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May 3, 2006
Judge: Yonkers council vote that preceded Ridge Hill improper
The Journal News
By Michael Gannon
Ratner's controversial Ridge Hill project in Yonkers just hit another roadblock.
BACKGROUND: Late last year, the lame-duck Yonkers City Council favored the Ridge Hill project by a slim one-vote majority, while the zoning changes neccessary to approve the project required a two-vote margin. A recent election had tipped the make up of the Council against Forest City Ratner's project and the Council session was winding to an end.
So what did the City Council do? They voted to change the rules (rules changes only require a one-vote margin), allowing a simple majority to carry zoning changes, and then voted to approve the zoning. There was no public notice or hearing on these rules changes. Critics, and even some moderate supporters of the project, cried foul.
Yesterday, Justice Nicholas Colabella, in a 13-page decision issued in White Plains, said there were procedural defects.
Colabella's ruling yesterday said the city should have first held a public hearing and alerted the Westchester County Planning Board before lowering the required vote total.
The City has vowed to appeal the ruling, while critics have called for a compromise that would mitigate traffic concerns.
Also: The NY Times, Ruling Sets Back a Development in Yonkers
NoLandGrab: Backroom deals and extraordinary procedural actions have become a hallmark of Forest City Ratner's more controversial projects.
The article also reports that Bruce Ratner cancelled an appearance at the Yonkers Business Week breakfast. Who knew that he was such a bad sport.
Posted by lumi at May 3, 2006 6:11 AM