With an increase in the number of vineyards marketing themselves as venues for wedding receptions and special events, local governments across New York State have begun enacting legislation aimed at curtailing the marketing activities of vineyards, indicating that they are seeking to protect the health and safety of their communities. 
Some towns and villages now
Mining in the Hamptons: Appellate Division Affirms Town of Southampton Zoning Board of Appeals Limitations on Pre-existing Nonconforming Uses Associated with Hamptons Mining Operation
Located in the hamlet of Bridgehampton, Town of Southampton, a sand mine operation owned by Sand Land Corporation and run by Wainscott Sand & Gravel Corporation (“Sand Land”) had its zoning changed by the Town in 1972 from G-Industrial to CR Country Residence, now CR200, constituting five-acre residential zoning. 
Upon the zone change, the sand
Municipal Moratoriums, The Suffolk County Planning Commission and The Sag Harbor and Patchogue Experience
In recent months, the Village of Sag Harbor and the Village of Patchogue enacted moratoriums aimed at halting large-scale residential development, and in Patchogue’s case, including multi-family residential development. Both Villages learned that enacting moratoriums is not only subject to referral to the Suffolk County Planning Commission (“SCPC”) pursuant to General Municipal Law § 239-m
Justice Brennan’s “Miraculous Tool” Has Arrived: The Government Drone Zone
On February 26, 2016, we published our first Drone blog post: FROM PEEPING TOMS TO PEEPING DRONES: Help, Big Brother Government is Peeping in My Backyard. We advised that New York State is presently considering multiple bills all designed to regulate drones and drone users. Further, Suffolk County and the Town of Huntington adopted drone
Is Your Summer Rental Legal? Southold Town’s Short-Term Rental Law Comes Under Attack
Using Airbnb and similar web-based short-term rental services that enable homeowners to rent out their homes has become popular with budget-conscious travelers. However, a growing number of municipalities believe that such transient rentals threaten the residential character and quality of life in the neighborhoods in which they occur and have adopted laws to regulate short-term