Ramapo, NY - Construction Begins On Yeshiva-Apartment Building

Ramapo, NY - Apartments in the town's first residential-yeshiva community are being built while building-permit fees remained in dispute.

A building permit has been issued for the construction at the Grandview Avenue site, where excavations began months ago in preparation for the town's first development in a zone accommodating apartments connected to religious schools. The permit was issued by the town despite the dispute over the fees owed by Mosdos Chofetz Chaim, which is overseeing the yeshiva. "They've paid a substantial (part of the) fee, so we're not going to hold up the project because of that," Town Attorney said, but certificates of occupancy allowing use of the buildings could not be issued until all fees were paid.

Rabbi Aryeh Zaks has complained to the Zoning Board of Appeals that the building-permit fees based on construction costs were unfairly raised by more than $20,000.
An initial construction estimate of $6 million was raised to $8.4 million, which raised the town's fee to $75,617 from $54,046. The latter sum had already been paid by Mosdos Chofetz Chaim.
Mosdos Chofetz Chaim's dispute over the fee is to be heard by the zoning board on July 6.
During the same session, the board will also review town charges that the developer permitted a school to be operated on a fenced corner of the site without municipal approval.