Land Use & Development

Court Denies Motion to Dismiss $100 Million Lawsuit Against Southampton

In a precedent setting decision, DLV Quogue, LLC v. Town of Southampton (Index No. 606443/2018), New York State Supreme Court Justice Carmen Victoria St. George denied the Town of Southampton’s motion to dismiss claims brought pursuant to 42 U.S.C § 1983 challenging the constitutionality of the Town Board’s denial of a rezoning application for a…

Read More...

Clarity Or Confusion: The Ever Evolving Guidance Concerning Permissible Essential Construction In New York

On April 9, Empire State Development issued updated guidance that appears to expand the definition of what is considered “essential construction” for the purposes of exemption from the work-at-home requirements under Executive Order 202.6.  E.O. 202.6 bans all construction in the State except for projects deemed “essential,” which the State says includes “roads, bridges, transit…

Read More...

Coronavirus and Construction Project Delays

The rapid spread of the novel coronavirus is, at least within the last century, an unprecedented event.  Few segments of the economy have been spared the impact that the pandemic has had and will continue to have on business and productivity.  The impact will likely be the most profound for those industries that cannot count…

Read More...

EPA Proposes Updates to Clean Water Act’s Water Quality Certification Requirements

On August 8, 2019, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) published a set of proposed amendments (the “Proposed Rule”) to the regulations governing the issuance of Water Quality Certifications by states pursuant to Section 401 (“Section 401 Water Quality Certification”) of the Clean Water Act (“CWA”). Under the Section 401 Water Quality Certification process,…

Read More...

Appellate Division Confirms That Brooklyn Heights Library Redevelopment May Proceed

On May 8, 2019, the Appellate Division, Second Department unanimously affirmed a lower court ruling dismissing a petition challenging the sale and redevelopment of the Brooklyn Public Library’s (“BPL”) Brooklyn Heights Branch. This ruling clears the way for a proposal by the developer Cadman Associates LLC (an affiliate of The Hudson Companies) to construct a…

Read More...

Appellate Division Affirms Dismissal of Challenge to the American Museum of Natural History’s Gilder Center Project

In a decision dated April 18, 2019, the Appellate Division, First Department unanimously and emphatically affirmed a lower court ruling dismissing the lawsuit challenging the legality of the American Museum of Natural History’s Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation. The Gilder Center will, inter alia, expand and modernize the Museum’s educational facilities, create…

Read More...