Ramapo gets 3 proposals to buy Suffern quarry
Steve Lieberman
SUFFERN – Ramapo officials will consider three proposals to sell the Suffern Quarry, the massive hole filled with millions of gallons of water overlooking the business district.
The proposals range from $3.2 million to $1 million to purchase the property, along with offers to lease the 60 acres pending an option to buy down the road.
The three developers proposed commercial development, such as warehousing, a landscaping business and storage, and a film-production facility.
Although Ramapo owns the quarry, Suffern controls land-use approvals. The property is zoned for light industry zoning and doesn't allow for housing.
Mayor Edward Markunas said Thursday the village would not consider changing the zoning, so housing is not on the table. The village, with its train hub into New Jersey and New York City, already features a mix of apartments, condominiums and townhouses, with 92 units of luxury rentals off Main Street.
"We're looking for something that's going to bring in money, a tax ratable that potentially brings in jobs," Markunas said. "We are not going to grant a zone change for that property. There's no discussion of residential."
Ramapo provided the village with the three proposals for review by the Board of Trustees. Markunas said the board has not reviewed them yet, but said a film production company caught his eye.
"A film production facility would be good," he said.
Ramapo Supervisor Michael Specht said the Town Board members would review all three proposals and choose one before the end of the month. He said the board would consult with Suffern officials, though the town's interest is making the best financial deal.
"We explain to (potential developers) that Suffern controls what's developed on the property," Specht said. "I find the flat offer of $3.2 million the most attractive from the town's point of view. We're not looking to maintain ownership in any lease agreement."
The Suffern quarry proposals
- BH Landscaping Inc., 820 N. Main St., Spring Valley, offered $1 million, with a second option of a 35-year lease at $39,000 annually. BH Landscaping's principle is Mordechai Fischer. The company's proposal calls for using the lower portion of the property as a nursery to store trees, bushes and seasonal plants, along with landscaping materials. The entry area would be for trucks, equipment and bulk materials. BH Landscaping has worked for local municipalities, such as Ramapo, New Square, Kaser, the state Department of Transportation, as well as housing developments like Bates-Horton, and Ramapo Commons, and Parkview in Spring Valley.
- Claudio Iodice, a developer since the 1960s, offered a two-year lease with an option to buy the property. He offered to pay $10,000 per month. He would consider a purchase price at 90% of the fair market value. His proposal calls for an industrial park, with warehousing and offices. His proposal calls for donating 5 acres to Ramapo for a park and a portion of the land by the river to Rockland County.
- Cortland Highview LLC, of 400 Rella Blvd., Montebello, proposed a straight purchase for $3.2 million. Owned by Abraham Grohman, the company proposes warehousing, partnering with companies for entertainment space to build a state-of-the-art film production facility. He projected completing the development by 2022 and has no intention of asking Suffern for a zone change. Grohman's companies developed the 88-unit Highview Hills development of town homes and condominiums for adults 55 and older on Highview Road in Ramapo. Grohman also is founder and chief executive officer of a solar energy development and construction company.
Ramapo began selling off its properties a few years ago to cover an $8.7 million deficit from 2015 as then-Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence also needed money to pay for the baseball stadium and other bonded infrastructure projects. The just-released 2016 audit shows a similar deficit.
During St. Lawrence's 17-year tenure from 2000 to 2017, the town spent an estimated $100 million to preserve thousands of acres from development. The town never officially designated most of the properties as parkland so sales could take place.
St. Lawrence is serving a 30-month federal prison sentence following the corruption conviction that forced his resignation in May 2017.
Specht's administration began viewing the dozens of land purchases. In March, the Ramapo Assets Review Committee, known as TARC, recommended the town sell the Suffern Quarry, which has been appraised at $3 million.
The report also recommended the sale of the 40-acre Hamlets of Ramapo in the Torne Valley, bought for $1.5 million. The Striker property off Route 45 in Ramapo also has been suggested for a campus for Orthodox Jewish private schools, but has been met with resistance from the residents of Skyview Acres who want to protect their homes and the environmental integrity of the land.
The town had long held out the quarry as a means to mitigate flooding caused by the Mahwah River during heavy rains that affected major portions of Suffern and several New Jersey communities. Engineers estimated the quarry could hold 268.3 million gallons of water.
A proposal to build housing on the quarry property with a town park and flood controls failed to win support in Suffern.
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