Planning board reaffirms negative declaration as debate continues over proposed Cherry Lane school expansion

The Airmont Planning Board voted to reaffirm a prior negative environmental declaration for a proposed school expansion on Cherry Lane, allowing the applicant to proceed to zoning and variance hearings while leaving several policy and technical issues unresolved.

Rabbi Sam, identified in the record as the school’s dean, and Rabbi Moshe Friedman, principal of the school, told the board the project aims to create dedicated space for therapeutic and specialized programs the school currently runs off-site. “My mission… has been to create spaces for children… who are struggling,” Rabbi Sam said, describing programs including music, gym and vocational training and saying the school’s current rented spaces require frequent off-site trips.

Neighbors and other speakers raised concerns about the scale of the project and traffic impacts. Resident Melanie Phillips said the building’s current occupant stores buses and vans on-site overnight and expressed worries about lighting, parking, sewage connections and pedestrian safety near Cherry Lane. Mark Meldentry, another nearby resident, said existing site lighting spills onto neighboring properties and asked for a detailed landscape and lighting plan. Several speakers said they believe the current on-site operations already generate noise, parked…