Foil: Your right to Know.
The following release was sent out by Micheal Miller to the CUPON groups on Friday, Jan. 12:
CUPON community,
The courts found in our favor against New Hempstead in the lawsuit where they approved a Comprehensive Plan without applying the mandated State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) rules. This ruling will require the village to go through the development of the Comprehensive Plan process again and apply the SEQRA rules, which include getting the residents involved in the process. After approving their ill-fated Comp Plan, they approved at least 2 large projects based on that Comp Plan. We will be monitoring what happens to those projects also.
As you all know, CUPON Inc. has been assisting residents whose governments refuse to adhere to local and state land use zoning laws. Although some municipalities meticulously follow the land use laws and guidelines, others employ methods to avoid compliance that are so egregious that the only recourse is through the legal system. This is one such case.
This effort was not done by CUPON Inc. alone, we hired the well-respected environmental attorney Susan Shapiro Esq. in support of the Hillcrest Fire Department, the American Legion, and several Village of New Hempstead residents in this legal challenge of the passage of the Village of New Hempstead Comprehensive Plan. And a special thanks to Deborah Munitz, the ROSA 4 Rockland volunteer, for her extraordinary efforts in participating in Village hearings, advocating for environmental review, and her extensive volunteer efforts in support of Susan Shapiro, CUPON Inc., and petitioners in this action.
This effort illustrates what can be achieved when concerned people are brought together for the right cause. Please continue to support volunteer advocacy groups like CUPONRockland.org and ROSA4Rockland.org.
Along with this victory, we created a video that can be shared with your members and social media. You can link to the video here.
You can also read the court decision here.
