Skver mile 101

Heated Opposition Erupts at Ramapo Hearing on New Square Annexation

Ramapo, NY – September 10, 2025 — A packed public hearing at Ramapo
Town Hall drew more than one hundred men, women and children from
surrounding communities, as residents voiced sharp opposition to a
proposal that would annex four properties into the Village of New
Square. The annexation petition, filed under New York State’s Article
17 Municipal Annexation Law, included parcels on North Main Street in
New Hempstead and Spring Valley, as well as a lot owned by Refuah
Health Center.

A Silent Village Board, A Vocal Public

The evening began with a roll call of the Town of Ramapo Board and the
Village of New Square Board. While the Ramapo members presided, the
New Square trustees remained silent throughout the proceedings,
offering no comment to the standing-room-only crowd. This silence
fueled additional frustration among attendees, who repeatedly charged
that New Square’s controversial “mile policy,” an exclusion zone
barring outsiders they don’t want from living near the village, has
already destabilized neighborhoods and could grow even larger if
annexation proceeds.

As one speaker pointedly remarked, “If New Square expands, so does the
exclusion zone — which is already about fifteen times the size of the
village itself.”

Appreciation for Refuah, Concern for the Rest

While multiple residents acknowledged the important role Refuah Health
Center plays in providing healthcare services to the broader
community, they insisted there was no need for the property to be
annexed to New Square. “The Town of Ramapo can approve a parking lot
without ceding land to the village,” one commenter argued.

The other three parcels raised deeper concern, with several speakers
highlighting the lack of transparency about their intended use. Some
speculated about industrial projects, including the possibility of a
chicken processing plant. Others feared the properties could be used
for purposes with hidden intentions or simply give more control to
people that has repeatedly lacked concern for the basic welfare of
others.

Only one resident of New Square addressed the gathering. While he
praised Refuah Health Center’s contributions — a sentiment with which
no one disagreed — he went on to insist that New Square is an open,
welcoming place where anyone is free to shop and feel at home. That
testimony was met with skepticism by many in the audience, who pointed
out that if the village were truly welcoming, there would be no reason
to resist fellow Jews living peacefully in the surrounding
neighborhoods.

Emotional Testimonies

The hearing turned especially somber when a community member shared
his personal experience of living near the site of a stabbing,
violence he connected to overcrowding and the discriminatory “mile”
policy. “It’s insane and unheard of in this day and age that we are
being discriminated against so openly and our wellbeing put at risk,”
he said emotionally.

Another speaker described the fear of watching houses “snatched up” by
New Square residents, and then immediately transforming peaceful
blocks into overcrowded and unsafe environments. Others cited
embarrassment from New Square residents themselves, who quietly admit
to being troubled by their leadership’s hardline policies.

Broader Criticisms: Enforcement and Politics

Residents also turned their frustration toward the Town of Ramapo
itself, criticizing officials for failing to enforce zoning and
housing violations. “We pay serious tax dollars that should afford us
safe neighborhoods. Instead, we’re treated like second-class
citizens,” one resident declared.

Speakers accused town officials of avoiding confrontation with New
Square leadership in order to preserve the bloc vote. Several warned
that without accountability or transparency, the annexation would only
deepen divisions and threaten the stability of surrounding
neighborhoods.

Next Steps

The annexation petition remains under review. Written objections, as
required by Section 705 of the General Municipal Law, can still be
submitted. For now, the September 10th hearing underscored widespread
distrust of New Square’s intentions — and a growing movement among
local residents determined to push back against what they view as an
illegal and discriminatory land grab.