In 2009, Scenic Development, LLC (“Scenic”) sought a zone change for the property formerly known as the “Patrick Farm” located in the Town of Ramapo to permit the development of multi-family housing. In three determinations adopted January 25, 2010, the Town Board resolved to (i) approve a findings statement pursuant to the State Environmental Quality
When Governmental Entities Collide – Local Zoning Codes May Be The Loser
A recent decision by the Appellate Division decided that a village zoning code was inapplicable to a water district. As a result, the water district was able to proceed with replacement of one of its massive elevated water storage tanks and the village was powerless to use its zoning powers to either stop the construction
Appellate Term Reverses Village of Port Jefferson Illegal Rental Permit Convictions
Week to week we blog about recent developments in the land use arena, which typically arise in the civil context. This week, we thought a recent “criminal” case decided by the Supreme Court, Appellate Term, Second Department, was not only particularly interesting, but also, the topic of illegal rental permits is one that many land
Village’s Denial of a Permit to Fence-Off Private Road Subject to Claim for Inverse Condemnation
In the Village of Bayville, New York (“Village”), a landowner wished to enclose and protect private property (“Lot 18”) , including the roadway thereon, against trespassers and traffic. The landowner sought to erect crash gates on both sides of its property and across the roadway to prevent public access. The road
Can I Park Here? Second Department Takes the Driver’s Seat in Recent Parking Cases
Last month, the Appellate Division, Second Department, issued two interesting opinions concerning parking. One involved a parking variance and the other involved a restrictive covenant.
Here are the details!
No Parking
Court Supports Expansive View of What Constitutes Religious Use
Note: Law clerk Joanna Lima assisted in drafting this blog post.
Courts have recently expanded what constitutes religious conduct. In particular, in Matter of Sullivan v. Board of Zoning Appeals of City of Albany, 144 A.D. 3d 1480 (3d Dep’t 2016), an appellate court ruled that the use of a portion of a church
How High Is Too High – Measuring the Height of a Structure
Measuring the height of a structure may seem straightforward in the abstract, but sometimes in practice that is not the case. Take, for instance, a recent Southampton Town Zoning Board application – Matter of the Application of Hermann – where the height of a house was the subject of a challenge in front of the
Westhampton Beach Park Fee Upheld
My partner, Anthony Guardino, recently posted a three-part series about land use fees on this blog. This post concerns a decision by the Appellate Division upholding a $776,307 “Park Fee” imposed by the Village of Westhampton Beach in connection with the development of a 6.59 acre tract of land.
Southampton Town Requires Nitrogen Reducing Sanitary Systems (Innovative and Alternative On-Site Wastewater Treatment Systems) Starting SEPTEMBER 1, 2017
As outlined in our prior blog by Anthony S. Guardino, posted on March 20, 2017 entitled, “East Hampton Considers New Laws Mandating Nitrogen-Reducing Sanitary Systems and Offering Rebates to Replace Existing Systems”, similar to the Towns of East Hampton and Brookhaven, the Town of Southampton adopted a local law on July 25, 2017 requiring advanced
Comfort Stations May Be Permitted Uses of Public Streets
After Hurricane Sandy devastated Long Beach and its boardwalk in 2012, officials sought to reconstruct the city’s iconic esplanade. As part of the rebuild, the Long Beach City Council determined to award contracts for the construction of comfort stations along the wooden promenade, including a comfort station at Lincoln Boulevard which would be installed as