The village has reached a $4.75 million settlement with an Orthodox Jewish school that it had fought over its expansion plans. Mamaroneck Mayor Kathy Savolt says the settlement with the Westchester Day School is the largest in the village’s history.
The Westchester Day School had considered seeking $22 million in damages. But the school’s attorney, Stanley Bernstein, says they had no desire to “cripple the village.”
The Westchester Day School has sought since 2001 to construct a 44,000-square-foot building in an upscale neighborhood of the village of Mamaroneck – as reported HERE on YW – but the village zoning board denied its request, setting off the legal fight.
(Source: Newsday)
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6 Responses
But will they be able to build the new building at the desired location according to the original plan?
nfgo: The reason the village settled and is willing to pay the school is, probably, to reimburse the school for legal fees incurred, not to mention possible loss of revenue from not having the building (less space=fewer kids) and possible loss of donor funds when said donors saw the building was stuck in legal log-jam created by the village.
additional costs to complete construction is also a factor
nfgo, get a life! No one will shell out 4.7 mill unless it had a good reason..
from the Journal News:
“Trustee John Hofstetter said the village had at least three opportunities in the past to reach an agreement with the day school at potentially no cost of taxpayer money. But each time, Savolt said, past leaders in the village chose to continue fighting.”
essentially, the village brought this expense upon themselves, not to count their legal fees of close to $1M.
The village violated the Yeshiva’s legal rights under RULIPA, hence the damages they are paying.
Another lesson to certain other upstate towns attempting to deny Jewish reiligous institutions their legal right to build under RULIPA.