Just a couple days after a State Department of Motor Vehicles spokesman said mold abatement could leave the West Haverstraw DMV closed for weeks or even months, the facility in Samsondale Plaza re-opened for business. (See news story here.)
It’s better for Rockland motorists, but it’s hardly a shining example of government action, or communication.
DMV first closed for a couple days on March 9 to fix a water leak from the office above.
The water leak apparently sparked a mold problem, and DMV kept the office closed for remediation. But with little public outreach and even less accurate information about the closure, people kept showing up, often taking time off work, to renew licenses, register vehicles and take care of other important business.
On March 11, DMV issued a press release announcing the extension of the closing for another week, to March 17. Then the DMV posted a sign outside the Samsondale Plaza office saying the branch would reopen March 30.
On April 1, the DMV announced the office would be closed indefinitely. On April 2, County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef sent a letter to DMV stating that “it is intolerable that our residents must suffer such inconvenience for an indefinable period of time.” Vanderhoef and County Clerk Paul Piperato also offered county space for a temporary site to ensure Rocklanders could conduct important DMV business close to home. DMV officials said that would be unworkable.
At least someone was thinking about offering real relief to Rocklanders. DMV’s solution? Sending people north to Orange County or east across the Tappan Zee (and its $4 toll) to Peekskill while offering the public vague timelines for a reopening.
On Tuesday, DMV spokesman Ken Brown told staff writer Laura Incalcaterra that he hoped it wouldn’t be any more than few weeks or months before the office reopened. “The (West Haverstraw) office will reopen only when it is determined there are no potential health risks to the employees or the public,” he said.
Two days later, on Thursday, a DMV media advisory announced the office was open with its regular hours “after being closed for maintenance due to a prior plumbing leak in an office above the DMV.”
“All services will be available,” a media advisory stated.

PHOTO: Signs outside the Rockland County DMV office in West Haverstraw March 31 direct motorists to offices in other counties. The Rockland DMV offices have been closed due to a problem with mold. (Kathy Gardner/Journal News)