order needs to be placed by February 5.
For a $100 donation, you can give the Gift of a Tree and a beautiful printed card will be sent to the recipient with a message inside letting them know that you have given the gift of a new tree to be planted somewhere within the village’s public spaces.

Any amount will help reach the goal of $4,000. You can donate online at NyackParks.org/nyacktreeproject/ or checks may be mailed to Nyack Park Conservancy, P.O.Box 1014, Nyack, NY 10960.

Village of Upper Nyack

Donation Collection Extended
The village is still collecting items to be donated to the People to People Food Pantry and the Hi Tor Animal Care Center Monday through Friday, from 9a -12n, NOW until Jan 31. For a wish list of items needed visit www.UpperNyack-NY.us.
March 20, 2018 Village Election
There are two trustee (two years) offices which will be vacant at the end of the current official year. They are to be filled at the village election on Tuesday, March 20, 2018.

Tappan Zee Bridge News

Due to the continued extreme winter weather and long-range forecasts, Tappan Zee Constructors (TZC) will limit construction operations for the next several weeks. Key factors include the safety of TZC personnel and the ability to make meaningful construction progress. During this time, TZC will maintain essential personnel to ensure the safety and security of the project site.