In an effort to enforce social distancing and slow the spread of the coronavirus, many cities and states across the nation have adopted emergency orders mandating that restaurants, including fast-food chains, shut down their dine-in facilities.  Not surprisingly, these new mandates resulted in a precipitous loss of business and have caused many restaurants to adjust their operations to provide take-out
Continue Reading The Coronavirus Lesson: Drive-Thrus are an “Essential Service” of Fast-Food Restaurants

The backyard chicken movement that has been rapidly gaining momentum across the United States has firmly taken hold on Long Island.  The desire for homeowners to raise chickens takes various forms and can be rewarding on many levels.  For those who desire a diet of food that is GMO-free or are disturbed by media reports of inhumane conditions at commercial
Continue Reading Long Island’s Backyard Chicken Movement Tries Not to Run A-Fowl of Local Zoning Regulations

Fairway Manor, a senior rental housing complex for ages 55 and older, located on the border of Blue Point and Bayport, was created in 1991 when the Town Board of the Town of Islip approved a change of zone application on a 70 acre parcel (with 45.6 acres located in the Town of Islip and the remainder located in the
Continue Reading Negative Declaration SEQRA Review Upheld for Fairway Manor Expansion in Town of Islip

Last week, we reported on a $10 million award issued by the State to help revitalize downtown Hicksville. Well, the Governor is at it again. On August 8th, Governor Cuomo announced the winners of the third round of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative; and Central Islip is the big winner on Long Island.

The State’s Downtown Revitalization

Continue Reading Revitalizing Long Island’s Downtown Communities – Part Two. Central Islip Awarded $10 Million Downtown Revitalization Initiative Grant

Last April, my colleague Anthony Guardino blogged about the Town of Southold’s local law banning “transient rental properties”, which Southold defined as dwellings that are rented out for less than fourteen nights at a time.   Now the Town of Huntington, New York is considering enacting a similar local law.

Huntington’s Proposed Ban

house for rent shutterstock_84704473The Town of Huntington proposes to ban
Continue Reading Public Hearing On The Town Of Huntington’s Short-Term Rental Ban Set For Tomorrow, January 10, 2017

By decision dated March 13, 2014, the Appellate Division, Second Department, upheld a trial court decision in Harbor Park Realty, LLC v. Modelewski, affirming certain relief granted by the Town of Huntington Zoning Board of Appeals (“ZBA”) to 1033 Fort Salonga, LLC, et al.  (hereinafter “1033”)  for a depth extension into a residential zone and parking, steep slope

Continue Reading Zoning Laws Do Not Exist to Insure Economic Interest

In what is believed to be unprecedented among zoning boards on Long Island, the Town of Islip Zoning Board recently permitted applicants to proffer testimony in support of their zoning application through the use of live video conferencing.  The applicants, who were clients of this firm, had purchased a summer residence in the community of Seaview on Fire Island in

Continue Reading Islip Zoning Board Permits Testimony by Live Video Conferencing

There is a movement afoot among Long Island municipalities to regulate or, in some cases, ban the planting, growing or cultivation of bamboo within their communities.  To some, bamboo is an exotic evergreen plant that creates an attractive and effective privacy screen.  To others, however, it is an aggressive, invasive plant that causes ecological harm and significant damage to property,
Continue Reading Long Island Towns and Villages Move to Regulate Bamboo