In response to the Coronavirus outbreak, many New York City residents have sought refuge from the epicenter of the disease by travelling to the East End of Long Island. On March 27, 2020, several East End leaders, including leaders from the Town of Southampton, Town of Southold, Town of Riverhead, Village of Westhampton Beach, Village
Town of Southold

Second Department Reminds: a Use Cannot Be Legally Nonconforming If It Was Never Legal to Begin With

When determining whether a use is legally nonconforming for zoning purposes, the key consideration is whether the use was legal prior to the zoning restriction prohibiting it. A use cannot become legally nonconforming if it was not legal from the start, no matter how long it has existed. Consequently, the common assertion that something has…
Modern Convenience Stores Restricted by “Inconvenient” Zoning Rules
The history of convenience stores in the United States can be traced back to 1927, when an employee of the Southland Ice Company in Dallas, Texas, realized that people needed a place where they could buy basic necessities after other stores had closed. The employee decided to sell items such as milk, bread, eggs and…
Appellate Division Finds Town of Southold’s Local Law Up-Zoning Property Valid

In 1999, the Greenport Group, LLP (“Greenport Group”) acquired a 31 acre parcel of land located on the east side of Chapel Lane and the north side of the Main Road in Greenport in the Town of Southold. The southerly portion of the property was zoned “Limited Business” and the northerly portion was zoned “Hamlet…