Monday, September 03, 2007

Dates On The Road



This Thursday, September 6th, the County Legislature will vote on the compromise allowing Kiryas Joel an easement to build a sidewalk on CR 44, but to keep the road under county control. This seems like the best course. A "yes" vote allows it to go forward. A "no" vote means that nothing at all happens. If you want to watch, be at the County Building in Goshen at 7 PM.

On Friday at 10 AM, a public hearing is scheduled to take place at KJ Village Hall - 51 Forest Road, next to the shopping center. The subject of the hearing is KJ's proposed take over, presumably by eminent domain, of the part of CR 44 within the Village and the adjoining part that falls within the Town of Monroe (see the notice posted below). The Pieman says that he was told by councel for the NYS Department of State that the whole idea is a non-starter under New York law.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

From 9/4/07 TH-R-

Opposes water main
Recently I walked the railroad bed/Heritage Trail near Mountain Lakes in Monroe. I noticed a water pipe in a stream. It was running through a storm drain under the trail.

Farther down the trail were a water pipe and electric line laid alongside the trail. As I walked farther, the trail had changed. It appeared that for about 150 yards, it was bulldozed to triple its width. I wondered if the county authorized construction by KJ on and adjacent to the trail. As I walked, a sign appeared, "Village of Kiryas Joel: No Trespassing," on a fence surrounding a large pump house.

At least one of KJ's wells next to the headwaters of the Ramapo River, at the end of James Road, appears to me to be on federal wetlands. A gravel road was built leading to it from the trail; it also appears to be on wetlands. Most of the development near it is in a flood zone. Did the village or county give permission? Were wetland permits given to tap the Ramapo headwaters? How much water is pumped and what is it used for, how many wells, who knows? I bet the county does not know.

On Thursday, the Orange County Legislature votes on a permanent easement parallel and adjacent to the Heritage Trail for a water transmission main for KJ.

Please help me out — contact your legislators and tell them to vote no.

Matt Higgenzo

Highland Mills

Anonymous said...

What's wrong Uncle- No one's comments up to your standards anymore???