Clarkstown Board Approved Sign Removals And Surplus Municipal Property Sale (VIDEO)

The Clarkstown Town Board approved the abandonment of a portion of in West Nyack and then followed that with a vote to sell the property. The purchaser is the Jehovah’s Witnesses Congregation of West Nyack.  It is paying the town $50,000 to buy a small section of road that abuts its parking lot.

The only comments during the public hearing on the abandonment came from Steve Levin of Congers who agreed with the board’s actions.

“This is the right way to proceed,” he said. “It really is a road that goes to nowhere. I think that it is a win-win all around for everybody.”

There was more discussion on the second public hearing held Tuesday night on removal of a No Right Turn sign on Snake Hill Road at the intersection of Palisades Center Drive North and a No Left Turn sign on Palisades Center Drive at Snake Hill Road. 

Town Attorney Amy Mele explained the town board directed the installation of the signs under discussion on 1998 at the request of residents living near the West Nyack intersection. She said the planning board’s engineer had reviewed the intersection for the town board and indicated there was no traffic engineering reason for them.

Levine advised caution in dealing with the mall and said he was concerned about traffic needs in the future that the mall could refuse to pay for because the town went ahead and removed the signs.

“What worries me is that down the road the taxpayers are going to be on the hook for this,” he said.

Mele said she did not believe the resolution for removal of the signs impacted any other agreement with the mall.

“I don’t think this resolution alter any terms of the covenant,” she said. 

The planning board’s attorney recommended some wording changes in the resolution as a precaution. He said the town has the right to remove the sign on Snake Hill Road. He suggested the resolution be changed from should to could regarding the removal of the sign on Palisades Center Drive since it is private property.

“I’m not viewing this as an amendment to the covenant,” he said. “I’m viewing this and the resolution refers to it as an amendment to two resolutions which were adopted by the town board in 1998 to actually install the signs in the first place. “

A Bardonia resident said the signs serve no purpose and should be removed immediately. Another area resident said the signs make it more difficult to get to the commuter parking lot.  Orrin Getz of New City said removal of the signs will have benefits for mass transit commuters and those using the Tappan Zee Bridge.

The highway department will remove the sign on Snake Hill Road. The board agreed to add to the resolution that the town will continue to monitor the intersection and approved the resolution. Town Supervisor Alex Gromack said that wording would allow either the highway department or the police department to check on the traffic flow in the area.