Thursday night’s Goshen Town Planning Board session on a proposed Legoland New York theme park was the first time the public had a chance to comment. And they did, for more than three hours.
The CJ Hooker Middle School auditorium was packed. Stifling heat and no air conditioning did not deter the hundreds of area residents who turned out to deliver comments to the Goshen Planning Board during a scoping session. There were dozens of residents donning red “Stop Legoland” t-shirts amid a large number of union members wearing neon-yellow shirts expressing support. At times, there were clashes and shouting.
“It was largely in order,” Burges says. “There were a couple of people that got a little excited and impassioned but, with a little coaxing, we kept everyone under control.”
That’s Lee Bergus, Goshen Planning Board chairman.
“The intent of the scoping session basically was to create a framework for developing the draft environmental impact statement,” Burges says. “These are the items that could be potentially significant negative impacts to the environment and that’s why we’re writing a scope, working with the applicant to come up with a scope that does address all the concerns that would and could be possibly mitigated or eliminated in the process.”
Merlin Entertainments is set to invest half-a-billion dollars into the development of Legoland New York in Orange County over five years, with plans to build on 123 acres of a 523-acre site off Route 17 in Goshen. Among the first to comment was a resident who declared he is a “firm maybe.” However, most who followed voiced clear opposition or support. Fred Frazier moved to Goshen from the Bronx 10 years ago. He lives next to the proposed theme park site and opposes the project.
“I don’t think it’s going to work. I don’t think it’s right. And you got a strong union turnout here, and it’s not about medical, it’s not about wages,” Frazier says. “It’s about quality of life, where I live at.”
He says his wife is talking about moving if Legoland is approved.
“20,000, people, 12,000 people coming from Buffalo, Pennsylvania, wherever they come from, all walks of life, they come to my backyard to go to a park,” Frazier says. “So that means traffic, noise pollution. They bring in everything to my community and then they’re going back home to their quiet communities. I don’t think it’s going to work.”
Scott Perry is a Goshen business owner and resident who supports the project. He says there are benefits, despite concerns about traffic.
“We already have the traffic. We’re not seeing one dime from that traffic we already have,” Perry says. “Here’s an opportunity, while we may add some traffic, we can mitigate it with some improvements, and we’ll actually see some ratable taxes go to the town. We’ll also see some jobs come to the area and maybe some stimulus to those businesses that are already here in the village and town.”
Legoland New York Spokesman Josh Sommers says the scoping session is an important part of the public process.
“And it’s very helpful for Legoland to hear what the community is saying so they can collaborate with the community to build a project that really fits into the character of the community,” Sommers says.
Union members touted job creation as a major plus in supporting the project. Michael Carriere is with the Hudson Valley Building and Construction Trades Council.
“It’s going to be great,” Carriere says. “All our union families live here, so it’s going to be fantastic for the county.”
Legoland officials say the project would create 800 construction jobs. Goshen attorney Michael Sussman alleges the planning board is showing favoritism toward Legoland and fast-tracking the process.
“The problem is that if you have an applicant who comes to a planning board and that applicant comes to the board with a zoning for its proposal that’s not in synch with what it wants to do, the planning board cannot, at that point, consider the applicant,” says Sussman. “The planning board must say to the applicant, ‘go get proper zoning’.”
Sussman says if the process continues as is, illegally in his opinion, he would sue.
“Oh, we’ll absolutely sue,” says Sussman.
“Who will you sue?” Dunne asks.
“We’ll sue those who are violating the law which, right now, is this planning board.”
Burges says the planning board is following the due process of SEQR, or State Environmental Quality Review.
“He is an attorney. He represents the anti-Lego group and he’s doing his job the way he feels it needs to be done,” says Bergus. “Whether there’s any merit to his argument, that’ll have to be determined at a later date.”
The anti-Lego group to which he refers is Stop Legoland New York, which held a forum July 18 in the same auditorium. The Goshen Town Board has introduced two pieces of legislation to make Legoland possible. One is a proposed law amending the zoning code to create a commercial recreation overlay zoning district to allow a commercial recreation facility. The second is a proposed law to amend the comprehensive plan to allow for commercial/tourism recreation uses in certain areas. Bergus says written comments concerning the scoping session will be accepted until August 1.
