Town of Hempstead v. State

9 Misc. 3d 1040
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedJune 16, 2005
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 9 Misc. 3d 1040 (Town of Hempstead v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Town of Hempstead v. State, 9 Misc. 3d 1040 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2005).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Geoffrey J. O’Connell, J.

Plaintiff Town of Hempstead seeks an order granting it a preliminary injunction prohibiting the defendants from further [1041]*1041constructing or operating a cell site tower in Wantagh, New York. Defendants oppose and seek a dismissal of this action.

This action arises out of the construction of a cell site tower by defendant Crown Communications, on state property. It is apparently undisputed that in 2001 the Town contacted state officials about the placement of the tower on state property located at the south end of the Seaford Oyster Bay Expressway, in Wantagh, New York. This inquiry was made after residents of the community objected to a tower being constructed on top of a commercial building located in a residential neighborhood.

The State contends that after consulting with Crown and notifying the Town, it permitted such construction, completing the proper state environmental studies. The construction began on state-owned land at the southwest intersection of the Sea-ford Oyster Bay Expressway and Sunrise Highway. The Town claims that it was under the belief that the construction was to be placed at the northwest corner, further away from the residential neighborhood. The Town claims that it approached the defendants to persuade them to move the tower but that they refused.

The Town now brings this application to stop the construction of the tower contending that even though the construction takes place on state land, it is subject to town zoning provisions, and there is no proof that the defendants have met such requirements. The Town notes that the local residents have complained about this proposed site.

The State and Crown oppose the application arguing that the zoning provisions do not apply to this construction, and in addition, the Town was fully notified of the location sited for the tower and it did not object in a timely fashion. They seek summary judgment dismissing the complaint and further prohibiting the Town from proceeding on its stop work order.

The defendants seek a stay of enforcement of the Town’s zoning laws with respect to the tower. The State argues that due to its ongoing notice of the project, the Town’s request should be denied as time-barred both in law and equity, and for a failure to state a cause of action. They seek an order declaring the Town’s stop work order void and of no force and effect and an order permanently enjoining the Town from enforcing it as against these defendants with respect to this construction.

It is apparently undisputed that in July 2001 the Town contacted the State with respect to the construction of a cell phone tower in the general vicinity of the one currently in [1042]*1042dispute. The Town had received an application for permission to construct a tower on the roof of a commercial building in Wantagh. The Town asked the State if it would permit construction on state-owned property located near the Sunrise Highway/ Seaford Oyster Bay Expressway. The State contends that the Town made this request in order to avoid a request for a variance to permit construction in a residential area. The State claims that the Town did not request any specific parcel of its property for such construction. It notes the written request received from the Town in August 2001. The State notified the Town that it was forwarding the request to Crown for its input, and for input into which parcel of land should be used.

The State contends that the State Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Design, Planning, Traffic and Maintenance Group recommended against the tower being constructed within 110 feet of the Long Island Railroad elevated tracks. It also recommended against construction in the northwest quadrant of the intersection area due to a scheduled realignment of ramps in that area. DOT recommended the southwest quadrant, subject to DOT approval of all plans and final approval.

In early 2002 the state DOT received plans for the proposed construction of the tower from Crown, confirming that subject to the State’s approval, Crown’s contractors would construct the tower within the southwest quadrant property. On or about July 5, 2002, Crown’s engineers sent a fax to the Town’s engineering department detailing the need for the Town to issue a tax map identifying the address of the planned location of the tower. This fax included a narrative description of the proposed location for the tower and four maps showing its location.

The State did not initiate any further contact with the Town during its review of the plans.

On February 5, 2003 the State hand delivered a letter to the town attorney wherein it stated that the DOT was the lead agency currently reviewing an environmental site assessment for the installation of the tower in the southwest quadrant. This letter included copies of the Long-Form Environmental Assessment Form Part 1, construction drawings and site plans and photo simulations of the proposed construction. It sought any feedback from the Town to be made within 15 days. There was no response from the Town. On March 21, 2003 the DOT sent the Town a copy of its State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) negative declaration. There was no response from the Town.

[1043]*1043Thereafter on June 6, 2003 the DOT issued a work permit to Crown authorizing the start of construction. On June 27, 2003 the state DOT received a letter from the town supervisor and local councilwoman informing them of residents complaints regarding the commencement of construction and in which they state that “we have no jurisdiction of the New York State Department of Transportation . . . .” It also requested that the State and Crown cease construction. On November 12, 2004, Crown notified the State that it was going forward with construction, and that the tower was installed on November 14, 2004. On November 16, 2004 the Town again requested an immediate stop to construction, and subsequently on November 18, 2004 it issued the subject stop work order.

On November 23, 2004, the state DOT wrote to the Town stating that it was of the opinion that the Town had no jurisdiction over this construction pursuant to an agreement between the State and Crown which is not subject to local zoning requirements.

The Town commenced this action on December 2, 2004.

The Town argues that the State is not immune from its regulations. The State disagrees and argues that the Court of Appeals has now clearly stated that, under these circumstances, the State is not subject to such local regulations. (Crown Communication N.Y. v Department of Transp. of State of N.Y., 309 AD2d 863 [2d Dept 2003].)

In Crown Communication N.Y. v Department of Transp. of State of N.Y. (supra), the State and Crown proceeded to construct a cell phone tower within the City of New Rochelle. The City issued a stop work order contending that the tower was subject to the City’s zoning regulations and special permit requirements. The Second Department disagreed, declaring that the related commercial wireless telecommunications providers were not subject to zoning regulations.

In February, the Court of Appeals affirmed the decision of the Appellate Division. The Court determined that the State and the private entity are exempt from such local regulations where, such as here, there is a shared use and benefit to the construction involved. (Crown Communication N.Y. v Department of Transp. of State of N.Y., 4

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Related

Town of Hempstead v. State
42 A.D.3d 527 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2007)

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Bluebook (online)
9 Misc. 3d 1040, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/town-of-hempstead-v-state-nysupct-2005.