GOSHEN – Concerned Citizens
for Hudson Valley has won a temporary restraining order on the Appellate
Division, Second Department of State Supreme Court preventing the Town
of Goshen from selling any town-owned land to Merlin Entertainments for
construction of Legoland.
The grassroots organization contends the public lands should not be sold
before a referendum of town voters. The group submitted many more valid
signatures to qualify for a binding referendum, but a Dutchess County
State Supreme Court justice ruled the petitions invalid.
The judge in Poughkeepsie found that the petitions did not specifically
state the reasons for opposition to the conveyance of the eight parcels.
The Concerned Citizens group maintains those reasons don’t have
to be contained in the petition and theirs confirms with the requirements
of state law.
“Stopping the sale of these properties before resolution of this
issue is critical,” said the lawyer for the group, Michael Sussman.
“We look forward to litigating our appeal on the merits and insuring
that voters in the Town of Goshen can express their view on the sale of
these parcels.”
The town has approved the children’s theme park and company officials
hope to build it and have it open for business in 2020.
