A New York State Supreme Court ruling is allowing the Kiryas Joel 164-acre expansion.

On Tuesday, Justice Gretchen Walsh rejected two legal challenges against the expansion of Kiryas Joel, reports the Olean Times Herald. Walsh said she found no grounds to stop the Hasidic Jewish village from annexing 164 acres of land from the Town of Monroe.

The judge said it was up to the Appellate Division to decide if an environmental review would be adequate for an even larger expansion.

The ruling has led to some criticism.

“Failure. Our communities face yet another government failure to protect us from Kiryas Joel's unchecked and uncontrolled growth,” stated Colin Schmitt, the Republican, Conservative, Independence and Reform Party candidate for the 99th Assembly District. “Whether it is lawsuits or legislation we are left with no tangible success. In particular the DEC has and continues to completely fail us. They must be held accountable and must do the job entrusted in them to do without political bias or favoritism. We simply cannot endure these failures, with zero success, any longer.”

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