Letter To The Editor: Developer's Lawsuit Is Frivolous

MAMARONECK, NY — Celia Felsher, President of the Mamaroneck Coastal Environment Coalition (MCEC), released the following statement regarding the latest lawsuit filed by the Developer of the Hampshire Country Club Golf Course:

The Developer’s latest lawsuit is frivolous. It has no merit and is another attempt by the Developer to bully the Village into allowing it to build its proposed 105-unit housing development, with the objective of overriding a reasoned determination by the Village Planning Board, after five years of detailed analysis, that the project would have many significant adverse impacts on the Village. This is not the first time the Developer has tried to bully the Village. Several years ago, the Developer filed a lawsuit against the Village claiming $55 million in damages from the Village’s refusal to rezone portions of the property to allow development of a five-story, 125-unit luxury condominium complex. The Village rightly defended its appropriate actions then, and the claim was thrown out of federal court. The Village must now again defend itself from another attempt to force action that’s adverse to the interest of residents.

For decades, the Village of Mamaroneck and the residents of our community have prioritized environmental preservation and have strived to protect the integrity and character of our Village. That is exactly what the Village Planning Board did in conducting a fair, independent and thorough review of Hampshire’s proposed development.

SEE ALSO: Developer Sues Mamaroneck Village Over Application Denial

Based on that review, the Planning Board unanimously denied the Developer’s application for the project based on the many significant adverse impacts the project would have on the Village. These adverse impacts are clearly articulated in the Planning Board’s detailed 76-page findings document here. Those reasons include the project’s failure to comply with Village law; risk to residents and first responders from tidal flooding; destruction of a designated Critical Environmental Area; and numerous quality-of-life issues including excessive noise, traffic and construction disruptions.

The project would also have led to increased pressure on crowded local schools and created risks of toxins embedded in the golf course land becoming airborne and/or running off into Long Island Sound during construction. In addition, the Developer’s claimed benefit of increased tax revenue was significantly overstated by greatly inflating projected assessed values and understating additional costs, especially in connection with the School District.

The Village of Mamaroneck must continue to stand up for the values and principles of our community, acting in the public interest first to ensure that any development under consideration is consistent with Village law and with the values and character of our Village.

— Celia Felsher
President, Mamaroneck Coastal Environment Coalition