By Bob Quinn
GOSHEN — A committee of the Orange County Legislature this week postponed until August two public hearings on a proposal to divide the Town of Monroe into two municipalities largely separated by Route 17.
The Rules Committee also recommended that Orange County hold the environmental impact hearings for the proposal on those same two days — Tuesday and Wednesday, Aug. 15 and 16. One hearing would be held in the Village of Kiryas Joel, the other at Central Valley Elementary School.
Legislator Katie Bonelli, who chairs the Rules Committee, acknowledged once again that the Legislature was moving in uncharted waters with regards to the creation of a new town. She said it has been done in 100 years in New York State; she said coterminous towns were created late last century in Westchester County.
Eleven months ago, more than 2,000 Town of Monroe residents signed a petition, asking the Orange County Legislature to create a new municipality that would include the Village of Kiryas Joel, plus as many as 400 acres. The legislature itself would not create the new town, but rather approved a referendum whereby all residents of the Town of Monroe, including those living in the villages of Harriman, Kiryas Joel and Monroe, would decide the matter.
Village Administrator Kiryas Joel Village Administrator Gedalye Szegedin has said such a move would accomplish two things:
Eliminate the influence of the Kiryas Joel block in Monroe town politics; and
Satisfy the village’s increasing need for housing. KJ’s population, now estimated at 25,000 people, grew nearly 15 percent between 2010 and 2016 — by far faster than any other municipality in Orange County.
TimetableIn order for Monroe residents to vote on the separation agreement in November, the Legislature must approve a referendum allowing the vote by late September. That would give the county’s Board of Election time to fashion the Nov. 7 ballot which also will include candidates for town supervisor and town board.
That timetable raises a question:
Will the 21 legislators have enough time to digest what they hear and read from the public hearing on Aug. 15 and 16 and from the environmental assessment being developed by County Planning Commission David Church before they vote on the referendum a month later?
Legislator Michael Amo, whose district includes much of the Village of Kiryas Joel, opposed the motion to delay the hearings until August.
“Why wait?” he asked, adding he didn’t think people would be changing their minds from July to August.
The vote on the referendum will require a supermajority to pass, meaning 14 lawmakers must approve it.
NegotiationsAs the lawmakers work through the legislative process, negotiations continue between the Village of Kiryas Joel and members of United Monroe over the terms that could lead to the creation of the Town of North Monroe.
Although items such as how much land would be included in the new municipality have been acknowledged, no specifics on those talks have been disclosed.
Emily Convers, chair of United Monroe, described the discussions generally as very positive. She was emphatic about one point, though: The Monroe-Woodbury School District.
“There will be no agreement,” she said, “unless Monroe-Woodbury is held whole.”
If the Town of North Monroe is created, those residents not living within the Village of Kiryas Joel would remain taxpayers and voters within the Monroe-Woodbury School District. Unless, that is, the boundaries of the Kiryas Joel School District are expanded to include that territory.
The state law that created the Kiryas Joel School District made it coterminous with the Village of Kiryas Joel.
During all the discussions regarding annexation of land from the Town of Monroe into Kiryas Joel, KJ village and school officials have repeatedly said the school boundaries would be adjusted. In fact, Kiryas Joel already has accepted the 164-acres annexed into the “Fingers” to the north and east of the village as part of its new boundaries.
Monroe-Woodbury school officials have not revealed their hand on the matter. Superintendent of Schools Elsie Rodriguez said earlier this month the district was still weighing the costs: the loss of property tax revenue versus any reduction in costs arising from transporting students or providing education for special needs children.
The concern, and the fear, has been that without realigning the two school districts the Monroe-Woodbury School District could become like the East Ramapo School District in Rockland County. The Hasidic population in that district gained control of the school board. Programs were cut, so much so that some students could not graduate. The state has since appointed an overseer.
Environmental AssessmentThe Rules Committee adjourned into executive session with Antoinette Reed, the legislative counsel, presumably to discuss the status of the negotiations. The private discussion lasted more than 90 minutes.
In returning to open session, Legislator Kevin W. Hines, who represents parts of Cornwall, Blooming Grove and New Windsor, said he was dissatisfied with the first two of the three-part environmental assessment being prepared by Church and his planning staff.
Will the creation of a new town affect water?
No, the report read.
Will the existing water be sufficient?
No, the report read.
Will the creation of a new town affect, traffic, sewer and a slew of other issues.
No, Hines repeated from the report.
Church said he was preparing a multi-page narrative to satisfy the third part of the environmental assessment. The material is based on the county’s earlier assessment of the environmental that would occur with the two proposed annexation bids in Monroe.
The 164-acre one that has been approved, although the issue remains in court, challenged by a consortium of municipalities and Orange County that surround Kiryas Joel and the non-profit Preserve Hudson Valley.
The large, 507-acre bid, remains undecided.
Church said there are five areas important to Orange County:
Gonzaga Park, a county-owned park, totaling 216 acres, that covers parts of the towns of Blooming Grove, Monroe and Woodbury.
The Long Path, which is part of the New York-New Jersey Trail conference.
A tributary of the Ramapo River.
Sewer service.
Water supply.
While Hines argued that a longer view was needed, Church said any assessment needed to be specific to current conditions.
“On the day after the new town is created,” Church asked, “will there be one more car on the road? I don’t think so.”
He added that it would be the responsibility of the officials of the new town to create or adopt planning and zoning regulations into a comprehensive plan.
“The SEQR,” Hines then added, “is not good enough for me.”