South Blooming Grove crafts solicitation law
By Edie Johnson
SOUTH BLOOMING GROVE — Once again this week, residents of South Blooming Grove gathered, spilling out of the new venue at the larger firehouse auditorium into the packed parking lot at Stonegate Plaza.
They were there for an update on what many of them feel is a crisis of block busting, with one after another home being approached with unsolicited offers, sometimes from aggressive realtors representing people from the nearby ultra-orthodox Kiryas Joel community.
Residents reported solicitations from unknown LLCs from Brooklyn. They also said they are beset by messages left in their mailboxes, telephone callers who them “ have a buyer for your house,” and flyers stuck onto car windshields that read: “I have a buyer, call me.”
Many in this small rural village, a part of the Town of Blooming Grove, worry about their way of life, being able to drive local roads and gaze at sunsets along the mountain ridges. They worry about increased traffic along Route 208, which already has memorials from fatal accidents scattered along the route to Washingtonville. And they worry about impacts on their school taxes.
Most of all, they wanted to know what their town and village officials are doing about it.
Dennis Lynch, the village’s land rights attorney, has dealt with similar issues in Airmont for many years.
“Buying is not illegal, selling is not illegal,” Lynch said. “But harassment and false advertising are.”
To combat that, the village has crafted a new “No Soliciting” law, one that Lynch said would be the strongest in New York State.
A public hearing will be held next month, after which it is expected to be implemented.
A new round of complaints, some of which were videotaped and otherwise documented, has been brought to state Sen. William J. Larkin’s office by concerned citizens who hope that with enough documentation a more extensive “Cease and Desist” order can be issued that would prevent unwanted solicitation in a designated area for a period of up to five years.
But the mayor warned those in attendance that “Bias will not be tolerated in this village from anyone.”
Meanwhile, a resident who recently found it necessary to sell her home - but not as a result of any aggressive realty approach - cried as she recounted that she shunned by her neighbors.
Similarly, an Orthodox man said that he had been welcome in this community for years, but that is no longer the case.
He was followed by Matthew DeRosa, one of the administrators of the new United Village of South Blooming Group.
“This is not a war of hate,” DeRosa said “It’s a fight against block-busting.”
Others echoed him and described how much they love living in a diverse neighborhood with many different cultures. But many said what they feel as daily harassment is clearly taking its toll.
DeRosa also introduced Rabbi Joel Loeb of the Monroe Committee for Peace and Harmony. The rabbi and his friends, who lined the back of the room with messages of peace, came forward and told the people of Blooming Grove: “We hate that this block busting is happening. Many people in Kiryas Joel want to find a new home because of discontent, because their leaders do not follow the Torah to live in peace and harmony.”
Meanwhile, the village is seeking an additional code enforcer due to numerous complaints of construction work being done without apparent permits. Jeroloman also reported that so far there have been two stop-work orders issued for illegal modifications to homes.
He encouraged the public to call the police if they saw or experienced any illegal activity.