Village agrees to provide water and sewer to Legoland, if studies hold up

By Geri Corey
GOSHEN — A preliminary agreement to provide water and sewer services to the proposed Legoland theme park has been reached.
The agreement is between the Village of Goshen and Merlin Entertainment, which made the request for services.
At the Aug. 8 village board meeting, Mayor Kyle Roddey said the Goshen wastewater treatment plant has sufficient capacity to accommodate the project. The village also has sufficient water capacity for current and future needs in the village, as well as for the Legoland project, he said.
The village is doing engineering work to develop additional wells on village-owned property in the town of Wallkill.
At the village's request, Merlin has agreed to compensate the village for the cost of surveys, studies, and construction to determine whether the village's water is sufficient.
“By having Merlin cover the cost of developing a new well, we can give them water without diminishing our current supply,” said Roddey.
Merlin Entertainment plans to build the Legoland theme park on 153 of 523 acres on Harriman Drive in the Town of Goshen.
Merlin's expenses, as outlined in the preliminary agreement, are as follows:
Sewer service at the rate of $9.20 per 1,000 gallons used
Unit charge for sewer: $272,000 per year
Water service at the rate of $6 per 1,000 gallons
Unit charge for water of $19,000 per year;
Compensation for "reasonable costs" in connection with exploration studies, development, and construction.

'A great deal'

“The project will bring in over $900,000 yearly," Roddey said after reading the agreement.
“This is a great deal for village constituents,” said Trustee Ed Char.
The agreement is subject to some paperwork that has yet to be completed, including the final engineering studies, the completed coordinated State Environmental Quality Review Assessment, and the final contractual agreements between the village and Merlin Entertainment.
The park, to be called New York Legoland, is based on the popular brick toy, Lego, and would be the third such theme park in the United States. The park geared for children ages 2 to 12.
After the meeting, Dominic Cordisco, attorney for Merlin Entertainment, said, “This is a strong step in the right direction.”
Editor's note: The original online version gave the incorrect site for the village of Goshen's engineering work, which is in Wallkill not Goshen. The Chronicle regret the error.