NEW CITY – A deal has been reached in one of three court actions involving the town of Clarkstown and a daycare facility accused of warehousing dozens of children in a basement riddled with safety violations.
A Sept. 18 stipulation in state Supreme Court keeps the owners from using the Maple Avenue space for anything but its permitted purpose as a house of worship. The deal with Congregation Morah Chany, 86 MAPLENCLLC, 96 MAPLENCLLC and LLC member Aron Altman, which included no fines, allows the town unfettered access, 24/7, over the next year to ensure compliance.
If any part of the stipulation is violated, the town can re-up the original charges by alerting the Rockland County Supreme Court.
Two other legal actions are continuing, including a case in Clarkstown Justice Court addressing a slew of violations in which the town continues to seek heavy fines, and a criminal case against the building owners.
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The facility is located at 86 and 96 Maple Ave. The daycare and a U-Haul rental facility are banned from operation at the site. Two permitted retail establishments at 96 Maple Ave., a vape shop and a tailor, can continue to operate under the court-ordered stipulation.
New York State Supreme Court Justice Larry Schwartz, who had issued an earlier order on July 11 to close down the daycare business, presided.
Conditions at daycare called ‘horrific’
The day care center was initially shuttered on July 8 by Rockland Child Protective Services, Clarkstown inspectors and police. They evacuated the children and staff.
Supervisor George Hoehmann had called the conditions “horrific” during a news conference in Town Hall on Wednesday, July 9.
The children, ages 3 months to 5 years old, were lined up in cribs located near a basement boiler, loose wiring and other hazards, officials said. Up to 80 children attended, officials said.
Clarkstown supervisor George Hoehmann speaks at a news conference about an illegal New City day care on July 9, 2025.
More than two dozen fire and safety code violations were cited against the operators.
“We saw here warehousing of little children and babies on cribs down in basements,” town attorney Kevin Conway said in August.
Inspectors reported finding loose electrical wiring and combustible materials like propane tanks and paint cans in a basement that had one entrance and exit up steep stairs.
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Parents paid $1,500 per child per week for the care, according to town officials.
Aron Altman’s attorney Richard Mahon, with Catania Mahon & Rider, had told the court that as a religious daycare in a house of worship, the site didn’t require a state permit to operate the childcare component. He framed the town’s effort to shutter the daycare as a First Amendment religious freedom issue.
Where other legal actions stand
Clarkstown police, meanwhile, charged Aron Altman and Chana Altman of New City, identified as operators of the daycare, with one count each of misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child. The criminal charges are being handled by the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office were due back in Town Court on Oct. 20.
The town also is pursuing fines of up to $50,000 in Clarkstown Justice Court to address up to 13 reported serious fire, safety and building code violations. The next court hearing is scheduled on Nov. 18 before the Honorable Keith Braunfotel.
A daycare center being operated at 86 Maple Ave. in New City, was shut down bu Clarkstown officials. Friday, July 25, 2025.
New York State Office for Children and Family Services, the agency that oversees and regulates daycare facilities, worked with town officials and issued its own cease and desist orders to Congregation Morah Chany, according to an OCFS spokesperson.
Clarkstown officials vowed to continue code enforcement efforts throughout town. Residents can report code violations via the town’s 311 app or by calling the Supervisor’s Office at 845-639-2050.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Shuttered Rockland day care reaches deal in 1 of 3 court cases