Meet Maureen

The Town of Monroe Democratic Committee has endorsed Maureen Richardson, the founder of Preserve Monroe, and Bill Kazdan for the two open Town Board seats in the upcoming election on Nov. 7.

“With this endorsement, the Democratic Committee has joined the coalition that Preserve Monroe represents, as it is the epitome of our Democratic ideals,” Chairman Thomas Kemnitz said in the press release announcing the endorsements.

“Throughout our history, our party has been driven by a profound mission to safeguard the environment, foster sustainable growth and ensure every citizen’s voice is heard in our vibrant community,” Kemnitz continued. “Our candidates pledge to represent your interests first, to advocate for open space, to preserve our rural character as we continue to grow and modernize, and to govern for the good of all citizens in the Town of Monroe.”

There is widespread interest: Preserve Monroe, the group formed in July to oppose the project, has 785 members on its Facebook page and a couple hundred more who signed up for emailed updates on the town deliberations.

 One of those original apartment structures was the size of a shopping mall and never should have been entertained by the town, said Maureen Richardson, a Monroe native who set up Preserve Monroe. She said the building downsizing was a relief but didn't quell concerns about the project scope or doubts about its professed benefits for the town.
 

"Much of what has been advertised for this project has turned out to be less than what was promised," Richardson said.

She argued the project could be more palatable if the number of units was reduced and more property spared from development, preserving perhaps 85% of the land rather than the 65% required under the town law.

 Aug 16, 2022 By: Blaise Gomez

A high-density housing project in Monroe is renewing ongoing overdevelopment concerns in Orange County. Activists with the community action group Preserve Monroe say the town is considering an application for a 491-unit housing development off Orange Turnpike.

They say the 280-acre lot is currently zoned for rural housing, which is one house on each acre. 

Activists say the project calls for three- to four-story buildings with more than 1,000 bedrooms altogether. 

“It would change the landscape to be something that Monroe has never seen before,” said Maureen Richardson. “It would create high-density housing that just doesn’t appear to be sustainable to anybody who is here.” 

Critics say the project would negatively impact quality of life for neighbors, increase traffic and strain the water supply.   

Maureen Richardson assembled Preserve Monroe members for the Village of Monroe's Comprehensive Plan meeting  regarding the effect of CCR Zoning on Village infrastructure. Many residents agreed that the threat of overdevelopment was Monroe's greatest weakness.

All four groups agreed the Village’s strengths resided in its rural nature, water sources, and abundant outdoor spaces. “A few examples are Bear Mountain, the Appalachian Trail and Mill Pond,” said Maureen Richardson, a Monroe resident. Other points included the village’s municipal services, such as the fire and police departments, and its lively community...

Members of Preserve Monroe, a newly formed environmental group, attended the July 14 planning board meeting dressed in green clothes to show their opposition to the Rye Hill Preserve. The group was created in late June and comprises over 200 residents, most of whom share frustrations over the town board’s approach to this development project.

“When it was just -- a couple, maybe three community members...they were sort of brushed aside,” said Maureen Richardson, resident and founder of Preserve Monroe. “We formed this group because we don’t like how individual citizens are treated when they go up to these developers or the town board at large. We’re there to stand behind other community members.” 

Town of Monroe Supervisor Tony Cardone announced Wednesday that plans for a dinosaur theme park in Orange County have been canceled after project developer Neil Gold found “environmental constraints on the property would not allow them to build the full project that they desire to build.”

The proposal for a $12 million dinosaur theme park had been facing pushback from residents, including Maureen Richardson who spearheaded community efforts to stop the park development and raise awareness about the protected wetlands.  “It was a lot of information that I learned, and it was definitely empowering to realize that my research contributed to them picking another location,” said Richardson   

Concerns expressed included traffic, aesthetics and expectations that thousands of visitors will be drawn to the park.

“Tourism does have a cost: traffic, noise, pollution, wear and tear on roads and other public infrastructure, policing and safety, and an irreversible change to the character of our community,” said Monroe resident Maureen Richardson. 

She addressed the board: “How could you put a project of this magnitude in one of the highest tax paying residential zones and expect that no one would fear for their property value, for their peace, for their voice in a community, when you did this all without our consent?”

 Gold is aware of the petition against his dinosaur park. On April 11, the creator of the petition, Maureen Richardson, shared a post about problems the development may cause. The site rests on wetlands protected by the state and federal government, Richardson warned, and the surrounding area could suffer “severe flooding or erosion if deprived of the benefits of this natural resource.”

However, Gold contends with Richardson’s claim that “the protected area spans what looks like the entire lot — or at least the entire buildable area.” He explains, “Given the extensive wetlands, [of the] 131 acres of property, we’ll probably end up using 35 at the most, and our footprint on the land will be extremely limited because we have virtually no buildings.”

He added that he and his development team have “always known” about the wetlands.

 A newly proposed dinosaur theme park in Orange County is facing some pushback from residents. A New Jersey developer is looking to put a $12 million "Dinosaur Kingdom" on more than 100 town-owned acres near the Mansion Ridge Golf Course in Monroe.

The seasonal attraction would include more than 60 life-sized animatronic dinosaurs as well as dinosaur-themed playgrounds and rides. The project is in the planning stages, but not everyone is sold.

"To have a theme park just kind of announced for this beautiful woodland acreage is such a shock because the only access points are really very private, residential woodland roads and a semi-destroyed turnpike," says Monroe resident Maureen Richardson.

 Opponents who spoke out afterward applauded the concept but said the park didn't belong in a residential area with no highway access. Maureen Richardson, who started an online petition drive that has collected 710 signatures against the project, warned of traffic, noise, road wear and "an irreversible change to the character to our community."

"How could you put a project of this magnitude in one of the highest taxpaying residential zones and expect that no one would fear for their property values, for their peace, for their voice in the community, when you did this all without our consent?" she asked.

Gold, in an email sent to Cardone on Wednesday morning that he later shared with the Times Herald-Record, said the land survey that led to the lease cancellation "analyzed the wetlands, wetlands buffers, steep slopes, and setbacks, and concluded that fewer than 29 acres of the 131 acre site was buildable."  

In a town presentation this month, Gold had pitched the park as a fun learning experience for kids, filled with interactive exhibits about the dinosaurs and their era, and a tourist attraction he predicted would be one of New York's busiest. Its features were to include 60 moving dinosaur models, 30 stationary ones, simulated dinosaur bones, a skull and footprints. An electric train would circle the park. The proposal by then had already set off an online petition in opposition, which had 714 signatures as of Wednesday.

Plans for a dinosaur park have migrated from Wallkill to a 131-acre swath of land in Monroe, enraging some residents. While some show their support for the proposed attraction, the loudest voices come from homeowners distraught about potential traffic, noise and pollution.

“Stay extinct — the town is selling out for tax revenues,” said Matthew Connolly, Sr. on “Monroe Matters,” a Facebook page for locals “to voice their opinions about all things Monroe.” In the same group, one Maureen Richardson has repeatedly shared a petition titled “Citizens of Monroe not Amused by Amusement Park Project” — presently bearing over 500 signatures —under posts related to the park.