Ball field in Nyack will become hospital parking lot
NYACK, Rockland County (WABC) -- It appears a ball field in Rockland County will soon become a parking lot.
The Nyack School Board voted 5-1 Tuesday night to lease the Midland Avenue Ball Field to Nyack Hospital.
The move would create 100 temporary parking spots for visitors and patients while the hospital builds a permanent parking deck on its own property.
Montefiore Health System says the temporary lot would be up and running for 18-24 months.
The heath system said proximity is key because using "a remote parking location for patients... would cause unnecessary physical and emotional hardship."
Montefiore also said the lease "includes a guarantee to return the area to its original condition."
Residents who opposed the lease had expressed skepticism ahead of the vote.
"I don't want to take that chance," said neighborhood resident Tina Guarasci. "This is where I live, this is where my kids live, my children play. I have day care, these children play."
The field is owned by the Nyack Board of Education, which would stand to make over $200,000 during the lease. There is a penalty if construction runs long.
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