Kiryas Joel Named Lead Agency by DEC in Proposed Annexation

• published: 29 Jan 2015
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After more than a year, the DEC has awarded the Board of Trustees of the Village of Kiryas Joel lead agency status. This long awaited ruling already has state and county officials calling this decision unacceptable. “Very disappointed the DEC came to this conclusion, I think it was the wrong conclusion I disagree with it," said Assemblyman James Skoufis, D - Chester. Lead agency status gives the Kiryas Joel Village board power to conduct an environmental review of the proposed annexation of 510 acres from the Town of Monroe into the Village Kiryas Joel. But not everyone is happy about this, including Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus, who said the county government should have been awarded lead agency status. "We are the ones I think that could make it a more fairer open process. And we're disappointed to see the DEC didn't take the ruling and rule for themselves to be in charge. It's going to continue to add to the aggravation and mistrust down there," said Neuhaus. The DEC ruled that the KJ village board has the broadest governmental powers to investigate the impact and consequences, the annexation could have on the environment. “I think it gives them a leg up, but I think we still have a legal right to some of the concerns the major impacts," said Neuhaus. In a statement, Town of Monroe Supervisor Harley Doles said, in part: “We are stuck with the problem of ensuring that Monroe Woodbury remains free of an annexation that could impact the integrity and the quality of education that we expect and our children deserve.” If the annexation is approved the impact high-density housing could have on the Town of Monroe and it’s residents is one of the main concerns Emily Convers and United Monroe. “Five story, six story houses right on top of each other right on top of the roads thousand of thousands of more people in Monroe thousands more people needing the sewer system, traffic, pollution, it’s a quality of life issue," said United Monroe chairwoman Emily Convers.