Cortlandt, NY – Yeshiva Expansion Proposal Draws Fire

Cortlandt, NY – Community opposition is mounting against a yeshiva aiming to upgrade and modernize its operation at 141 Furnace Woods Road, so the school's enrollment could go from 210 to 250, a number it had reached in the past.

A large crowd turned out at the Town Hall meeting, a petition with 300 names has been circulating and dozens of letters have been generated by opponents of a plan by Yeshiva Ohr Hameir to rehabilitate its operation and build housing to accommodate about 50 more students.

Neighbors of the secondary school have said it has been a bad neighbor through the years, citing substandard maintenance and traffic problems associated with Ohr Hameir, and they say the proposed construction is likely to cause more problems for the community at large.

Representatives of the school, meanwhile, say they are looking to improve local relations and fix the site to make it more appealing to the community. They note the law is on their side.

Neighbors have complained that students walk on the narrow road in front of the school in complete disregard for traffic, and local residents have bristled over what they called visual blight at school grounds.

Building inspectors uncovered many violations at the school this year, including fire-code violations and significant structural problems.

Neighbors also cited numerous false-alarm calls and service calls to the Fire Department.

A legal dispute as to how and when the yeshiva allowed students to board there, and whether that practice was officially authorized, is central to the case. Yeshiva Ohr Hameir representatives insist the town had authorized the dormitories and cite a record of building permits that have been issued. [lohud]