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September 2004
The first time I saw Rockland was the summer of 1947. World War II had ended two years prior and my dad was finally back on his feet. He had a new Plymouth sedan and he was taking the family to the "country" for our first vacation in six years. The "country," by the way, was the Catskills.
The Tappan Zee Bridge hadn't been built, neither had the Quickway, so we were on old Route 17 when we rounded a bend that gave me my first view of mountains. My father announced, "We're in the country."
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At the time, we didn't know that we were in Rockland County. We didn't know that the mountains were the Ramapo's, not the Catskills. We only knew that we loved it. This was the beginning of a whole new world. We were going to hike and swim in a lake and the nights would be cool and the air would be clean and we would hear crickets and, and, and .... To this day, I get that same feeling every time I see those mountains.
Seventeen years later, I moved my family to Rockland. We were the fourth
tenants in Regency Village. And folks, there were cornfields on Monsey
Boulevard. Five years later, I bought my first house, with a GI loan, off South
Pascack Road in South Spring Valley. The development was on land previously
part of the Rose Farm. The farm still existed on the west side of South
Pascack Road and not only was there corn, there were cows.
Over the years, I operated four horse barns in Rockland. The first was on Cherry Lane in Tallman. Today, there are homes and a physical fitness facility. The second was on Old Route 202 in Pomona. Today, it's an Indian temple. The third is still located on North Main Street in New City, but a large portion went to the Federal government for the New City Post Office and a substantial portion bordering Phillips Hill Road also has been sold. By the way, I used to ride horseback through what used to be Yale Rapkin's farm (now a large housing development) and on the land where the library now stands. My fourth stable was on South Pascack Road. That facility is being purchased by the Town of Clarkstown as part of its open space program.
Why do I relate all this? I want you to know how much I loved the Rockland of the past. I want you to know how much I loved the open space in which I rode and raised my children. I was privileged to live here at that time. But, times change. Rockland still is a beautiful place. One-third of our land mass is protected parkland and we have magnificent Hudson River vistas. But, we have a lot more people than we had 40 years ago. And, the cost of running Rockland and its various town and villages has escalated. And, the costs will continue to rise.
I've reached an age where I can damn progress, but I cannot deny it. We need to strike a balance. We absolutely must protect the land, but we have to ensure that future generations will be able to afford the unintended consequences of actions we take today. If we do not provide for new commercial development of "clean rateable's," we run the risk of losing current, as well as future residents and businesses. I'm not advocating the solicitation of corporate giants. I do suggest that companies that headquarter here with 50-150 employees (and own the land and the structures) have a true vested interest in the community. They are the "corporate donors" of tomorrow. They will have on staff the volunteers for our emergency services teams and our many wonderful charitable organizations. They are most likely to use the services of our existing business base.
As stated by Jan Degenshein, Chair of the RBA's Government Affairs Committee, in a recent Journal News Letter to the Editor: "With the limited amount of land still available for development in this county, we must be extremely judicious in identifying and reserving those parcels best suited for such absolute necessities as open space, affordable housing and business. Only then can we ensure the continued privilege of residing in this very special community and enjoying the full array of services and amenities it offers."
— Al Samuels
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