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The violations come after the Rockland County Office of Buildings and Codes received a complaint about two structures that were built on the backend of neighboring commercial properties, said Beth Cefalu, spokeswoman for Rockland County.
After receiving the complaint, the department inspected the structures built in Spring Valley at 35 Commerce St., owned by Elegant Party Rental, and 37 Commerce St., owned by 37-39 Commerce, Cefalu said.
"The investigation found that these massive shed-like structures were illegally constructed, including unapproved electrical connections, without any permits and violations of the uniform state building code as well as the local zoning code," she added.
Both front-end commercial businesses were also discovered to have completed illegal interior construction without permits and inspectors learned 37 Commerce St. was not connected to Rockland County 44-Control fire dispatch, a required emergency alarm system for commercial buildings, officials said.
“I’m angry that just weeks into taking over the Building Department in the village of Spring Valley, we found a commercial property not connected to 44-control, our county’s emergency dispatch. It’s negligence like this that puts lives at risk," said County Executive Ed Day.
Following the inspection, 37 Commerce St. has since been connected to the 44-Control system, Day added.
Violations being investigated include violation of use, violation of occupancy, and unlawful structure, officials said.
As for the illegally constructed sheds, they are in violation and cannot be used or occupied, Cefalu said.
The property owners must apply to the zoning board of appeals for a variance. If approved, the owner would need to re-apply for building permits and then have the structures inspected to ensure they fully comply with all codes, she added.
The Office requests that the public submit complaints regarding violations within the Village of Spring Valley to 845-364-3700 or by email to BuildingsAndCodes@co.rockland.ny.us.
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