In Fichera, et al. v. New York State Dep’t of Envt’l Conserv., et al., decided last month, Petitioners commenced an Article 78 proceeding seeking to void actions taken and determinations made by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Zoning Board of Appeals of the Town of Sterling (“Sterling ZBA
April 2018
Lack of Standing Is Fatal To Challenge
Standing is a threshold issue in challenges to administrative decisions. Prior blog posts have dealt with standing in cases involving challenges to local land use and zoning decisions. If standing is not established, the party seeking to overturn the administrative decision will see its proceeding dismissed without any consideration of the merits. Whether a party…
The Continuing Saga Of NYSDEC’s Proposed Amendments To Its SEQRA Regulations
In 2012, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) proposed sweeping changes to its State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) regulations. These proposed changes were not adopted. Rather, five years later, in February 2017, the NYSDEC issued proposed amendments to the SEQRA regulations and a draft generic environmental impact statement, (GEIS), in which…
Town of Babylon Imposes Moratorium on Use of Pine Barrens Credits to Increase Development Density
On March 28, 2018, the Babylon Town Board adopted a moratorium on any new land use applications that seek to increase a parcel’s wastewater limits established by the Suffolk County Department of Health Services (“SCDHS”) by utilizing Pine Barrens Credits (“PBC”), which effectively transfer development rights from other parts of Suffolk County to properties within…
Appellate Division Affirms ZBA Determination Denying Natural Resources Special Permit for Walls Built Without Permits on East Hampton Oceanfront Property

In the Matter of 278, LLC v. Zoning Board of Appeals of the Town of East Hampton et al., dated March 21, 2018, the Appellate Division, Second Department upheld East Hampton Town Zoning Board of Appeal’s (“ZBA”) decision denying a natural resources special permit (“NRSP”) for two parallel 762 linear feet walls built without…