Neighborhood Association Had Standing to Contest Planning Board’s Negative Finding (Re: a Construction Project) After a SEQRA Review

The Second Department affirmed Supreme Court’s determination that a neighborhood association had standing to contest the planning board’s finding that a proposed construction project would not adversely affect the environment after a review pursuant to the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) (the board issued a “negative finding”):

The Supreme Court properly determined that the Association has standing to contest the Planning Board’s issuance of the negative declaration. An association or organization has standing when “one or more of its members would have standing to sue,” “the interests it asserts are germane to its purposes,” and “neither the asserted claim nor the appropriate relief requires the participation of the individual members” … . Here, as the Planning Board concedes in its reply brief, several Association members have standing to sue, as their properties are adjacent to the proposed project site and they have alleged potential structural harm from construction-related blasting, as well as visual harm … . Moreover, the interests that the Association asserts are germane to its purpose, and the participation of Association members is not necessary in order for the Association to obtain the relief it seeks. Accordingly, the Association satisfied all relevant criteria to establish standing … . Matter of Schlemme v Planning Bd of City of Poughkeepsie, 2014 NY Slip Op 04498, 2nd Dept 6-18-14