A determination of the New York City Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) to deny a permit renewal was reversed by the Appellate Division as arbitrary, capricious and without a rational basis. In Matter of Menachem Realty Inc. v Srinivasan the court found the denial of a permit renewal to…
In a somewhat unusual decision the Appellate Division, in Matter of Tsunis v. Zoning Board of Appeals of Incorporated Village of Poquott upheld the denial of an area variance citing the zoning board’s finding of self-created hardship. While self created hardship is one of the statutory criteria a zoning board…
In August, 2006 we discussed the Court of Appeals decision in the case of Eadie v. Town Board of the Town of North Greenbush (7 N.Y.3d 306[2006]) in a post entitled “Court Holds Challenge to Zoning Law Must Be Brought Within Four Months- Sometimes.” A few weeks ago in the…
The Appellate Division Second Department modified a lower court decision dismissing an action challenging a zoning amendment, where the lower court had held that petitioners all lacked standing to bring the action. In Matter of Bloodgood v. Town of Huntington the court separated the petitioners into several categories in order…
An appellate court upheld a zoning board determination that the owner of a commercial property maintained a legal preexisting nonconforming use of a parking lot. In Matter of Jacobsen v. Town of Bedford Zoning Board of Appeals, the court reiterated the rule that such a decision will not be overturned…
In denying summary judgment to a property owner who challenged the amortization period during which a non-conforming use must be discontinued under a local law, the court held the property owner failed to demonstrate the law is invalid on its face. In the Matter of Suffolk Asphalt Supply, Inc. v.…
The appellate division issued a decision last week which provides a concise summary of the various issues confronted by a zoning board of appeals in deciding area variances. In Matter of Millennium Custom Homes v. Young, the court upheld the zoning board of appeals noting that the decision was rational…
The appellate division dismissed a challenge to the continuation of a condition to a variance on the grounds that the challenge is barred by the doctrine of res judicata. In Matter of Calapai v. Zoning Board of Appeals of the Village of Babylon, the court held that a variance conditioned…
A town zoning ordinance, which established the specific number of residences and the form of ownership of the residences, as well as the size and ownership of recreational facilities for a specific property, was voided by the appellate division in Matter of BLF Associates LLC v Town of Hempstead. In…
A local zoning board’s interpretation of the application of a zoning ordinance provision to a particular property shall be upheld unless that interpretation is “unreasonable or irrational.” In Kennedy v. Zoning Board of Appeals of the Village of Patchogue, the appellate division reiterated this rule while upholding the zoning board’s…