Yeshiva Expansion Plans Approved

A local yeshiva will expand onto a neighboring lot after the Planning Board approved application to do so Thursday.

Yeshivat Noam, located at 70 W. Century Road, will convert the neighboring property at 50 W. Century Road, now owned by Behnke Building Supply, into a middle school.

The school had to that there wouldn't be enough parking on the new site. Yeshivat Noam's original application included 140 parking spaces, and the school employs slightly more than 100 people.

Zoning Officer Ken Hook suggested that the school use a basketball court on-siteas emergency parking, giving the school an additional 20 spaces. After Rabbi Chaim Hagler, the school's principal, agreed to that term, the Planning Board approved the application 7-0.

Zabriskie Tenant House

Also at Thursday's meeting, a local developer is once again moving to demolish a historic house on Dunkerhook Road.

Quattro 4 LLC appeared in front of the Planning Board after a 6-month period established to try to find ways to save the Zabriskie Tenant House.

Peter Wells, an architect based in Park Ridge, testified that the house was nolonger worth saving.

"It would be wonderful if this building had not fallen into disrepair," he said. "It would be great if this building hadn't been neglected and distorted over the years with additions and changes that diminished its historic value, but that is what happened to this building."

Members of the audience who object to the developer's plans questioned Wells' authority to judge the building's historic value.

They should get a chance to testify April 7, when the Quattro 4 application will continue.