A 131 acre amusement park project has been approved for a land lease near Mansion Ridge Golf Club without public vote. Plans were publicly announced yesterday (3/25/2022) via the Times Herald Record Online. The article titled "Plans for Orange County dinosaur park are shifted to Monroe after Wallkill roars 'No'" reveals that the lease was approved by a Town of Monroe private board vote, after they themselves "courted" the project-- in Town Supervisor Tony Cardone's own words.

In the same statement, Cardone voices concerns that the neighborhood will be impacted by increased traffic and noise pollution but claims he is "confident [the project] will come to fruition" seemingly without public vote due to "an extreme financial benefit." This plan to interfere with over 131 acres of residential area donated to the town in 1990, overlooks the amount of environmental and infrastructure impact to our little town nestled in the Foothills of the Catskills.

Though still in review by our town planning board, the approval of this Jurassic sized project removes our citizens right to a voice, a vote, and the feeling that money doesn't outweigh the needs of the people. Hundreds of private residential homes in one of the quietest areas of Monroe will directly border the amusement park--many hundreds more will be in close proximity. This a project slated to drive thousands of tourists through local and wooded roads that many have as their only access point in and out of Monroe. Commuting, busing our children to school, and the safety of our local roads would all be impacted.

The citizens of Monroe should have a vote on the T-Rex sized ecological footprint this type of project would leave. Our town's environmental infrastructure would be completely overloaded. We already deal with an underfunded Highway Department, depleted groundwater and wells from other unregulated projects, low water pressure from outdated waterlines, and a low capacity sewage treatment plant that can only sustain residential use. Please sign and spread this petition and attend the informational public meeting on April 18th.