JOSEPH F. BIANCO, District Judge.
On September 23, 2009, plaintiff Soundview Associates ("Soundview" or "plaintiff") brought this action against the Town of Riverhead (the "Town"), Richard Ehlers, and Dawn C. Thomas, alleging violations of Soundview's First Amendment right to petition the government for redress of grievances, its Fourteenth Amendment right to procedural due process, and its Fourteenth Amendment right to substantive due process.
For the reasons set forth below, the Court grants defendants' motion in part and denies the motion in part. Specifically, the Court denies defendants' motion on the ground that plaintiff has not demonstrated injury. Plaintiff has alleged that its interest in the appeal of the Article 78 proceeding contesting the denial of its resort and spa permit request was adversely affected by the coercive conduct of the individual defendants, and this injury is sufficient to confer standing upon plaintiff.
However, the Court grants defendants' motion on the ground that plaintiff cannot demonstrate a federally protected property interest, and therefore plaintiff's substantive and procedural due process claims must be dismissed. It is undisputed that the 1982 Special Permit was contingent upon, among other things, (1) the submission of a site plan, and (2) the provisions of the Riverhead Town Code. The site plan submitted in conjunction with the 1982 Special Permit proposed a "health club" in the clustered three-hundred unit condominium development on the northern portion of the initial parcel. In 1983, plaintiff granted a scenic easement to the Town, which restricted a separate portion of the initial parcel, the golf course parcel, to golf course usage and other compatible recreational purposes. The scenic easement restricted the construction of residential structures beyond the approved 300 condominiums, and restricted the construction of non-residential structures. Nearly twenty years later, plaintiff submitted a special permit application for a 78,100 square foot "two story resort" with 48 rooms on the restricted golf course parcel. The Town denied plaintiff's application for several reasons, including that the land was restricted by the scenic easement. The Court concludes that the 1982 Special Permit did not create a federally protected property right to erect a resort and spa in 2002 on the golf course parcel because (1) the site plan submitted with the 1982 Special Permit proposed a health club within the condominium development and not on the golf course parcel; (2) the Riverhead Town Code required that the permit holder begin use and complete the construction or use requirements within one year and the health club was not constructed within the relevant time period; and (3) the golf course parcel was subsequently restricted by the scenic easement. The Court also concludes that, even apart from the 1982 Special Permit, the Town had discretion to deny the 2002 Application for the spa and resort under the Riverhead Town Code, which outlines the factors to consider when evaluating a special permit application, and the restrictions on the golf course parcel.
The Court also concludes that, even assuming arguendo that plaintiff had a protected property interest, plaintiff's substantive and procedural due process claims fail. With respect to plaintiffs substantive due process claim, plaintiff has not produced any evidence that the defendants arbitrarily or irrationally infringed upon a property interest in denying the 2002 Application. The Court concludes, based upon the undisputed facts, that the Town had legitimate interests which rationally could have been furthered by the denial of the application, including the preservation
With respect to plaintiff's First Amendment claim, defendants do not move for summary judgment on this claim, nor does defendants' motion clearly address the First Amendment claim in the context of qualified immunity. Thus, the Court denies defendants' motion for summary judgment on qualified immunity grounds without prejudice to defendants filing another motion for summary judgment on the First Amendment claim, including based on qualified immunity.
The Court has taken the facts set forth below from the parties' depositions, affidavits, and exhibits, and from the parties' respective Rule 56.1 statements of facts.
Plaintiff's predecessors in interest are entities known as Baiting Hollow Development Corporation and Riverhead Flagg Corporation (collectively referred to here as "plaintiff"). (Defs.' 56.1 ¶ 1.) At some point prior to January 1982, plaintiff purchased a 191-acre parcel of land located in the Town of Riverhead, which bordered the Long Island Sound to the north, Oakleigh Avenue to the west, Sound Avenue to the south, and a privately owned farm, known as Wulforst Farm, to the east (the "initial parcel"). (Id. ¶ 2.) The initial parcel was improved with a clubhouse and a golf course located on the southern 140 acres of property (the "golf course parcel"). (Id.)
On November 3, 1982, plaintiff obtained a special permit (the "1982 Special Permit") from the town for the initial parcel to construct a 300-unit residential condominium complex which included a tavern, restaurant, retail store, and health spa, subject to the requirements, restrictions and/or limitations of the Riverhead Town Code. (Id. ¶ 3.) Pursuant to the 1982 Special Permit, the town granted plaintiff permission to construct the residential condominium
The 1982 Special Permit was also subject to, among other things, the requirements, restrictions, and/or limitations of the Riverhead Town Code. (Defs.' 56.1 ¶ 7.) The 1982 Special Permit required the submission of a detailed site plan describing the specific development of the property and phases of construction proposed by the plaintiff. (Id. ¶ 8.) By Resolution Number 161 of 1983, the town approved the detailed site plans submitted by plaintiff's predecessor, which included the location of a health club facility on the northern part of the property. (Id. ¶ 9.) The health club facility was to be constructed in a relatively central location to the condominium complex. (Defs.' Ex. H, 1982 Special Permit Site Plan.)
According to the Riverhead Town Code in effect in 1982,
(Defs.' 56.1 ¶ 12; Wilhelm Affidavit ¶ 4; Defs.' Ex. BB, Riverhead Code § 108-3.
In April 1983, plaintiff and the town executed a grant of scenic easement which provided that
(Defs.' Ex. F, Grant of Scenic Easement.
The scenic easement states that the agreement between plaintiff and the Town to grant the easement is pursuant to New York General Municipal Law § 247, which authorizes the acquisition of interests or rights for the preservation of open spaces. (Id.; see also N.Y. Gen. Mun. Law § 247.) According to Ehlers' declaration, pursuant to New York General Municipal Law § 247, plaintiff was afforded real property tax reductions on the value of the golf course parcel. (Ehlers Decl. ¶ 13.)
Defendant Ehlers contends that, prior to 2002, plaintiff or its predecessor constructed, or sold the rights to construct, three-hundred condominium units pursuant to the plans it submitted. (Ehlers Decl. ¶ 18.) All of the permitted residential yield on the initial parcel was clustered in the three-hundred unit residential condominium complex along the bluffs overlooking the Long Island Sound. (Id.)
Both parties agree that plaintiff itself constructed 126 units. (Pl.'s Letter at 5, Aug. 17, 2012, ECF No. 48; Defs.' Letter at 3, Sept. 21, 2012, ECF No. 50; Defs.' Ex. LL, Planning Board Letter.) According to the deposition testimony of Pasquale Intrieri, Rego's partner, plaintiff sold the rights to construct the remaining 174 units to another entity called High Orchard.
Prior to 2002, the golf course parcel was divided out of the initial parcel.
In 2002, the plaintiff applied to the town for a special permit (the "2002 Application") to construct a forty-eight unit residential development complex with a spa on the golf course parcel. (Id. ¶ 17.) According to the 2002 Application site plan, the spa and resort was to total 78,100 square feet. (Defs.' Ex. L, 2002 Application Site Plan.) The 2002 Application sought approval to construct the complex on an open unimproved portion of the golf course parcel.
By resolution, the Riverhead Town Board denied the special permit application on November 18, 2003. (Id. ¶ 21.) In
On March 18, 2004, plaintiff commenced an Article 78 proceeding in New York State Supreme Court, Suffolk County. (Defs.' 56.1 ¶ 22.) According to the Rego declaration, on or about September 20, 2004, the state court partially denied the town's motion to dismiss and recognized that the evidence submitted did not negate or exclude a health spa as part of the definition of "other compatible recreational uses." (Rego Decl. ¶¶ 28-29.) Rego states that, on or about February 2, 2005, the town filed a motion to renew its motion to dismiss contending that since the partial denial of its motion to dismiss, the town implemented a comprehensive plan which re-zoned the property as residential. (Id. ¶ 30.) By decision dated April 19, 2005, the New York State Supreme Court dismissed the proceeding. (Defs.' 56.1 ¶ 23.)
On or about June 15, 2005, Wulforst Farms, LLC ("Wulforst") purchased a privately owned farm, known as Wulforst Farm, directly east of the golf course parcel, consisting of approximately 40 acres (the "Wulforst parcel"). (Defs.' ¶ 25.) According to Rego's declaration, Wulforst was a sister company to Rugby. (Rego Decl. ¶ 36.) On or about November 18, 2005, the plaintiff and Wulforst jointly filed applications with the town (the "2005 Applications") to, among other things: (1) modify the boundary lines of the respective properties so as to subtract ten acres from the Wulforst parcel and add it to the golf course parcel; (2) subdivide the remaining thirty acres of the Wulforst parcel into a thirty lot clustered subdivision development; and (3) construct a new multi-million dollar clubhouse on the golf course parcel, to be known as the Baiting Hollow Club. (Defs.' 56.1 ¶ 26.) The 2005 Applications did not mention the forty-eight unit, 78,100 square foot, residential spa complex that was the subject of the 2002 Application.
On April 25, 2006, plaintiff filed a notice of appeal of the decision dismissing the Article 78 proceeding. (Id. ¶ 24.) On or about October 23, 2006, plaintiff perfected its appeal of the decision dismissing the Article 78 proceeding. (Id. ¶ 31.) In or about October of 2006, defendants learned that plaintiff and Wulforst intended to pursue both the 2002 Application as well as
According to Ehlers, Riverhead's Town Attorney, and Thomas, Riverhead's Planning Board Attorney, they informed plaintiff's counsel that the two projects were related because they were proposed on the same property and the 2005 Applications would need to be amended to include the 2002 Application so the town could study the cumulative impacts of both projects as required by New York's State Environmental Quality Review Act ("SEQRA"). (Ehlers Declaration ("Ehlers Decl.") ¶ 30; Thomas Declaration ("Thomas Decl.") p. 6 ¶ 27.
According to the deposition testimony of Barry Beil ("Beil"), a principal of Rugby/Wulforst, town officials told Beil that the Rugby/Wulforst applications would be processed expeditiously if the Soundview lawsuit "went away." (Pl.'s Ex. J, Beil Deposition Transcript ("Beil Dep.") at 219.) According to Beil, he was informed at a meeting that Thomas did not want to deal with the Soundview appeal. (Id. at 235.) According to Beil, Thomas informed him that she was convinced that Soundview's appeal had no merit, but that she had a busy week and until the lawsuit was resolved, "the issues relating to the application were still not going to move forward and so the way to move the application forward was for us to take care of this appeal." (Id. 236.)
Stanley Pine ("Pine"), another principal of Rugby/Wulforst, testified that
(Pl.'s Ex. J, Pine Deposition Transcript ("Pine Dep.") at 47-48.) According to Pine, "we couldn't get our project moved forward unless we assisted in having [Rego] relinquish his application for a spa." (Id. at 105.)
According to Thomas' and Ehlers' declarations, at a meeting on or about November 29, 2006, Beil informed the defendants that he was purchasing the golf course parcel and did not plan on pursuing the 2002 Application. (Ehlers Decl. ¶ 31; Thomas Decl. ¶ 28.) Beil stated that he did not wish to amend the 2005 Applications. (Id.)
On January 29, 2007, plaintiff withdrew its appeal of the state Article 78 proceeding. (Defs.' 56.1 ¶ 39.) On or about January 16, 2008, plaintiff consummated its transaction with Rugby by selling the golf course parcel for the full contract price of ten million dollars.
Plaintiff filed the complaint in this action on September 23, 2009. On February 8, 2010, defendants filed a motion to dismiss the complaint. On July 14, 2010, the Court issued a Memorandum and Order granting in part and denying in part defendants' motion to dismiss the complaint. Defendants moved for summary judgment on November 28, 2011. Plaintiff submitted its opposition on January 17, 2012. Defendants submitted their reply on February 21, 2012. The Court held oral argument on April 4, 2012. At a conference held on May 3, 2012, the Court directed the parties to submit revised statements pursuant to Local Rule 56.1 that fully complied with the requirements of that rule. Defendants submitted revised 56.1 statements on May 16, 2012 and May 18, 2012. The plaintiff submitted a revised 56.1 counterstatement on May 22, 2012. On August 8, 2012, the court held a conference to address the issues of (1) the number of units constructed on the initial parcel, and (2) the relevant town code provisions. Plaintiff submitted a letter on these issues on August 17, 2012. Defendant responded on September 21, 2012. The Court has fully considered the submissions of the parties.
The standards for summary judgment are well settled. Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(a), a court may only grant a motion for summary judgment if "the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law." Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(a). The moving party bears the burden of showing that he or she is entitled to summary judgment. Huminski v. Corsones, 396 F.3d 53, 69 (2d Cir.2005). "A party asserting that a fact cannot be or is genuinely disputed must support the assertion by: (A) citing to particular parts of materials in the record, including depositions, documents, electronically stored information, affidavits or declarations, stipulations (including those made for purposes of the motion only), admissions, interrogatory answers, or other materials; or (B) showing that the materials cited do not establish the absence or presence of a genuine dispute, or that an adverse party cannot produce admissible evidence to support the fact." Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c)(1). The court "is not to weigh the evidence but is instead required to view the evidence in the light most favorable to the party opposing summary judgment, to draw all reasonable inferences in favor of that party, and to eschew credibility assessments." Amnesty Am. v. Town ofW. Hartford, 361 F.3d 113, 122 (2d Cir.2004) (quoting Weyant v. Okst, 101 F.3d 845, 854 (2d Cir.1996)); see Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986) (summary judgment is unwarranted if "the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party").
Once the moving party has met its burden, the opposing party "`must do more than simply show that there is some metaphysical doubt as to the material facts.... [T]he nonmoving party must come forward with specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.'" Caldarola v. Calabrese, 298 F.3d 156, 160 (2d Cir.2002) (quoting Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 586-87, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986) (emphasis in original)). As the Supreme Court stated in Anderson, "[i]f the evidence is merely colorable, or is not significantly probative, summary judgment may be granted." Anderson, 477 U.S. at 249-50, 106 S.Ct. 2505 (citations omitted). Indeed, "the mere existence of some alleged
As the Second Circuit has explained, "Article III of the Constitution limits the judicial power of the United States to the resolution of cases and controversies. This limitation is effectuated through the requirement of standing." Cooper v. U.S. Postal Serv., 577 F.3d 479, 489 (2d Cir.2009) (citing U.S. Const. art. III, § 2 and Valley Forge Christian Coll. v. Ams. United for Separation of Church & State, Inc., 454 U.S. 464, 471-72, 102 S.Ct. 752, 70 L.Ed.2d 700 (1982)), cert. denied sub nom. Sincerely Yours, Inc. v. Cooper, ___ U.S. ___, 130 S.Ct. 1688, 176 L.Ed.2d 180 (2010). "It is axiomatic that `[t]here are three Article III standing requirements: (1) the plaintiff must have suffered an injury-in-fact; (2) there must be a causal connection between the injury and the conduct at issue; and (3) the injury must be likely to be redressed by a favorable decision.'" Id. (quoting Kendall v. Employees Ret. Plan of Avon Prods., 561 F.3d 112, 118 (2d Cir.2009)); see also Lamar Adver. of Penn, LLC v. Town of Orchard Park, N.Y., 356 F.3d 365, 373 (2d Cir.2004) ("To meet Article III's constitutional requirements for standing, a plaintiff must allege an actual or threatened injury to himself that is fairly traceable to the allegedly unlawful conduct of the defendant." (internal quotation marks omitted)).
To meet Article III's injury-in-fact requirement, plaintiff's alleged injury "must be `concrete and particularized' as well as `actual or imminent, not conjectural or hypothetical.'" Baur v. Veneman, 352 F.3d 625, 632 (2d Cir.2003) (additional quotation marks omitted) (quoting Lujan v. Defenders of Wildlife, 504 U.S. 555, 560, 112 S.Ct. 2130, 119 L.Ed.2d 351 (1992)); see, e.g., Selevan v. N.Y. Thruway Auth., 584 F.3d 82, 89 (2d Cir.2009) (finding that plaintiffs had adequately articulated Article III injury by alleging that they have paid higher tolls as a result of defendant's policy). Furthermore, the alleged injury must "affect[ ] the plaintiff in a personal and individual way to confirm that the plaintiff has a personal stake in the controversy and avoid having the federal courts serve as merely publicly funded forums for the ventilation of public grievances or the refinement of jurisprudential understanding." Baur, 352 F.3d at 632 (internal quotation marks and citations omitted).
Defendants argue that plaintiff lacks standing because plaintiff cannot demonstrate that it suffered an injury, and even if an injury exists, plaintiff cannot trace that injury to the defendants' conduct. (Defs.' Mem. of Law, at 10-11.) Defendants argue that Rugby was required to close on the purchase of the golf course parcel, and plaintiff and its principals were compensated for the plaintiff's inability to construct and operate a spa on the property. (Id. at 10-11.) Plaintiff argues that, but for the conduct of defendants, plaintiff would have been able to sell the golf course parcel and operate the spa.
Plaintiff asserts three claims pursuant to § 1983. Specifically, plaintiff alleges: (1) a substantive due process claim under the Fourteenth Amendment; (2) a procedural due process claim under the Fourteenth Amendment; and (3) violations of the First Amendment right to petition the government for the redress of grievances. The Court addresses each of these claims in turn.
To prevail on a claim under § 1983, a plaintiff must show: (1) the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and its laws; (2) by a person acting under the color of state law. 42 U.S.C. § 1983.
Plaintiff brings a substantive due process claim, alleging that it was coerced into withdrawing its appeal of the Article 78 proceeding and its special permit and site plan applications due to the Town's threatened refusal to process Rugby's permit applications. The Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment protects persons against deprivations of "life, liberty, or property." U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 1. The Fourteenth Amendment "does not provide a comprehensive scheme for determining the propriety of official conduct or render all official misconduct actionable." Pena v. DePrisco, 432 F.3d 98, 112 (2d Cir.2005). Instead, the scope of substantive due process is very limited. See Washington v. Glucksberg, 521 U.S. 702, 720, 117 S.Ct. 2258, 138 L.Ed.2d 772 (1997). The Supreme Court has said that it is "reluctant to expand the concept of substantive due process because guideposts for responsible decisionmaking in this unchartered area are scarce and open-ended." Collins v. Harker Heights, 503 U.S. 115, 125, 112 S.Ct. 1061, 117 L.Ed.2d 261 (1992). Substantive due process is a means of "protection of the individual against arbitrary action of government." Wolff v. McDonnell, 418 U.S. 539, 558, 94 S.Ct. 2963, 41 L.Ed.2d 935 (1974). "In order to establish a violation of a right to
To meet the first prong of the test for substantive due process violations, a plaintiff must show that he has a "valid property interest." Cine SK8 v. Town of Henrietta, 507 F.3d 778, 784 (2d Cir.2007) (citing Harlen Assocs. v. Inc. Vill. of Mineola, 273 F.3d 494, 503 (2d Cir.2001)); see also Valmonte v. Bane, 18 F.3d 992, 998 (2d Cir.1994) ("To formulate a claim under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, a plaintiff must demonstrate that he or she possesses a constitutionally protected interest in life, liberty, or property, and that state action has deprived him or her of that interest.").
"It is well settled in this Circuit that a constitutionally protected property interest in land use regulation arises only if there is an entitlement to the relief sought by the property owner." Gagliardi v. Vill. of Pawling, 18 F.3d 188, 192 (2d Cir.1994). A plaintiff has a "legitimate claim of entitlement" to a particular benefit if, "absent the alleged denial of due process, there is either a certainty or a very strong likelihood that the benefit would have been granted." RRI Realty Corp. v. Incorp. Vill. of Southampton, 870 F.2d 911, 917 (2d Cir.1989) (citation and internal quotations omitted). An entitlement to a benefit arises under the "strong likelihood" aspect of this analysis "only when the discretion of the issuing agency is so narrowly circumscribed" as to virtually assure conferral of the benefit. Id. at 918.
When a permit has already been granted, "the `clear entitlement' test no longer [is] applicable to the special permit because the test applies only to permits being sought. The special permit, once issued, unquestionably [is] the property of [the recipient]." Villager Pond, Inc. v. Town of Darien, 56 F.3d 375, 379 (2d Cir.1995); T.S. Haulers, Inc. v. Town of Riverhead, 190 F.Supp.2d 455, 461 (E.D.N.Y.2002).
"The issue of whether an individual has such a property interest is a question of law `[s]ince the entitlement analysis focuses on the degree of official discretion and not on the probability of its favorable exercise.'" Gagliardi v. Vill. of Pawling, 18 F.3d 188, 192 (2d Cir.1994) (citing RRI Realty Corp., 870 F.2d at 918).
Defendants argue that plaintiff does not have a federally protected property interest because (1) the 1982 Special Permit did not create a right to the proposed spa and resort, (2) the scenic easement granted to the Town after the 1982 Special Permit restricted the golf course parcel and the proposed spa and resort were incompatible with the scenic easement, (3) plaintiff had no right to build the additional units contemplated in the 2002 Application because plaintiff had constructed, or sold the rights to construct, the units contemplated by the 1982 Special Permit, (4) by the terms of the 1982 Special Permit and the relevant Riverhead Town code provisions, any rights to construct
The Court does not agree that the issuance of the 1982 Special Permit automatically conferred upon plaintiff the right to build a 78,100 square foot "two story resort with 48 rooms" on the golf course parcel. (Defs.' Ex. L, 2002 Application Site Plan.) First, the 1982 Special Permit was contingent on site plan approval, and the extremely detailed site plan submitted to, and approved by, the Town for the 1982 Special Permit placed the "health club" within the condominium complex on the northern portion of the initial parcel, and not on the golf course portion of the parcel. The site plan submitted with the 1982 Special Permit clearly did not contemplate the spa and resort proposed by plaintiff nearly twenty years later.
Second, the Town Code provided that the "Town Board may condition the permit by requiring that the applicant actually begin use and complete the construction or use requirements in compliance with the conditions imposed by the Town Board within a time period of from one (1) to three (3) years, decided by the Town Board and set forth in the resolution granting said permit. If the Town Board fails to specify a period, said period shall be one (1) year." (Wilhelm Affidavit ¶ 4; Defs.' Ex. BB, Riverhead Code.) Here, the Town Board did not specify a period for use and completion; thus, the relevant time period for these events was one year. Plaintiff's predecessor did not construct the health spa contemplated in the 1982 Special Permit and site plan within that time frame.
Finally, and perhaps most critically, after the issuance of the 1982 Special Permit, plaintiff granted the Town a scenic easement restricting the parcel upon which the spa and resort was eventually proposed. Even assuming arguendo that the 1982 Special Permit created a right in 1983 to construct a spa and resort like the one eventually proposed in 2002, plaintiff voluntarily restricted the golf course parcel after the issuance of the Special Permit. A property owner is not entitled to ignore voluntary restrictions of its property simply because certain rights existed at a previous point in time.
The instant case is dissimilar from the cases cited by plaintiff, both of which were
Even though the Court has determined that the 1982 Special Permit did not create a federally protected right to construct the resort and spa in 2002, the Court must still determine whether plaintiff possessed a "legitimate claim of entitlement" to construct the resort and spa on the golf course parcel. As noted supra, an entitlement to a benefit arises where there is "a certainty or a very strong likelihood that the benefit would have been granted." RRI Realty Corp., 870 F.2d at 917. A strong likelihood exists "only when the discretion of the issuing agency is so narrowly circumscribed" as to virtually assure conferral of the benefit. Id. at 918.
As noted by the Second Circuit in Harlen Associates v. Incorporated Village of Mineola, "[u]nder New York law, the Board has the power to grant and deny special use permits within its `untrammeled, but of course not capricious discretion... with which courts may interfere only when it is clear that the Board has acted solely upon grounds which as a matter of law may not control.'" 273 F.3d 494, 504 (2d Cir.2001) (quoting Retail Prop. Trust v. Bd. of Zoning Appeals of Hempstead, 281 A.D.2d 549, 722 N.Y.S.2d 244, 246 (N.Y.App.Div.2001)). Under the Riverhead Town Code, the Town Board and the Planning Board may consider a number of different factors when evaluating a special permit application, including whether the site is suitable for the use, whether adequate provisions have been made for sewage, and whether the intensity of the proposed specially permitted use is justified. Riverhead Town Code § 108-133.5.; see also Harlen Assocs., 273 F.3d at 504 ("Although Village law requires that the Board consider certain standards, the ultimate decision as to whether to grant a special use permit conclusively lies with the Board."). In addition, under the Riverhead Town Code, the Town may consider a number of factors when evaluating a site plan. Riverhead Town Code §§ 108-128 through 108-133.
It is undisputed that plaintiff sought to construct a 78,100 square foot resort and
Plaintiff argues that the Riverhead Town Code's definition of "recreational center" includes "health spas" and that it permits "health spas and health related facilities" in a "Planned Recreational Park" and therefore the proposed resort and spa was permissible under the easement. (Pl.'s Opp. at 7.
Even assuming arguendo that plaintiff possessed a property right, plaintiff still cannot satisfy the second prong of its substantive due process claim. In order to meet the second prong of a substantive due process claim, plaintiff must show "that defendants infringed on [its] property right in an arbitrary or irrational manner." Cine SK8, 507 F.3d at 784. In particular, plaintiff must show that the government's infringement was "`arbitrary,' `conscience shocking,' or `oppressive in the constitutional sense,' not merely `incorrect or ill-advised.'" Ferran v. Town of Nassau, 471 F.3d 363, 369-70 (2d Cir.2006) (quoting Lowrance v. C.O.S. Achtyl, 20 F.3d 529, 537 (2d Cir.1994)); see also Harlen Assocs., 273 F.3d at 505 ("As we have held numerous times, substantive due process `does not forbid governmental actions that might fairly be deemed arbitrary or capricious and for that reason correctable in a state court lawsuit.... [Its] standards are violated only by conduct that is so outrageously arbitrary as to constitute a gross abuse of governmental authority.'") (quoting Natale v. Town of Ridgefield, 170 F.3d 258, 263 (2d Cir.1999)); Crowley v. Courville, 76 F.3d 47, 52 (2d Cir.1996) (explaining that plaintiff meets second prong of substantive due process test "only when government acts with no legitimate reason for its decision" (citation and quotation marks omitted)).
Specifically, "[i]n the zoning context, a government decision regulating a landowner's use of his property offends substantive due process if the government action is arbitrary or irrational. Government regulation of a landowner's use of his property is deemed arbitrary or irrational, and thus violates his right to substantive due process, only when government acts with no legitimate reason for its decision." Southview Assoc., Ltd. v. Bongartz, 980 F.2d 84, 102 (2d Cir.1992) (citations and quotation marks omitted); see also Merry Charters, LLC v. Town of Stonington, 342 F.Supp.2d 69, 78 (D.Conn.2004) (explaining that "denial by a local zoning authority violates substantive due process standards only if the denial `is so outrageously arbitrary as to constitute a gross abuse of governmental authority'" (quoting Natale, 170 F.3d at 263)). For instance, in the context of a substantive due process claim against the Town of Colchester where zoning was at issue, the Second Circuit reversed
The Court concludes that, even if plaintiff could establish a cognizable property right, plaintiff cannot satisfy the second prong of the due process inquiry. Where a board has legitimate interests which could rationally be furthered through the denial of an application, a board's actions cannot be held to be arbitrary as a matter of federal constitutional law. See Harlen Assocs., 273 F.3d 494, 505 (2d Cir.2001) ("[Plaintiff] also fails to satisfy the second part of the due process inquiry, since it is evident that, even if it had a cognizable property right, the Board did not deprive it of any such right in an arbitrary manner. As we concluded in the context of [plaintiff]'s equal protection claim, the Board had legitimate interests which could rationally be furthered through the denial of [plaintiff]'s application. As a result, the Board's actions cannot be held to be arbitrary as a matter of federal constitutional law." (citation omitted)). The board specified several reasons for the denial of the 2002 Application, including the legitimate interests of preserving the scenic easement, provisions for solid wastes, density regulations, sewage concerns, and the costs of the intense development. (Defs.' Ex. N, Town Board Resolution.) Given the uncontroverted facts, no rational jury could find the Town's conduct to be arbitrary or irrational. See Crowley v. Courville, 76 F.3d 47, 53 (2d Cir.1996) ("We note, however, that such a ruling may be made only when government acts with no legitimate reason for its decision, and that the Village authorities certainly had legitimate reasons for their refusal to allow [plaintiff] to apply the 1975 Variance to his proposed retail development more than a decade after the variance was granted." (internal quotation marks and citations omitted)).
Plaintiff does not point to any evidence that could show that the Town's decision to deny the 2002 Application was "`arbitrary,' `conscience shocking,' or `oppressive in the constitutional sense,' not merely `incorrect or ill-advised.'" Ferran, 471 F.3d at 369-70. Instead, plaintiff exclusively points to conduct with respect to the subsequent appeal of the denial of the 2002 Application. (See Pl.'s Opp. at 11-20.) As noted supra note 23, the allegations and evidence regarding defendants' conduct with respect to the subsequent litigation are properly raised in a First Amendment claim, not a due process claim.
Thus, the Court determines in the alternative that, even if plaintiff possessed a protected property right, no rational jury could find that the denial of the 2002 Application was an arbitrary or irrational infringement upon that interest.
For the foregoing reasons, summary judgment is granted with respect to plaintiff's substantive due process claim.
In order to assert a violation of procedural due process rights, a plaintiff must "first identify a property right, second show that the [government] has deprived him of that right, and third show that the deprivation was effected without due process." Local 342, Long Island Pub. Serv. Emps., UMD, ILA, AFL-CIO
As discussed extensively supra, plaintiff does not possess a federally protected property right, and thus plaintiff's procedural due process claim must fail. See Puckett v. City of Glen Cove, 631 F.Supp.2d 226 (E.D.N.Y.2009) ("To demonstrate a violation of due process rights based upon a zoning decision, whether procedural or substantive, a plaintiff must first demonstrate the possession of a federally protected property right to the relief sought.").
In addition, plaintiff has not alleged or produced evidence that it was denied adequate process in connection with the submission of the 2002 Application, the hearings on the 2002 Application, or the denial of the 2002 Application. Plaintiff had access to, and availed itself of, an Article 78 proceeding. See Deperno v. Town of Verona, No. 6:10-CV-450(NAM/GHL), 2011 WL 4499293, at *7 (N.D.N.Y. Sept. 27, 2011) ("In this case, the availability of Article 78 administrative review of the ZBA's determination and procedural process under state law, including the enactment of the zoning law, precludes a finding that the defendants' conduct violated plaintiff's rights of procedural due process under the Fourteenth Amendment. Because plaintiff can pursue these claims by means of an adequate postdeprivation remedy in the state courts, he has failed to allege a federal constitutional violation."). To the extent plaintiff argues that its rights in the Article 78 appeal were denied due to the alleged coercive conduct of defendants, these allegations fall under plaintiff's First Amendment claim, not the procedural due process claim.
Thus, summary judgment is granted with respect to plaintiff's procedural due process claim.
Though defendants seek summary judgment on all of plaintiff's claims, defendants do not separately move for dismissal of the First Amendment claim. As the Court has denied defendants' motion for summary judgment on the ground that plaintiff has not alleged or demonstrated injury, plaintiff's First Amendment claim is not decided at this juncture. Defendants may move for summary judgment on the First Amendment claim, if they wish to do so, in a supplemental submission.
The individual defendants argue, in the alternative, that they are entitled to summary judgment on qualified immunity grounds with respect plaintiff's claims. (Defs.' Br. at 16-18.) Because the Court grants summary judgment on plaintiff's substantive and procedural due process claims, the Court need not reach the issue of qualified immunity with respect to those claims. In any event, plaintiff has not produced evidence that Thomas or Ehlers engaged in any conduct with respect to the denial of the 2002 Application. With respect to the First Amendment claim, given that defendants have not briefed the claim, the Court does not decide the issue of qualified immunity as applied to the First Amendment claim. Defendants may raise the issue of qualified immunity in a supplemental submission.
For the foregoing reasons, the Court denies defendants' motion for summary judgment on the ground that plaintiff has
SO ORDERED.
42 U.S.C. § 1983.
273 F.3d at 504. Thus, any such argument is without merit.
