Thursday, July 30, 2009
Town of Bethel shul project results in investigation
The Town Board has ordered a probe into the town's Building Department following a judge's order to permit the opening of a controversial shul on Schultz Road.
Supervisor Dan Sturm said Wednesday that town engineers and lawyers will review the files of six to 10 projects. The town believes that Building Inspector Tim Dexter made mistakes in the handling of the shul 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.
However, the UTA opened the shul before receiving a certificate of occupancy, and the town ordered it shut. The UTA sued the town. County Court Judge Frank LaBuda toured the shul Friday 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.
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's lawyers.
Dexter frequently inspected the building and testified that the shul and four prayer rooms on the upper floor were safe to occupy. The basement, which includes a mikvah — a ritual bath — and bathrooms, is unfinished.
Dexter was preparing to issue a temporary certificate of occupancy and has said that Sturm knew about the project all along, then suddenly 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.
Dexter said on Wednesday that he welcomed the Town Board investigation, but had no other comment.
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090730/NEWS/907300313
Supervisor Dan Sturm said Wednesday that town engineers and lawyers will review the files of six to 10 projects. The town believes that Building Inspector Tim Dexter made mistakes in the handling of the shul 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.
However, the UTA opened the shul before receiving a certificate of occupancy, and the town ordered it shut. The UTA sued the town. County Court Judge Frank LaBuda toured the shul Friday 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.
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's lawyers.
Dexter frequently inspected the building and testified that the shul and four prayer rooms on the upper floor were safe to occupy. The basement, which includes a mikvah — a ritual bath — and bathrooms, is unfinished.
Dexter was preparing to issue a temporary certificate of occupancy and has said that Sturm knew about the project all along, then suddenly 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.
Dexter said on Wednesday that he welcomed the Town Board investigation, but had no other comment.
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090730/NEWS/907300313
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