Basically, if you want to keep the Hasidic community from buying and (over-)developing the property under the guise of religious /educational tax exemptions(which is the real underlying concern here)simply make sure that a continual presence of scantily clad women (shorts and t-shirts) are always on the premises. I do not know a lot about zoning, but there has to be a restriction on density and availability of water and sewer services or we will end up like New Windsor - brown water and boil advisories. And if you think our school taxes are high now, wait until we have to provide single sex educational facilities and extensive special education services for a small subset of the community. The Hasidic community has one of the highest populations of special education students. Jeez, we can barely provide adequately for the special education students that we currently have.

Folks,
Although there is concern that some group may want to develop NYMA, its imperative that you watch what you print. If the group you refer to really wants NYMA they will outbid the Town by extremes. dont antagonize any further.

Dear fellow Cornwallians,

I think this is a very good initiative on the part of the town in order to maintain the character of the surrounding area and to prevent over-development. I would suggest, however, that a law firm specialized in land use and zoning be retained by the town to ensure that the town handles this correctly from a legal perspective to prevent any unnecessary litigation. It will be money well spent. The above post by Kate Benson does raise some valid issues relating to taxes, and municipal resources, which would be impacted by overdevelopment. Her comments would have been more effective if she had simply stuck to the facts. The bottom line is that the Satmar sect has been criticized for such things as welfare fraud, tax evasion, human rights violations, etc. This is not a group which would make good neighbours and that is the issue.

Has NYMA considered running there school as both a military academy and a private prep school? There is a Jesuit high school in Manhattan called Xavier that has run there high school as a military school and a catholic prep school. That may help boost enrollment.

As a former resident, and someone who has spent a career in government finance, I have a suggestion. Why can't the village annex the property. Your lawyer should look into this process. It would give zoning control. If you purchase it, a bond issue would be necessary. But, considering the weak condition of NYMA as an institution, you better be prepared to take over the property and use it for some other purpose when the school ultimately fails. I recommend a committee be appointed to include County, Town, and Village representatives along with County economic development personnel to explore and recommend the best use of that property for the long term. I would imagine there would be a number of interested parties who might want to use a property of this type, located not far from NYC for either educational, or light commercial purposes.

Hello, Ira, with due respect, if by your cautionary statement you mean I should watch my mouth or I'll piss someone off, then you are talking to the wrong person. Until someone can show me otherwise, I believe what I have said to be true. I guess this is where, Bradford, you can come in and clarify any errors. As far as my comment about the scantily clad women; that was, of course, tongue-in-cheek, and requires no correction.

Folks, Please heed the well given advice of Ira in this current letter which presses for constraint when talking in any derisive way about this or any minority group. Before commenting in print, Please seek the wise council of your elected officials who are well versed in the abilities of this group to take any comments out of context and twist them for political and economic gain. The land grab issue involving the NYMA property and other Town sites is very delicate, and any mis-statements, however well intended, can be used to gain leverage. Prudence, Please, for all our sake!

"the abilities of 'this group' (sic) to take any comments out of context and twist them for political and economic gain" seems to me to be much more inflammatory than my observation of over developing. Have you been over by Chester/Monroe lately? It is a fairly objective statement and certainly not intended to be 'derisive'.