Rockland County, NY – A poultry processing plant in New Square is one step closer to reality, with approximately $3 million in funding pledged to the project which would also provide New Square residents with their first major kosher supermarket.
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According to The Journal News, the $6 million project would be located at an industrial park complex set several blocks into the Village of New Square on Mezritch Road.
An earlier plan for a large scale slaughterhouse located at the edge of the village right off a main thoroughfare was scrapped after facing heated opposition from area residents and local elected officials as previously reported on VIN News (http://bit.ly/2cLJLo9). An earlier slaughterhouse at the same location was closed by the federal government in 2010 after inspections revealed that the plant had been selling uninspected chickens for years.
The proposed site of the 30,000 square foot project, which would house a 15,000 square foot branch of Hatzlacha supermarket, the packaging plant and office space that would be used by Chesed/Share of New Square, is currently owned by Community Improvement Council, a local non-profit agency that has built senior housing and a Head Start facility in New Square.
Empire State Development, which is providing more than $1.6 million to the project, agreed with a review conducted by the village which found that the facility would not have a significant impact on the environment. The complex would also receive $600,000 in funding from Empire State Development’s Regional Council Capital Fund and $750,000 from a community development block grant.
Jonah Bruno, a spokesperson for Empire State Development, said that the agency approved the application on August 18th and a mandatory public hearing on the Empire State Development funding was held on September 13th. The project still needs to be approved by the New York’s Public Authorities Control Board.
Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski who has been fighting the slaughterhouse plan since 2009, released a statement today expressing his disappointment at the project’s progress and charging Empire State Development with deliberately keeping details of the project secret for as long as possible.
“Unfortunately ESD approved revisions to the project in August but kept me in the dark regarding the changes,” said Zebrowski. “While I am pleased that ESD rejected the slaughterhouse proposal, I have not yet received any details on the new project. This lack of information before the approval has deprived my office and the public with the opportunity to review the proposal and provide constructive comments.”
Rockland County Executive Ed Day said that the proposal will be carefully reviewed by the county.
“As with all applications, we will look at this in a concise, comprehensive manner to make sure that the residents both inside and outside the village are not compromised,” said Day.
So Zebrowesky really think that the ESD is supposed to report to him whatever they approve???
And what if the ESD is not so obsessed with anything relating “Hasidic Jews”?
I am happy for Rockland County Chasidim to Have back the Kosher Shechita.
Just be careful not to go on the foot steps of K.J. To try to manipulate all Chickens retailers in NY and NJ and bulk around 50,000 chickens per day that caused so many health problems in the area.
Smell and Flies and dumping sewage etc.
Having a “Own Kosher Shechita” is a brilliant idea for the Holey Chasidim Community. But you don’t need to kick your stuff all over the US to become the Manipulator of chickens and then run in to problems of health and lowering the “standard of kashrut” with the salt and other kashrut details. Due to such high volume.
Even New Square residents are against this. The stench alone will hurt them. The last chicken factory had blood and feces all over the walls. This will be no different.
this has Cuomos hands all over it.
So Zebrowesky really think that the ESD is supposed to report to him whatever they approve???
And what if the ESD is not so obsessed with anything relating “Hasidic Jews”?