Montebello Village Hall is located at 1 Montebello Road, Suffern NY 10901.
Phone: 845‑368‑2211.
Beginnings [1]
The Village of Montebello is 4.75-square mile incorporated village located in the Town of Ramapo, Rockland County, New York. Montebello was established in 1986 in part to direct and control the intensity and types of land use allowed in the Village. The interior portion of the Village is marked by a sense of openness, with residential land uses decreasing in density as one travels south to north through the community. The Village is characterized by beautiful tree-filled, rock-strewn rolling hills with stone walls lining most of the older narrow roads. An extensive network of streams, ponds and wetlands enhance the natural and open image of Montebello. As one approaches the New York State Thruway, running generally along the southern edge of the community, residential density increases.
Nonresidential uses are prevalent and include corporate-style office buildings. A neighborhood shopping area along Route 59 on either side of Hemion Road meets many of the local retail and service demands of Montebello residents.
In 1936 Ralph Borsodi began to created what he believed would be a self-sustaining "utopia."
"The School of Living was to develop research and promote the Borsodi philosophy of balance and healthy living in which the home and the land were productive instruments. The school taught the essentials of do-it-yourself agrarianism, including caning, poultry raising, animal husbandry, masonry, carpentry, use of tools and household equipment. Borsodi's "Bayard Lane Utopia" appeared to be a great idea on paper, and initially it appeared to be successful and was prominently featured in a variety of national publications. But as the United States entered the Second World War, the economy shifted and society began to change. A new wave of patriotism swept the country, leading Bayard Lane residents to distance themselves from Borsodi's self-sufficient principles and cooperative living. Eventually, Borsodi resigned from the Foundation, and in time, many of the original families living in this small enclave moved away. [villageofmontebello.org].
Nearby Towns: Allendale Boro • Montvale Boro • New Hempstead Vlg • Ramapo Town • Ramsey Boro •