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White Lake, NY - The Saga Continues: Bethel Board to Investigate Town Building Department Over Shul Permit |
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Supervisor Dan Sturm said Wednesday town engineers and attorneys will review the files of six to 10 projects. The town believes that Building Inspector Tim Dexter made mistakes in the handling of this one project, which led to a standoff with the Brooklyn-based United Talmudical Academy through this month.
The UTA rapidly built a 6,900-square-foot shul and community center after Dexter issued a building permit. There was no planning board oversight. Engineers say plans in the file lack basic structural information and some plans are missing. They aren’t sure if the building is up to code.
On Tuesday, the Town Board met behind closed doors with Planning Board Attorney Kimberlea Rea for more than an hour, citing “a matter of litigation.”
Sturm wouldn’t speculate on whether Dexter would be disciplined.
“We want everything reviewed so we don’t make any rash judgments,” Sturm said.
Dexter, who has worked for the town for 16 years, was the Satmar group’s star witness at a hearing in Monticello last week. He was at odds with the town attorneys.
Dexter frequently inspected the building and testified that the shul and four prayer rooms on the upper floor were safe to occupy. The basement area, which includes a mikvah - a ritual bath — and bathrooms, are unfinished.
Dexter was preparing to issue a temporary certificate of occupancy and testified that Sturm knew about the project all along, then mysteriously changed his mind about allowing the group to use the building. The town posted an order to vacate the building and issued a stop work order, touching off a two-week standoff with the UTA.
County Judge Frank LaBuda on Friday toured the shul and granted a six-week temporary certificate, allowing UTA to use the shul and prayer rooms for religious purposes only this summer. He also directed the UTA to allow engineers into the building.
Dexter said on Wednesday he welcomed the Town Board investigation, but had no other comment.
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Read Comments (11) — Post Yours »
1
Jul 29, 2009 at 02:49 PM resident Says:
to the town of bethel, dont you dare penalize mr. dexter for his upstanding work, if you will, you have a promise that it will backfire in a thousand ways, we are strong enough to vote in our own people and take over your position, and make mr. dexter the town superviser at the next elections.
stop now and save some face!!
2
Jul 29, 2009 at 03:09 PM AuthenticSatmar Says:
This may give Mr Dexter the chance to finally run for public office!! I hope we all support him.
3
Jul 29, 2009 at 03:43 PM Anonymous Says:
Dexter is known for his firm standing when it comes to safety, many camps have to put in a lot of repairs in their camps every year to fulfill Mr. Dexter's requests, they'd sometimes consider it as "Getting hell from Tim Dexter", but at the end they all feel safe after meeting all requirements.
He has a big maaleh on the other hand, once you meet all requirements, he will fight for you so you get the proper permits and sign offs.
4
Jul 29, 2009 at 04:17 PM wake up Says:
The only eitzah is for everyone to register to vote upstate and throw out the bums!!
With 100 votes we can change the whole bunch
5
Jul 29, 2009 at 05:57 PM Zindel Says:
I can only echo what the others already said:
Anyone who ownes a home upstate has a duty to register, and send in his vote via absenty ballot.
And then and only then will we not be dealt with like 2nd class citizens as we've been treated till now.
6
Jul 29, 2009 at 08:09 PM Anonymous Says:
I know mr dexter he gave me a lot of problems in white lake in the past !!!
For no reason
7
Jul 29, 2009 at 08:08 PM Anonymous Says:
“ to the town of bethel, dont you dare penalize mr. dexter for his upstanding work, if you will, you have a promise that it will backfire in a thousand ways, we are strong enough to vote in our own people and take over your position, and make mr. dexter the town superviser at the next elections.
stop now and save some face!! ”
Are you serious, or is your comment meant to display your own arrogant agenda. You have no ability to elect this guy to be dogcatcher so don't threaten other citizens of Bethel who expect their land use and building codes to be enforced.
8
Jul 29, 2009 at 10:51 PM Shloime Drimmer Says:
“ Are you serious, or is your comment meant to display your own arrogant agenda. You have no ability to elect this guy to be dogcatcher so don't threaten other citizens of Bethel who expect their land use and building codes to be enforced. ”
As a homeowner in White Lake, and one that is intimately familiar with the true facts of this case, I am amazed by the distortion of facts in the media. This magnificent edifice was built with the full approval and continuous supervision of the Town of Bethel Building Inspector, Tim Dexter. The Town of Bethel Planning Board was fully aware of this project from day one. It is unfortunate that the Planning Board has given in to pressure from a local developer, and others that do not take kind to the " Interlopers-those religious Jews ".As stated by the Judge in the hearing this past Friday "why have you ( the Planning board ) come to court with the claim that this project had to be approved by the Planning Board when you have been watching it being built these past seven months ?" The other claims by the Planning Board are in regards to the safety of the building , and that a traffic study was not done. In regards to the safety of the building , the Judge verbalized his confidence in the abilities of the Building Inspector,and to satisfy that confidence he said that he wants to personally inspect the building. The Judge , with all the litigants and officials proceeded to the Shul. After examining the premises, it was evident that besides a few minor issues the Planning Boards claim of the building being unsafe is just a smokescreen for the blatant discrimination on thier part. As far as the traffic study not being done, which is another sham, since the use of the Shul is primarily for the use of the inhabitants of the colony that encompasses the Shul within it's boundaries. One has to wonder as to what Traffic study was done when the planning for the Bethel Woods concert area which is nearby. Whenever there is a performance,Route 17-B is tied up with traffic for hours. In todays age, it is scandalous to see such blatant Anti-semitism being perpetrated.
9
Jul 29, 2009 at 11:13 PM Anonymous Says:
traffic study- its used 8 or 9 weeks a yr & mainly on shabbos when no cars are used
10
Jul 30, 2009 at 11:03 AM Allan Says:
Although there have been Jewish residents in the town of Bethel for a long time it's becoming clearer that this could be a case of let's stop them now. It's the idea that more and more Chassidim are coming to that area which is what is troubling the locals and the ever present tax evasion issues. I'm not saying that the folks in the Satmar colony are totally right but I am saying that there is no love lost for the orthodox Jews in Bethel. .....One other thought....what genious in Bethel gave the ok for the arts centers to be built without proper widening of the local roads? Except for the back way out thru West Shore Road it is one lane in on 17B on one lane out on 17B...G-D forbid if there is a major disaster up the road help would have one terrible time getting thru...Great planning Bethel!!
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Jul 30, 2009 at 05:00 PM omlooker Says:
I am so pleased by this new Shul, I am really excited about it even though I have never been to White lake. I am just so relieved to see that a branch of our community is so successful that they can afford to build a large comfortable Shul for just 2 months a year. The rest of us are in a recession, our yeshivos are struggling to pay the rebbeim on time, we are looking for ways to cut back on costs at simchos, and many people cannot even go to a bungalow and stay in the city all summer. Now we know that there are peopl who are blessed with so much material success that even for just 8 weeks they do not have to daven in old wooden camp-style huts but can afford to spend a couple of million on a nice summer Shul. I am happy at least some people are enjoying life the right way!