New Jersey Developer Neil Gold presented his proposal for a dinosaur theme park during an information session last night at the Monroe Town Hall. Gold”™s vision for a Jurassic mini-world was met was with roars of “no” from local residents.
Gold, who is from Teaneck, N.J., originally had proposed building Dinosaur Country in the Town of Wallkill but the idea was rejected by its planning and zoning boards. Gold moved the proposal to Monroe and recently negotiated a lease agreement for a 131-acre parcel of town land.
The parcel, which is on a rural county road was donated to the town for parkland in the 1990”™s by the developers of Mansion Ridge Golf course.
Gold says his $12 million theme park would be similar in concept to Field Station Dinosaur Park in Leonia, N. J.
Gold told the Business Journal he has no conceptual drawings for the proposed Dino Park as yet. “We are only at the very beginning stages,” he said.
During the information session, Gold explained his vision for an interpretive park that would have 90 life-sized dinosaur replicas, 60 of them to being capable of displaying movement. There would be interpretative signage describing what life was like when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. There would be dinosaur-themed play areas and a mini-train that would circle the proposed park. The park would be open from March to December, hosting events during the winter months that would have a holiday theme. Gold also proposed that an ice-skating rink would operate from January through March, keeping the park open all year.
Gold says he expects to attract 300,000 visitors annually and create more than 100 local jobs. He also offered to build a playground for town residents at the site.
Gold said that the theme park would have a 100-foot buffer from wetlands. There would be six geodesic “learning” domes. He said the park would welcome field trips by schools from around the Tri-State area.
Gold positioned the park as “not an amusement park, but an education center for children of all ages.”
Maureen Halahan, president of the Orange County Partnership, spoke in favor of the proposed theme park, saying its would also help boost economic spending in the town”™s restaurants and stores.
Orange County Director of Economic Development Steve Gross said county government supports the project as well. “It brings together education and entertainment and benefits the entire county,” he said, noting that $3 million in annual sales tax revenue is projected and that family recreation is needed in the county.
The majority of residents speaking at the meeting opposed the plan. Opponents included the Sterling Forest Partnership, which said the development would create place a significant traffic and noise burden on a rural residential community that abuts Sterling Forest State Park. They suggested that little of the projected revenue would be realized by the Town of Monroe and that they”™d rather see the property become an actual park with swimming and recreation for residents.
