Kiryas Joel to host scoping session on annexation petitions
By Bob Quinn
KIRYAS JOEL — The Village of Kiryas Joel announced Wednesday it would conduct a voluntary public scoping session as part of its responsibilities as the designated lead agency reviewing the environmental impact of a petition advanced by local property owners seeking to become residents of the Village of Kiryas Joel.
The session will take place Monday, Sept. 22, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at Bais Rachel Paradise Hall, 5 Israel Zupnick Drive, Monroe.
At the meeting, Mayor Abraham Wieder and Village Trustees Moses Goldstein, Jacob Freund, Samuel Landau and Jacob Reisman will consider public input regarding the Draft Scope of a Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement (DGEIS) associated with the 164-acres under consideration located in the Town of Monroe.
“As elected officials we know there is significant public interest in the petition recently advanced by residents of the Town of Monroe seeking to become part of the Village," Weider said in the press release issued by the village's Albany-based communications firm, Corning Place Consulting.
"We invite comment and feedback as part of the scoping session," the mayor added. "For those who are unable to attend the event, we encourage the submission of written comments as well.
“We consider this first-step an important part of an open community dialogue."
No lead agency named yet
Monroe Town Supervisor Harley E. Doles III used similar language in a statement:
"The town will be there and we look forward to working with the public. This scoping session is a starting point to learn about the SEQR process not only locally but throughout Orange County."
The state's Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has not designated a lead agency for the environmental review.
Lead agency status in the handful or so somewhat similar annexation cases involving a town and a village has all been given to the municipalities which receive the annexed properties, town officials have said.
In his comments, Doles also said the town would asked the DEC to designate the town as an involved agency and that it would hire a urban planner to evaluate each step of the review process.
'Bad stewards of the environment'
United Monroe's Emily Convers used quite different words to describe upcoming meeting: "This is a farce."
United Monroe opposes the annexation bids, whether it was the original request totaling 507 acres announced late last year, or the petitions representing the owners of 164 acres made last month.
"The Village of Kiryas Joel should not be the lead agent for any environmental review process," Convers said. "The Village of Kiryas Joel have multiple DEC and EPA violations and have proven to be bad stewards of the environment."
Comments
Participants in the session wishing to comment will be asked to sign-in. Remarks will limited to three minutes per person.
The Bais Rachel Paradise Hall has capacity for approximately 500 individuals, and can support parking for approximately 150 passenger vehicles.
Attendees are encouraged to car pool, and arrive early to ensure efficient and orderly implementation of security measures.
In addition, written comments on the Draft Scope are welcomed through Sept. 30, until 5 p.m. Direct documentation to: Tim Miller Associates, Inc., 10 North Street, Cold Spring, NY 10516.
Following the receipt and consideration of verbal and written comments, the village will issue a Final Scope.