WATER DISTRICT’S CONSTRUCTION OF A REPLACEMENT DRINKING WATER SUPPLY TANK WAS IMMUNE FROM COMPLIANCE WITH THE VILLAGE CODE AND DID NOT TRIGGER THE STATE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY REVIEW ACT.
The Second Department determined Supreme Court properly concluded the Water District’s planned replacement of a drinking water supply tank was immune from the village code and did not trigger the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA):
In Matter of County of Monroe (City of Rochester) (72 NY2d 338), the Court of Appeals addressed the applicability of local zoning laws where a conflict exists between two governmental entities. The Court therein articulated “a balancing of public interests” test which requires the consideration of various factors in order to determine whether an entity should be granted immunity from local zoning requirements … . These factors include “the nature and scope of the instrumentality seeking immunity, the kind of function or land use involved, the extent of the public interest to be served thereby, the effect local land use regulation would have upon the enterprise concerned and the impact upon legitimate local interests” … .
Here, the Village failed to set forth any basis for its contention that the application of the Monroe balancing test is in the exclusive province of the Village, or host entity. In fact, the Court of Appeals did not specify the entity initially responsible for evaluating the competing interests … . Further, the Supreme Court properly employed the “balancing of public interests” test and correctly determined that the proposed construction plan is immune from the Village’s local laws … .
The Supreme Court also properly found, in effect, that the Water District’s determination that the proposed construction plan was for a “replacement, rehabilitation or reconstruction of a structure or facility, in kind” (6 NYCRR 617.5[c][2]) and, thus, was a Type II action under SEQRA that presumptively did not have a significant impact upon the environment and did not require the preparation and circulation of an environmental impact statement, was not irrational, arbitrary or capricious, affected by error of law, or an abuse of discretion … . Incorporated Vil. of Munsey Park v Manhasset-Lakeville Water Dist., 2017 NY Slip Op 03934, 2nd Dept 5-17-17
ZONING (WATER DISTRICT’S CONSTRUCTION OF A REPLACEMENT DRINKING WATER SUPPLY TANK WAS IMMUNE FROM COMPLIANCE WITH THE VILLAGE CODE AND DID NOT TRIGGER THE STATE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY REVIEW ACT)/ENVIRONMENTAL LAW (REPLACEMENT WATER TANK, WATER DISTRICT’S CONSTRUCTION OF A REPLACEMENT DRINKING WATER SUPPLY TANK WAS IMMUNE FROM COMPLIANCE WITH THE VILLAGE CODE AND DID NOT TRIGGER THE STATE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY REVIEW ACT)/MONROE BALANCING TEST (REPLACEMENT WATER TANK, WATER DISTRICT’S CONSTRUCTION OF A REPLACEMENT DRINKING WATER SUPPLY TANK WAS IMMUNE FROM COMPLIANCE WITH THE VILLAGE CODE AND DID NOT TRIGGER THE STATE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY REVIEW ACT)/STATE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY REVIEW ACT (SEQRA) (REPLACEMENT WATER TANK, WATER DISTRICT’S CONSTRUCTION OF A REPLACEMENT DRINKING WATER SUPPLY TANK WAS IMMUNE FROM COMPLIANCE WITH THE VILLAGE CODE AND DID NOT TRIGGER THE STATE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY REVIEW ACT)/WATER TANKS (WATER DISTRICT’S CONSTRUCTION OF A REPLACEMENT DRINKING WATER SUPPLY TANK WAS IMMUNE FROM COMPLIANCE WITH THE VILLAGE CODE AND DID NOT TRIGGER THE STATE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY REVIEW ACT)/MUNICIPAL LAW (WATER DISTRICT’S CONSTRUCTION OF A REPLACEMENT DRINKING WATER SUPPLY TANK WAS IMMUNE FROM COMPLIANCE WITH THE VILLAGE CODE AND DID NOT TRIGGER THE STATE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY REVIEW ACT)