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The Greenburgh Town Board raised a series of hot issues over the past year — a few of which resulted in court appearances for the town.
Not long after the State Supreme Court ruled that Valhalla School District had to repay more than $1.8 million to Greenburgh over an illegal town grant, courts upheld that the Greenburgh Town Board violated a church's constitutional rights by keeping it from building on town property.
Fortress Bible purchased a 6.5-acre parcel of land on Pomander Drive nearly 15 years ago and sent a proposal to the town to build a facility. The town board stated that such a facility failed its environmental review process (SEQRA), citing traffic concerns.
U.S. Court of Appeals Judge John Walker wrote in the unanimous three-judge panel decision that town council members "disingenuously used SEQRA to obstruct and ultimately deny the church's project."
The Fortress Bible lawsuit will be a major hit for Greenburgh taxpayers, said local attorney Bob Bernstein. Insurance is unlikely to cover any of the damages costs — which could exceed $6 million.
The town board is also under fire for a lease with Game On 365 to build a sports complex on Dobbs Ferry Road. Petitioners say such construction would violate environmental laws and that carcinogens found would endanger residents who use the facility.
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