The township of Forestburgh in Sullivan County has been slapped with a federal discrimination lawsuit over an alleged conspiracy to block Lost Lake Resort – a sprawling development whose developer is gearing it to Jewish families.
A 3.3 square mile tract of land was bought for $9.5 million by a group that planned to build 2,627 homes on it, but those plans sputtered after the town denied initial applications to begin construction.
The project – if it gets done – will consist of 2,557 single family homes, 30 cottages, 40 condominiums, as well as an 18-hole golf course, among other amenities.
Lawyers for the property owners, Lost Lake Holdings LLC and Michconos Mazah LLC, filed a lawsuit in federal court stating that town officials are purposely throwing sand in the gears of the development’s plans to keep Orthodox Jews from moving in.
They called Forestburgh’s decision making process for the development a “sham,” noting that the same lawyers that represented township officials and the board that weighed the development’s approval.
For their part, township officials say that the developers changed plans for their project from being an upscale summer vacation getaway resort to year-round dwellings.
The developers’ attorneys say that this is just an excuse, as the plans for the site were at first approved by the township – until they figured out that Jews would be moving in.
“In America no government may tell people where they are welcome to live and where they are not based on their religion,” attorney Ed Treene. “This has become an all-too-familiar experience for Orthodox Jews in many New York communities, and it must end.”
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27 Responses
“For their part, township officials say that the developers changed plans for their project from being an upscale summer vacation getaway resort to year-round dwellings.”
They’re always complaining about the Jewish community being summertime residents, making it hard on the economy. That’s why new construction needs to be winterized. So now this community is no good because Jews will be there year-round?!?!?!
If it’s really for a frum community, what on earth will such a community do with an 18-hole golf course?!
when will the Jews learn from the Gentiles distilled admittance they do not want to live with us…..yet, you build here all the things the gentiles use, golf course I didn’t hear Yeshiva….so , to tell you the truth, coming to Israel will equip all of our needs we here in Isreal don’t have to worry about our loved ones at home worrying about a summer living space while we make room here in Israel in our hovels and palaces for your short stays that are often a balagan…make Israel your balagan and let satan and amalek enjoy terrorizing the nations that deserve this very treatment…no you my jewish brothers and sisters, 217 years before 6000….I am counting on Olin Haba I hope you are as well
I see these types of stories every so often, and I wonder if the problem might be that the residents of the town simply don’t want an instant massive expansion of population disturbing their chosen bucolic life. Can antisemitism be playing a role? Yeah, sure, its possible. But I truly think that if it were any other developer, they’d have the same objections and throw up the same road blocks. Imagine if someone wanted to put up a massive 1000 unit apartment building on a residential block of single family homes in your neighborhood. You’d raise a ruckus too and use every legal loophole to stop it. If it was a chassidish developer, would YOU then be anti-Semitic? Housing in the Jewish community is at a premium these days, but I think we’d have a much better time letting a town grow organically than making giant grandiose developments.
Can the aquifer handle another 5k (low estimate) consumers? What about sewer and waste processing?
Invest in property in 🇮🇱 where Bibi Netanyahu שליט”א shall make you most welcome
I think it is not the religious frum Jews versus the gentiles. it is us frum ordinary yidden versus investors and developer’s. They are trying to frame it as if it is gentile’s versus frum Jews . It is not. None of us want to live in massive development’s with attached houses with no privacy. Its only the developer’s that want to make the most money possible. T
Let the developer make new alternate plans with individual houses with ample parking and ALL of us will be much happier. They’ll make money as well. I think the townships concerns maybe everybody’s rightful concerns
> Ctrl Alt Del
From what I have seen, normally there is a serious difference between the residence of a locality and its administration. Here where I live (and probably almost everywhere else) what happens is that residents don’t want the crowding coming in, while the administration WANTS the crowds because that means more revenue and more power (larger tax base and more voters). Almost always, the administrators wins (and even when they lose, it is only temporary and they come back and blindside the residents).
As such, the question becomes not why the residents complain 9which almost universal Jews or not Jews), but why the administration is blocking the development. And one wonders if maybe one reason is that the expected new comers will have a different voting agenda and different voting pattern that may not be supportive of the current administration.
According to Wiki, the population of Forestburgh has hovered around 900 people for the past 100 years. So it is not necessarily anti-Semitism that would drive such objection but it is the foolish idea that since you were there first you get to decide the future of the place forever. Places change, neighborhoods change, no one has the right to stop change. You may not like it but you dont have the right to stop it.
To all those commenting, the lot was bought as a package with the approved plans. They’re now denying the building permits to build the approved plans.
@amil, yes the project already passed environment review planning stage, your bitterness is mind boggling.
Thank you sara Rifka and 147.
Its really so sad. Dont frum Jews say, it isn’t him . it”s HIM?
Anti semitism is out of control and instead of picking up the hints that maybe the golus is over and Hashem wants his dear children close to him in Eretz Yisrael, Jews waste their time fighting around with the goyim.
It’s true that Eretz Yisrael niknais byissurim but so is Torah and Olam Haba. As one Oleh recently told me:It’s not easy to make Aliyah,but it’s never been easier! It would be a shame and a huge Boosha, if American Jewry will have to come her like the Ukranians, fleeing their homes, leaving all possesions behind with a small suitcase or just a plastic bag. Come while you can do it with kovod. Dont wait to be refugees!
Of course there is an element of anti-semitism. However, this is likely another case of anti-growth sentiments in a rurual area with the overlay of exaggerated fears of an insular Jewish enclave of row upon row of ugly and poorly maintained boxes of multi-family units. If you tried to impose this type of higher density development in the middle of the single-family suburban styled homes in 5T you might encounter similar reactions.
“If it’s really for a frum community, what on earth will such a community do with an 18-hole golf course?!”
18 MIKVAH’S
I see most f the commenters have not read the actual details behind the case. These current developers bought the lots from other non-Jewish developers who had already received approval from the town to develop over 2,000 homes on the lots. They ended up dropping their plans because they did not have success in selling the properties. The plans by the current developers are pretty much the same as the already approved plans, but now are catering to Jews. The land was bought from other developers who had approval to develop the property.
Easy enough to find the story on line.
Plain guy, you are so right. The developers have the developers in mind and care not about the consequences of the way they build.
Millhouse, Ever heard of בין הסדרים? 😉
you all self hating jaws
@147 you’re a nut.
I think let’s move to Russia
Sure, it may not be antisemitism, but what difference does that make? If the locals don’t want a few thousand families moving in, so what? They have no right to stop it. Nobody has the right to veto new neighbors; this isn’t a New York co-op, or an Israeli kfar or moshav.
to 147
Misssed saying HgiZ For BiBi sick
i think that none of us really care about this project as none of us seem to be looking into it for ourselves so its of no concern!!
All those who seem opposed to frum Jews playing golf please explain why its OK to spent time reading and commenting on YWN but it not OK to play golf. Its just ridiculous! There is absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying a game of golf or any other sport.
Gadol & others commenting about dense housing causing most of the back-lash: this from The Real Deal
“Attorneys for the developers said the project will be the same one that was approved, including 2,577 home lots, 30 cottages, 40 condo units and an 18-hole golf course.
There would also be a boat dock, a 1,000-acre wildlife preserve, private access to rivers and streams, a clubhouse, a restaurant and bar, an 8,000-square-foot conference center, a spa and fitness center, a pool and bathhouse and tennis courts.”
This is the Catskill mountains after all, and there’s a lot of land still out there for expansion, relatively cheap.
So this project seems like a truly nice balance. But the town isn’t giving them a chance. I believe in most of these type of cases (similar to eirev lawsuits in many ways) the towns tend to lose.
And IMHO the Catskills is the future settlement for NY’s burgeoning Chasidic communities. Until Moshiach comes of course.
Quite independent of the anti-Semitism involved, this is actually a major issue nationally, as there is a shortage of housing in part since many areas are zoned to exclude high density affordable housing.
You don’t get it….Yes, it is the SAME plans for which goyishe developers had obtained approval. However, the new reality is that the locals are visualizing those plans through an entirely different lens using anti-semitic filters based on what they’ve been told will morph into another version of high density, ill-maintained properties in Monsey etc. Reality is what people want to believe. They will lose their case and end up with a big legal bill.
There’s nothing wrong with playing golf, but how many heimishe people, of the kind this development is likely to attract, play it? Almost none. So what will they do with an full course? It will go unused, and eventually they’ll tear it up and use the space for something useful. Either more housing, or something that the residents actually want. Unless the course becomes an attraction for outsiders, and the community uses it to generate revenue.