As part of her 2023 State of State address, Governor Kathy Hochul announced a statewide strategy to address New York’s housing crisis by building 800,000 new homes over the next decade. The plan, dubbed as the “New York Housing Compact,” is a comprehensive, multi-pronged strategy that mandates local participation and grants incentives to achieve housing growth across the State. It
Continue Reading Governor Hochul’s Ambitious Statewide Strategy to Address New York’s Housing Crisis
After more than half a century, the Village of Sea Cliff is in the process of adopting a new Comprehensive Plan to update the 1970 Village Master Plan. New York State recommends that municipalities update their Comprehensive Plans on a regular basis, to identify changes and trends that the community is undergoing, as well as develop a shared vision and
Continue Reading Village of Sea Cliff in the Midst of Developing a New Comprehensive Plan
According to a report published by the World Economic Forum, e-commerce sales ratios nearly tripled globally between 2014 and 2019. In 2020, the COVID pandemic was a catalyst that accelerated this already rising trend by requiring traditional brick-and-mortar businesses to quickly shift to e-commerce. As more and more consumers turn to e-commerce for their shopping needs, there is an expectation
Continue Reading Oyster Bay’s Attempt to Address Parking for Last-Mile Distribution Warehouses Misses the Mark
As part of the 2022 adopted State Budget, the New York State Legislature amended the Open Meetings Law (Public Officers Law § 100, et seq.) to authorize public bodies to conduct meetings using videoconference technology through June 30, 2024. Videoconferencing was commonly used by public bodies during the pandemic because the public was prohibited from attending government meetings in
Continue Reading New York State Adopts New Law Governing Public Meetings by Videoconference
On January 13, 2022, the Brookhaven Town Board voted unanimously to adopt new legislation that creates the Greater Bellport Overlay District. The law aims to foster redevelopment in the hamlet of Bellport and encourages the creation of more affordable housing in the area. The new legislation creates four distinct overlay sub-districts that are designed to implement the Greater Bellport Land
Continue Reading New Brookhaven Overlay District Paves the Way for More Affordable Housing in Bellport
In April 2019, this blog discussed Committee for Environmentally Sound Development v. Amsterdam Avenue Development Associates, LLC, 2019 WL 1206357, 2019 N.Y. Slip Op. 30621(U) (Sup. Ct. New York Co., March 14, 2019), a case in which the New York County Supreme Court granted an Article 78 petition to annul a 2018 resolution by the New York City Board
Continue Reading Appellate Division Reverses Prior Decision Requiring Developer to Remove Upper Stories of Residential Skyscraper
On September 2, 2021, Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation (S.50001/A.40001), which includes a number of statutory protections and other emergency public health measures adopted in response to the recent increase in the transmission rates of the COVID-19 Delta variant. One of the measures effectively suspends provisions of the Open Meetings Law and allows local government meetings that are
Continue Reading New Law Authorizes Virtual Option for Public Meetings
The Suffolk County legislature is currently considering a bill (I.R. 1478-2021) that would provide towns and villages with a greater opportunity to weigh in on certain zoning applications proposed in adjacent municipalities as part of the formal County review process pursuant to General Municipal Law § 239-m and Article XIV of the Suffolk County Administrative Code. The proposed legislation
Continue Reading Legislation Seeks to Amend County Planning Review Process to Provide Towns and Villages with Greater Say over Zoning Actions in Adjacent Communities
In 2018, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) issued an Order governing the installation of small cell nodes and other telecommunications facilities in an effort to speed up the deployment of the newest generation of wireless technology known as 5G. A small cell node typically consists of a single small antenna and related accessory equipment placed on existing utility poles or
Continue Reading Town of Huntington is the Latest Long Island Community to Regulate Small Cells in the Public Right-of-Way
After several stalled attempts, New York State became the 16th state to legalize recreational cannabis (marijuana) use. This occurred on March 31, 2021, when Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the “Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act” (S.854-A/A.1248-A) that was passed by the legislature the night before. The stated intent of the law is to regulate, control, and tax cannabis in
Continue Reading New York’s Cannabis Law Legalizes Adult Recreational Use but Permits Local Governments to Ban Retail Sales and On-Site Consumption