Nearly 500 acres of Woodbury targeted in new Kiryas Joel, Palm Tree annexation petition
The 497.83-acre proposal comes after two smaller annexation petitions were recently withdrawn and revives a contentious issue about over development and growth in Orange County.
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A new petition seeks to annex nearly 500 acres of land from the Town and Village of Woodbury into neighboring Kiryas Joel and Palm Tree, reviving a contentious issue over development and growth in Orange County.
The Town and Village of Woodbury said they were served with the latest petition in August. It seeks the annexation of approximately 497.83 acres across 82 tax lots into the coterminous Village of Kiryas Joel and Town of Palm Tree.
A copy of the 85-page petition was obtained by the Monroe Gazette through a Freedom of Information Law request and provided to News 12.
Maps included with the petition show the proposed annexation territory stretching along a large portion of Woodbury’s existing border with Kiryas Joel and Palm Tree.
The petition says the territory includes property already owned by the Village of Kiryas Joel and used for municipal purposes. It also includes maps detailing the area’s existing zoning, land uses, wetlands and infrastructure.
Annexation has a long and contentious history in the area. Critics of previous proposals have raised concerns about the potential effects of high-density housing and rapid growth on traffic, water and sewer capacity, the environment and the quality of life in surrounding communities.
Kiryas Joel has experienced significant population growth. U.S. Census estimates show its population grew from roughly 33,000 in 2020 to more than 47,000 in 2025, an increase of about 43% in five years.
About a decade ago, Kiryas Joel sought to annex more than 500 acres from the Town of Monroe. A smaller, 164-acre annexation was ultimately approved and completed in 2016 following years of controversy and litigation.
The boundary dispute eventually helped lead to the creation of the Town of Palm Tree, which encompasses the Village of Kiryas Joel. Palm Tree officially became a separate town in 2019.
The latest request follows two more recent Woodbury annexation petitions involving approximately 197 acres and 22 acres.
During a packed Town Board meeting Aug. 31, Woodbury officials said both of those petitions had recently been withdrawn.
The earlier 197-acre proposal involved property owned by Acres Road Holding LLC. In October 2025, the state Department of Environmental Conservation selected Woodbury to serve as lead agency for the environmental review. DEC records at the time said Kiryas Joel and Palm Tree anticipated that future development of that territory would resemble adjoining areas of Kiryas Joel, with compact, high-density residential development.
A separate petition later sought the annexation of approximately 22 acres. In March, DEC selected the Village of Woodbury as lead agency for the environmental review of that proposal.
Now, Woodbury officials are beginning the process again on a significantly larger scale.
Officials said the Town and Village of Woodbury have hired an attorney and planner to respond to the new 497.83-acre petition. They are seeking to have the Village of Woodbury designated as lead agency for the environmental review, with the matter expected to go before the DEC.
Once the lead-agency issue is resolved, officials said the next step would be a joint public hearing involving the Town and Village of Woodbury, the Town of Palm Tree and the Village of Kiryas Joel.
News 12 has reached out to officials in Woodbury, Kiryas Joel and Palm Tree for comment on the latest proposal.
