An Orange County, New York, Hasidic Jewish village and two local groups have signed an agreement to settle four years of disputes and create a new town.
The Village of Kiryas Joel and two groups — United Monroe and Preserve Hudson Valley— have agreed to allow the village to politically separate from the Town of Monroe and form the Town of Palm Tree, which would contain Kiryas Joel and 56 acres from Monroe. The agreement provides for the withdrawal of Preserve Hudson Valley’s appeal of a 164-acre annexation approval and Kiryas Joel’s appeal of a 507-acre annexation denial decision. It also calls for redrawing the boundaries of the Monroe-Woodbury and Kiryas Joel School Districts. The Orange County Legislature is slated to hold public hearings in August and then vote in September. If approved, Monroe residents would vote on a referendum in November.
