Chappaqua Crossing Developer Sues New Castle
The developer of the proposed Chappaqua Crossing project has filed state and federal lawsuits against the Town of New Castle for its “unlawful actions” that have prevented the applicant from developing the former Reader’s Digest property.
In the separate complaints filed on Feb. 25 in U.S. District Court, Southern District and state Supreme Court, Summit/Greenfield argues that officials have caved in to pressure from critics of the plan who oppose development of affordable housing stock within the town.
“This action arises out of the town’s unlawful actions in preventing Plaintiff from making any reasonable economic use of its property within New Castle,” both suits state in part. “Bowing to pressure from some Town residents who do not want affordable housing units built in New Castle, particularly in ‘desirable areas’ of the Town, the Town through the Town Board, has created a sham project approval process that makes it impossible for Plaintiff to obtain the required government approvals, thereby preventing Plaintiff from engaging in any development…”
The litigation was filed less than three months after Summit/Greenfield leveled accusations of delay tactics and hinted at a potential lawsuit. It has been more than six years since Summit/Greenfield bought the 114-acre property. The final straw may have arisen after an 8 a.m. meeting on Nov. 30 when the town board voted to order significant changes to the developer’s revised Final Environmental Impact Statement.
No damages are specified in either action, but the federal suit asks for compensatory and punitive damages to be determined at trial while the litigation in state Supreme Court seeks compensatory damages. In both cases Summit/Greenfield also seeks to be reimbursed for all legal fees and costs.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/