When the village of Dobbs Ferry green-lighted the mixed-use Rivertowns Square development on 18 acres near the intersection of Lawrence Street and the Saw Mill River Parkway last month, an incomplete lawsuit remained.
In a so-called Article 78 civil proceeding, the village of Ardsley alleges the Dobbs Ferry trustees’ approval of findings in Dobbs Ferry”™s State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) was “arbitrary, capricious, unsupported by the record.”
Ardsley is represented by attorney Mark Chertok of Manhattan-based Sive, Paget & Riesel P.C.
In particular, Ardsley alleges Dobbs Ferry trustees “failed to take a hard look at the project”™s impacts on traffic, stormwater runoff, on-site environmental contamination and other subjects of mandatory review under SEQRA.”
That petition was filed May 8 in state Supreme Court. The Dobbs Ferry Village Board of Trustees voted 4-3 June 25 to approve the development, which calls for 202 luxury rental units and a retail complex anchored by a movie theater.
There is no court date yet for the Article 78. “No new news.” said Chertok.
He said the ball is in Dobbs Ferry”™s court. “We”™re waiting for them to respond,” Chertok said.
The village must address Ardsley”™s complaints, one of which alleges the nearby neighborhoods are residential and “the scale and composition of the project are incompatible with the community character of these neighborhoods.”
The developer is Dobbs Ferry Capital Partners L.L.C. Corey Rabin, managing member, expressed confidence for project”™s fruition when Dobbs Ferry granted the major approvals. He hopes for shovels in the ground at the end of this year and occupancy by the end of 2014.
