MONROE, N.Y. -- A judge has ruled in favor of Kiryas Joel and the 164-acre annexation from the Town of Monroe.
Last year, the Monroe town board voted in favor of annexing 164 acres of land to Kiryas Joel. Several local municipalities, including the Village of Monroe, the Town and Village of South Blooming Grove and the Town of Cornwall, filed the lawsuit against the annexation.
Members of United Monroe say they do intend to appeal this latest ruling.
Kiryas Joel leaders say they need the land to support the increasing population. United Monroe says the annexation would cause a strain on traffic and the environment.
County Executive Steve Neuhaus says it is not in the best interest of the county.
In the lawsuit, plaintiffs cited a faulty environmental study as a primary argument against the annexation. John Allegro of Preserve Hudson Valley still says that argument holds water.
"It just doesn't make any sense to me how the arguments that we put forth were just poo-pooed by the judge," Allegro said.
Another proposal to annex 507 acres is the subject of a court battle. And a petition is also before the county legislature to form a new town, North Monroe, which would include Kiryas Joel.
Because it is Yom Kippur, members of Kiryas Joel, an ultra-orthodox community, could not be reached.
Assemblyman James Skoufis is responding, saying it should be appealed immediately.
He released a statement, saying: "For years, recently retired Supreme Court Judge Francis Nicolai almost always ruled in favor of the Village of Kiryas Joel when a case was before him. Fortunately, the Court of Appeals has demonstrated far greater objectivity on matters involving KJ. After today’s ruling on the annexation case, it appears the Hudson Valley has a new Judge Nicolai."