South Nyack Trustee Resigns

SOUTH NYACK, NY — As controversy rages, over the sale of the Nyack College campus to a Ramapo-based yeshiva, South Nyack Trustee Nancy Willen has resigned.

The board, which meets Thursday evening, now includes Mayor Bonnie Christian, Deputy Mayor Alain Leinbach and Trustees Catherine McCue and Andrew Goodwillie.

Willen was halfway through her second term and trying to sell her house, The Journal News reported. The village's Democratic Committee is seeking nominations of people to run for the last year of the term. Already on the ballot in November are Leinbach and Goodwillie, who face challenges from Jeff Hirsch and Michael P. Hogan.

The village is poised for more change, as Nyack College is selling most of its campus to a Ramapo-based yeshiva reportedly connected to developer and Rockland resident Berel Karniol.

Nyack College ceased operations in Rockland County at the end of 2019. The college has long had a permit to operate an educational campus in a residential area. In March village officials turned down the college's application to amend the permit to allow higher residential density on about half the main property.

The college has an 107-acre campus in South Nyack, affiliated Alliance Theological Seminary has a 37-acre campus on Route 9W in Upper Nyack, and the college also owns a 22-acre parcel in Orangetown where its president lives.

College officials re-established a city campus in 1997. The sale of the Rockland properties, for which officials are hoping to get up to $100 million, would help with the college's financial difficulties.

The village has hired an appraiser to look at the sports complex.

The advent of a large yeshiva and Karniol's reported involvement have sparked concern in South Nyack, where some residents are worried about the possibility that Ramapo's longstanding development, education, financial and corruption issues would spill into the tiny community. A movement to dissolve the village was reported by The Journal News.

SEE ALSO:

• South Nyack To Vote On Appraiser For Nyack College
• Nyack College Sold To Yeshiva Viznitz For Religious School