Rockland building inspectors shut down overcrowded home in Spring Valley

Neighbors of the two-family building at Ridge Avenue and Route 59 said the area looked like a ghost town Tuesday, compared to what it looked like prior to Monday afternoon when county building inspectors forced everyone to vacate the property.

Ben Nandy

Aug 6, 2025, 10:02 PM

Updated 6 hr ago

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Rockland County authorities shut down a Spring Valley home they said was overcrowded, and it appears the county might not be done investigating this particular neighborhood.
Neighbors of the two-family building at Ridge Avenue and Route 59 said the area looked like a ghost town Tuesday compared to what it looked like prior to Tuesday afternoon when county building inspectors forced everyone to vacate the property.
County officials have not said whether the home was being used as a school, day care or for other purposes.
"There has to be 60 to 80 girls coming out here," said neighbor and local contractor Steven Fernandez, who added that most of the children seemed to be middle school age or younger. "You have a lot of young people coming and going. There's no real supervision. It's just a lot of young people all over the place. It's dangerous."
Other neighbors and passers by said they were relieved to learn the county took action before one of the many children who play out front were hit by one of the many buses and trucks that travel along Route 59.
Property records show 59 & Ridge LLC to be the owner of the home and some other nearby properties.
News 12 has reached out to the company and its attorney seeking comment, and had not received a response by late Wednesday afternoon.
Biron Mejia, a father of two who lives down the street from the home, said he would never let his children play on the corner because the home always seemed out of control and there were so many children out front of a home only meant to house two families.
"There's no control," he said, "and it seems illegal."
County building inspectors were still active in the neighborhood Wednesday.
They posted an unrelated violation on the building next door, and were photographing the home across the street.