In Peyton v. New York City Bd. of Standards and Appeals, (2018 N.Y. 06870, 166 A.D.3d 120 (1st Dept 2018), Petitioners-community residents (“Petitioners”) commenced a proceeding to challenge the City of New York (“City”) Board of Standards and Appeals’s (“Board”) resolution upholding the City Department of Buildings’s (“DOB”) decision
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Building Permits
Appellate Division Rules That Town’s Consulting Fees Are Unnecessary In Connection with Review of Special Use Permit and Area Variance Applications
The Appellate Division, Second Department, issued a decision on October 10, 2018, which rejected a town’s attempt to saddle an applicant with over $17,000 in consulting fees supposedly incurred by the town in reviewing special use permit and area variance applications for an antenna tower to be used by an amateur radio (a/k/a ham radio) hobbyist. The installation of the…
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Second Department Reverses Mandamus Requiring Building Inspector to Issue a Permit to Construct a Dock
On October 17, 2018, the Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Department (“Second Department”) issued two (2) companion decisions arising out of three different attempts by Petitioners, Kleinknechts (“Petitioners”) to construct a dock at their waterfront property. Each of the attempts resulted in a Supreme Court litigation. As we blog about these cases today, no dock has been constructed despite a…
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Challenge to Montauk Motel’s Restaurant Fails at Supreme Court Level
The Breakers Motel has been a fixture in Montauk since the 1950’s. Situated at 769 Old Montauk Highway, Montauk New York, the motel has 26 units, a pool and restaurant and is located across the street from the ocean.
In 2015 a building permit was issued by the Town of East Hampton Building Department approving renovations to the existing restaurant…
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Second Department Upholds Board of Zoning Appeals Decision Finding Vacant Land Was Not Single and Separate
Given the complex zoning regulations that govern development of vacant land, in recent years, it has become uniquely challenging to develop smaller tracts of vacant land that do not conform to the current zoning code. Further, the doctrines of merger and single and separate add to the complications. Unless a buyer is absolutely certain that the land for purchase is…
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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 a permit by Ron Baron…
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Oyster Bay’s Code Provision Linking Building Permits To Qualified Apprenticeship Programs Enjoined
Several Long Island municipalities have local laws that peg the issuance of certain building permits to a requirement that contractors and subcontractors be participants in a “qualified apprenticeship program” that is registered and approved by the New York State Department of Labor. While these provisions are often entitled “safe and code compliant construction” and may be perceived as fostering apprenticeship…
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