The Monroe Town Board approved a 90-day building moratorium on April 25 with Supervisor Harley Doles the only abstention. Swirling under the surface are a diversity of positions that tell a larger story.
Emily Convers, executive director of United Monroe, says her organization supports the idea. “We think that in the interest of updating and revising the comprehensive plan, taking a look at the accessory apartments code, and hopefully instituting a tree code, during this period is a very wise idea and is just how good government operates.”
For or Against?
Kiryas Joel officials have taken the stand that they oppose the moratorium, but Convers maintains they actually support it. “The proposed annexation of 507 acres comes into play,” she said.
The proposed acreage is owned by LLC development interests, according to Convers, who want to build as soon as possible to recoup their investment. They were led to believe the annexation would happen quickly in 2013, a month after Doles was reelected.
“The KJ government thought, with their board stacked the way it was, that this annexation would just fly through,” Convers said. “What they didn’t anticipate was United Monroe would stay afloat even after this election and would stay strong, would raise money to hire attorneys, and would watch them like a hawk throughout this process.”
