Dunderberg Ventures LLC Files Lawsuit to Stop Drainage of Storm Water Runoff
Dunderberg Ventures LLC filed a lawsuit to stop Woodbury Villas from draining storm water runoff from the housing development onto its 8 acres of property through a 48 in. diameter pipe.
Dunderberg Ventures has owned the land for 20 years and had submitted plans in April for building two synagogues and religious schools, according to the Times Herald-Record.
Each building would have a sanctuary on the first floor and schools above them, an attorney for Dunderberg Ventures told the Woodbury Planning Board at an initial project presentation in June.
The property owners believe the pipe would “effectively create a waterfall” on their land strip during major downpours, ultimately damaging the property, reported the Times Herald-Record.
Dunderberg Ventures are seeking a permanent injunction to prevent the drainage pipe from being used. A judge initially refused their initial request for a temporary restraining order after the Woodbury Villas developer said the pipe wouldn’t be used until a later construction phase.
Partner Jacob Lieberman filed a court statement saying he saw water emptying onto his property through Woodbury Villas’ pipe as well as a smaller pipe nearby on Nov. 20, reported the Times Herald-Record.
In 2008, Lieberman and his associates petitioned the Woodbury Village Board to change their zoning from residential to office space. In 2017, they returned to the board to lodge the same request, which was not granted. Previous plans for the property would have required zoning variances and did not advance, reported the Times Herald-Record.