GOSHEN – A new group comprised of residents of Goshen, has been
formed to fight the Legoland theme park proposed for the Town of Goshen.
Concerned Citizens of the Hudson Valley, represented by attorney Michael
Sussman, believes a supermajority, not a simple majority of the Goshen
Town Board is needed to approve any zoning changes on the property upon
which Merlin Entertainment wants to build its third American theme park.
That means four, not three members of the five-person town board would
have to approve any changes.
The organization has garnered petitions with a majority of the property
owners adjacent to the property upon which Merlin has an option to purchase,
calling for the town board to conduct the state-required environmental
quality review of the impacts of the facility. The town board has said
the planning board was conducting the environmental reviews, which Sussman
said under the law is illegal.
Attorney Michael Sussman has been retained to fight the proposed
Legoland theme park
Merlin legal counsel Dominic Cordisco, meanwhile, said the state environmental
quality review law “encourages a holistic, unified and coordinated
review of such projects – exactly the Town of Goshen’s approach
for Legoland New York.” He said the “coordinated approach
ensures that each board has a full record before it, detailing all of
the significant potential impacts. Based on a full record, each board
can then make their own informed decision.”
Cordisco said the town planning board serves as lead agency for the review,
but the town board “retains its decision-making authority over the
proposed zone change. There has been no delegation of the town board’s
authority.”
Group member Melanie Turner said Legoland “will forever change Goshen.”
And she was critical of the 30-year Payment-in-Lieu of taxes arrangement
the company is seeking from the Orange County Industrial Development Agency.
Brad Barnhorst, the president of the new Concerned Citizens group, said
the $71 advanced ticket price for Legoland Florida, should it be used
in Goshen, would cover the $1.3 million host fee in 5.39 days. “The
picture is very clear. The so-called good neighbor is nothing of the sort,”
he said. “The very people who we have empowered to look out for
our best interests appear to be doing nothing of the sort.”
Jessica Gocke, another member of the new group, said the issue is not
about children and recreation, but about the lack of transparency of local
officials. She pointed to town zoning law, amusement parks and related
activities are listed among prohibited activities in the town, “prohibited
to protect your quality of life and to protect your property values,”
she said. Other prohibited uses include junkyards and dumps.
