GOSHEN – The Goshen Town
Board will not appeal a court decision that allows a referendum on the
sale of town-owned land to Merlin Entertainments, which wants to build
its Legoland amusement park in the town.
The town board last year voted to sell eight parcels of land for the project
and opponents filed petitions calling for a referendum. The town took
the issue to court and a State Supreme justice ruled the petitions were
invalid. That decision was appealed and the Appellate Division last week
reversed the decision, saying the petitions were okay and the referendum
could proceed.
The town board had the option to ask the state’s highest court,
the Court of Appeals, for permission to appeal, but the board voted not
to appeal and hold the referendum.
Town Attorney Richard Golden said the referendum vote would have to be
scheduled and would likely take place near the end of June, possibly on
Tuesday, the 26th.
Even if the voters reject the sale, Merlin officials have said they have
a contingency plan that would allow the project to move forward without
those parcels.