The Village of Sleepy Hollow and General Motors recently prevailed in a lawsuit brought by the neighboring Village of Tarrytown contesting the redevelopment of the former GM assembly plant. The approval of the Lighthouse Landing mixed-use development project was the culmination of an eight (8) year review process that entailed over 50 public meetings and hearings and the adoption of a detailed Environmental Findings Statement. Tarrytown challenged the project approvals claiming, inter alia, that Sleepy Hollow failed to take a “hard look” at its traffic impacts in Tarrytown pursuant to SEQRA. The Supreme Court, Westchester County adopted many of Sleepy Hollow’s arguments and held it was “unreasonable” for Tarrytown to dispute the traffic mitigation measures specified in the Sleepy Hollow’s Environmental Findings Statement, when Tarrytown had incorporated the same measures in approving a significant waterfront development located within its borders. The Court found that Sleepy Hollow engaged in a comprehensive review and took the required “hard look” at environmental impacts associated with the redevelopment of the GM property.
Joel H. Sachs, Nicholas M. Ward-Willis and Jennifer L. Gray were principally involved in the litigation of this matter on behalf of the Village of Sleepy Hollow. Keane & Beane, P.C. also represented the Village as Special Counsel during the course of the redevelopment approval process
