Field of dreams returning: Montefiore Nyack Hospital restoring parking lot to green space
NYACK − Residents living in the Montefiore Nyack Hospital area along Midland Avenue will be getting their open field back in the spring.
After using the land for nearly two years as a graveled parking lot, the hospital will turn the 1.5 acres back into an open field, where parents and children used to play baseball and soccer, or just ran around. The Nyack School District had leased the field to the hospital during the construction of the medical facility's garage.
The restoration will take place between March 1 and June 1, Nyack Interim Schools Superintendent James Montesano said in a letter to residents. The hospital stopped using the graveled site on Thursday, except for 20 spots that will remain until Dec. 23 for department heads and director-level staff.
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Montesano wrote the restoration will include demolition work, spreading of topsoil, and applying grass seed during warmer weather. To facilitate the process, he said, attorneys for the school district and hospital will prepare an amendment to the 2010 lease agreement.
Hospital spokesperson Lauren Malone said the hospital will work at the district's direction to restore the field. She said the four-level, 400-space garage is open for valet parking only and self-parking will begin during the first quarter of 2023.
Residents opposed losing field
The Nyack Board of Education voted 5-1 on Dec. 10, 2019, to lease the property to the hospital.
The plan was opposed by neighborhood residents. The opposition group Save MacCalman Field filed a petition with more than 1,500 names. The area is part of MacCalman Field on the grounds of the former Nyack High School building, now used by BOCES. The ground's track and football field were not part of the lease agreement.
About 200 people packed a public hearing in December 2019. Most of the 40 speakers opposed the hospital constructing a 100-spot parking facility for 12 to 18 months during construction of the parking deck. Residents left the meeting chanting, "Shame on you" at the board members, with some shouts of "You can be voted out."
Justin Machia, a petition drive leader, said at the time that "the children are going to be misplaced."
Machia greeted Montesano's news with positivity after 2 1/2 years without the open space.
"At the end of this saga, there were some silver linings," Machia said. "It brought us closer together as a community, as neighbors, and demonstrated Nyack’s passion and activism."
He said hospital administrators stayed true to their word by scheduling the lot’s return to green space.
"The community will continue to guard this asset against a capitalistic approach, and protect the paucity of green space for the children of Nyack," he said.
The temporary parking and garage came amid the hospital's construction of a two-story, 16,300-square-foot addition to its facility, between Route 9W and Midland Avenue. The project includes a parking deck and a redesigned emergency room department and outpatient facility.
The lease offered the school district $215,000 over two years. The hospital kicked off the agreement with $125,000 payments and added $5,000 a month, or $50 per parking spot. Beyond 18 months, the monthly rate jumped to $7,500.
Steve Lieberman covers government, breaking news, courts, police, and investigations. Reach him at slieberm@lohud.com. Twitter: @lohudlegal.
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This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Nyack will see return of field used for parking by Montefiore
