Members of the group included Maxwell Anderson, the playwright (in later years, actor Barry Bostwick lived in Anderson's house, selling it in 2005); composer Kurt Weill and his wife, singer/actress Lotte Lenya;[3] actor/director/producer John Houseman, and architect/potter/painter Henry Varnum Poor.
As a teenager living in New City, driving along South Mountain Road was for him an escape, an adventure, and an exploration (of mind and spirit).
In 2002 the Town of Clarkstown approved the Historical Designation, in part, due to the cultural significance and scenic viewshed.
Additionally, Orange and Rockland Utilities is actively suing the Town of Clarkston via an article 78 proceeding.
The basis for the town's denial was the New City Neighborhood Association's claim that the historical designation does not allow for an industrial structure to be built and that it would directly affect the aesthetic value of the road while providing a constant buzz that carries through the wilderness.