Opponents sue to halt controversial East Quogue development

Environmentalists, civic leaders and a state assemblyman sued to overturn a Nov. 15 decision by the Southampton Town Zoning Board of Appeals that would allow a luxury development and golf course to move forward in East Quogue, Newsday reported. The plaintiffs, including a group of East End nonprofits, argued that the board’s decision violated New York’s Open Meetings Law by not allowing for debate before approving the proposal by Discovery Land Company, an Arizona-based firm controlled by real estate tycoon and George Clooney pal Mike Meldman. In the mid-November vote, the board ruled that the development’s 18-hole golf course could be considered an accessory to a residential subdivision and therefore meets current zoning rules. If completed, the development would include an 118-unit subdivision on 591 acres over an environmentally sensitive area. The project, once known as The Hills, has previously been voted down by the board, prompting Discovery Land to sue Southampton. That litigation is pending. [Newsday]