Who will benefit from the creation of more housing in Ramapo was the question most asked of its town board on Tuesday evening, November 19.
Several residents filled Ramapo’s meeting hall on Route 59 for the public hearing on proposed “Planned Unit Developments,”also known as PUDs. These developments can consist of single-family homes, townhomes or apartments, as well as green space and retail outlets depending on the size of the property and the builder.
According to Supervisor Michael Specht, each PUD will hold twelve units per acre anywhere in the unincorporated Town can include several one-acre parcels that are merged together. While many speakers favor the development of new housing, residents wanted to know if it would be fair, equitable and open to everyone.
Among the many speakers was Chief Vincent Mann of the Ramapo-Munsee Tribe, who noted that his ancestors “have been here since time immemorial and these lands are sacred to us…we are at the verge of genocide, watching our mountains, trees, rivers, our homes and burial grounds go away…the founding principle of this town was to protect and preserve.” Chief Mann told Specht that it was the Town’s job to “maintain what is left of a bona fide tribe,” adding that it was the Town’s job to preserve what is left to uplift the Ramapo-Munsee. He was accompanied by several members and supporters of his tribe who pointed out the many sacred sites that exist within the Town –as well as many that have been destroyed. Others said the rampant overdevelopment was incomprehensible, with children being struck by cars and buses that ignore the speed limits; another spoke of the overuse of water by the town that negatively affects all who live within Rockland County.
One PUD development already exists in Ramapo’s northwest corner, and several residents…
Details By Kaili Berg November 15, 2024 
