The 2024 election is off to a fast start. Most people don’t know it but in order for a candidate to get on the ballot they’re required to obtain a certain number of signatures, usually around 5% of their party’s registered voters. These signatures must be gathered between early March and the first week of April. Gathering these signatures is a major undertaking and volunteers from the SPDC head out each year with clipboards and petitions in hand to gather them. Our volunteers give up their weekends in March and April to walk throughout Stony Point, rain or shine, to obtain the required signatures. |
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I’ve participated in canvassing like this for several years and I have to admit it isn’t one of my favorite things to do. Besides giving up my weekends I find it stressful to knock on doors in unfamiliar neighborhoods not knowing how I'll be received. Generally, Stony Pointers are polite and appreciative that someone is out doing the behind the scenes work that’s necessary for them to have someone to vote for in November. But there’s always a few people who're angry at having to answer the door and sometimes they can be...less than pleasant. |
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So, in the next few weeks you may get a knock on your door from one of your Stony Point Democratic Committee neighbors asking for your signature. Remember, your signature isn’t a vote for the candidate, merely a techical requirement to get them on the ballot. And please understand that the person standing outside your door with the clipboard and petitions is there doing this unpleasant work on your behalf. In appreciation, Pete |
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SPDC Winter Gala 2024 Honoring the Stony Point Seals |
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John Fox accepts a proclamation on behalf of the Stony Point Seal's 25 years of community service from NYS Senator Pete Harckham's office. |
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Michael Sparta, his Dad, Joe and Mom, Leona. They were the very first recipients of the Seal's generous fundraising. |
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This year's Winter Gala at Lynch's on the Green was a tremendous success with attendees from throughout the county celebrating the contributions of the Stony Point Seals. John Fox, one of the original founders of the Seals, accepted the Stony Point Democrat's Making it Happen Award on the group's behalf. The Seals also received proclamations from NYS Senator Pete Harckham and Assemblymen Chris Eachus and Ken Zebrowski. |
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We were honored to have Michael Sparta and his family in attendance. Michael was the first recipient of the Seal's generosity and is a genuine inspiration for us all. You can see more photos of the Gala here. |
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Stony Point Sued by Developer |
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“Jack Lieberman the developer and member Petitioner of 111 South Liberty Drive, LLC has filed an Article 78 lawsuit against the Rockland County Planning Commissioner, Rockland Department of Planning and the Town of Stony Point Planning Board on January 15 in the NYS Supreme Court. The lawsuit by the developer seeks a reversal of the Stony Point Planning Board’s December 15, 2023 denial of the final site plan for the 4-story, 86-unit residential retail mixed-use development on Route 9W, which had also required a Conditional Use Special Permit and three area variances from the Stony Point Zoning Board of Appeals. The developer contends that the Rockland County Department Planning’s March 21, 2023 letter of disapproval had violated the NYS Open Meetings Law and had overstepped its authority and local home rule by questioning prior Stony Point Building Inspector Bill Sheehan’s determination of floor area ratio (FAR) and by stating that the proposed development was “oversized” and “massive in scale” – especially in context of the surrounding site.” - from SPACE press release. At the January 23rd Town Board meeting a resolution was passed to hire Special Counsel, Feerick Nugent MacCartney to defend the town. |
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Town of Stony Point to hold PUBLIC HEARING on February 13, 2024 @7pm on proposed amendments to Ch 215 of Business (BU) Zoning District - including 111 S. Liberty Drive property The Town of Stony Point is considering adopting a Local Law amending Chapter 215 of the Town Code regarding regulations in the Business (BU) Zoning District, which includes the Route 9W business corridor and the 111 S. Liberty Drive property. The purpose of the amendments being proposed by the town have not yet been discussed but you can read them at the link below. SPACE encourages all residents and businesses to read the proposed amendments, mark your calendar and attend the February 13 Town Board meeting! You can read the proposed amendments here. Note: Thanks to George Potanovic Jr. and SPACE for the link to the proposed zoning change information. |
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Rho Community Center Closed |
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The Town of Stony Point has closed the Rho Community Center. Residents recently received letters from the Rockland County Board of Elections notifying them that their voting location has been changed to Kirkbride Hall. The Rho building has been used for decades for town board meetings, as the Senior and Community Center, as well as providing space for various sports for indoor practices and housing organizations such as the Sons of the American Revolution. The Rho building along with the Justice Court and Cornell Cooperative Extension, and Patriot Hills Clubhouse buildings were remediated as part of the original golf course construction bond. Several reasons for closing the building have been conveyed informally including the cost of maintenance and the presence of asbestos. As far as we can tell there has been no official public input, discussion or vote on the decision to close the building. |
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Mega Warehouse on Beach Road? |
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In a recent article on business development in Rockland County, Chief Strategy Officer of Rand Commercial, Paul Adler mentions, “Plans are moving slowly for a proposed 454,000 square-foot warehousing and distribution center that will have 76 bays and operate 24/7 on a 34-acre vegetative site sitting in the crook of Railroad Avenue and Beach Road in the Village of West Haverstraw, miles from the nearest highway.” Applicants Eric Bergstol, a local landowner, and New Jersey developer Efrem Gerszberg have been working with New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) to determine the scope of cleanup and remediation needed on the 34-acre vegetative site. The site, owned by North Rockland Associates since 1969, was an active construction landfill through the mid-1990s, according to Bergstol. Before that the site was a clay pit quarry used when Haverstraw was a brick-making center. In 2019, the North Rockland Associates site was transferred to a new entity, Grassy Point Bend LLC, owned by Bergstol. The proposed distribution center sits in a Planned Light Industrial district on the edge of the Village and abuts sites in the Town of Haverstraw including the Joint Regional Sewage Authority, the former Haverstraw Town Landfill, and a newly built but vacant warehouse on Ecology Lane. Haverstraw Supervisor Howard Phillips, who is also chairman of Rockland Green (former Rockland County Solid Waste Management Authority) is in contract to buy the 15,000-square-foot Ecology Lane warehouse and hopes to turn it into an animal shelter. Residents at Rockland Green’s meetings have repeatedly raised concerns about the proximity of a future animal shelter near a distribution center that would generate 24/7 truck traffic and air pollution. More detail regarding the Beach Rd. Warehouse here: The Rockland Business Journal |
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Persistent Flooding on Beach Road |
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It’s not just major weather events like hurricane Sandy that have been flooding Beach Rd. Smaller storms have caused major problems twice in the last month. What's the long term plan for this part of Stony Point? |
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Public CHPE Meeting to be Scheduled |
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Keep your eyes open for a public meeting on the CHPE project which will be coming to Stony Point soon.The Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE) is a planned high-voltage direct current (HVDC) underwater and underground power cable project linking the Quebec area to the New York City neighborhood of Astoria, Queens. |
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Elected officials from all five municipalities said their biggest concerns were the traffic impact to their communities during construction, but said the taxes they will receive would be a significant boon in the long run. |
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NYS Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski has announced he won’t seek re-election in November. Ken won his ninth term representing District 96 in the New York State Assembly in 2022. The seat is on the ballot again in November. |
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Ken worked to help the North Rockland school district weather the financial hit from the huge 2007 Mirant property tax settlement that sent local taxes soaring. Ken, fellow Assemblyman Chris Eachus, and NYS Pete Harckham procured state funding for the NRCSD which helped keep our taxes down in Stony Point and the North Rockland community. He was able to help change the funding model for full-day kindergarten, which aided North Rockland and many other districts. Although Ken didn’t officially represent Stony Point, he’ll be missed here. |
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Meet the Newest Stony Point Democratic Committee Members |
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Rufina Belthrop has a Masters degree in Educational Leadership from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, a Masters degree in Social Studies Education from the State University of New York at Albany, and a Bachelor degree in History from the State University of New York at Albany. |
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She has served New York City Schools for the past 28 years as a High School Social Studies teacher and as a High School Assistant Principal. She is a charter member of the Rockland chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated where she currently serves as the Vice President. Rufina, her husband Tyrone Belthrop, and her teens Isabella and Bryce have resided in Tomkins Cove since 2014. |
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Barbara Hart has, most recently, worked as an Information Specialist in the Children’s Room of Nyack Library and as a Project Connect tutor for the Nyack School District. She has previously taught at St. Paul School in Valley Cottage and St. Gregory Barbarigo School in Garnerville. |
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Barbara currently serves on the Tomkins Cove Library Board of Trustees as vice president. She is a graduate of SUNY Brockport (BA in political science and educational certification) and Boston University (MS in journalism.) |
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Both western NY natives, Barbara and her husband, Rick Siggelkow, moved to Rockland County from Manhattan - first as weekenders and then, beginning in 1995, as Nyack residents. They have lived in the Tomkins Lake Colony since 2012. Their two grown daughters live in Brooklyn.
One of her proudest political accomplishments was being part of a successful effort to turn her hometown, Salamanca, NY, for Senator George McGovern in the 1972 presidential race, never easy in a Republican bastion.
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Maurice Morris was born and raised in Da Bronx NY. Has a lovely wife and two beautiful daughters. Retired from the NYPD, Maurice graduated from Baruch college. Currently working in conjunction with the federal penal system. "If we all do what is right and not what is easy we will make the world a better place." |
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College Freshman Manages SPDC Social Media from Overseas Hunter Petro, Stony Point Democratic Committee member and Marist College freshman, who is spending his first year abroad studying in Ireland has been managing the Stony Point Democratic Committee social media presence from overseas. We're so grateful that Hunter takes time from his studies to create a first rate social media campaign for our team. If you haven’t done so already check out our Facebook page and his Time Capsule Tuesdays where Hunter provides us with a bit of Stony Point history. |
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Next SPDC Meeting The next meeting of the SPDC will be on March 5th at 7PM at the Patriot Hills Senior and Community Center. Please feel free to join us. You don’t need to be a member to attend. |
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Get Involved! Join SP Dems Community Service Team! |
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Neighbors Helping Neighbors! Each month the Stony Point Democratic Committee performs a public service for our community. You don't have to be a committee member or a Democrat to participate. Just let us know you're interested and we'll invite you to our next project. To learn more email: spdc@stonypointdemocrats.org |
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Why not forward this newsletter to a family member, friend, or neighbor. |
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Want To Get More Involved? |
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Join us for one of our monthly Clean Ups For Dates and Times: email: spdc@stonypointdemocrats.org |
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Or Drop into one of our monthly SPDC meetings. All are welcome! email: spdc@stonypointdemocrats.org for more information |
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