NYS AG warns Forestburgh Township of anti-Semitic bias over Lost Lake development

By Hamodia staff

New York State Attorney General Latitia James has sent a letter to Forestburgh Township warning that the city’s discriminatory zoning rules they recently implemented, which were apparently done to prevent a Hasidic developer from getting a pre-approved community of nearly 2,600 homes is in violation of state law. laws.

The project, Lost Lake Resort, was originally started by Double Diamond Companies in 2011 when the Sullivan County city granted a zoning change that would allow the company to build 2,557 single-family homes, along with cottages and condominiums and a golf course on a 3,000-acre site. 3 square kilometers. the city.

After investing millions of dollars in preparing the infrastructure for the project, the company realized that they could not sell the units, and sold the land, along with the pre-approved plans, to Rabbi Mordechai Zev Halberstam, who did have the opportunity had to sell the parcels to numerous Hasidic families interested in developing a community in Sullivan County.

When the city began delaying the project with numerous roadblocks and imposing significant costs, all designed to kill the project, Rabbi Halberstam filed suit two years ago alleging discriminatory practices. The United States Department of Justice also sent a letter to the judge in that case, informing him that they believed the city’s actions appeared to violate federal law.

Recently, the city implemented new rules that required houses of worship to have a larger parcel of land than comparable secular structures, and also required greater setbacks. These rules were established in secret without outsiders being able to comment or attend, which violates the laws of the New York State Open Meetings.

On Friday, April 19, Attorney General Latitia James’ office sent a letter to the council informing them that they appeared to have violated laws preventing discrimination against places of worship, and that they had also violated Open Meeting laws. .

“We are pleased that the New York State AG has investigated what happened in the City of Forestburgh,” said Matis (Abe) Rutner of the Sullivan County JCC. Hamodie. “Together with the Department of Justice, which wrote to the judge regarding the Lost Lake lawsuit, we expect the municipality to behave in accordance with the law and treat us without any discrimination.”

Joe Lefkowitz, the AG’s liaison for Jewish affairs, and Rabbi Yeruchim Silber, director of New York Government Relations at Agudath Israel of America, supported the developer and Rabbi Halberstam on the matter.