Supporters of historic Tuckahoe home claim developer is doing 'unlawful demolition' inside, developer's attorney responds
Supporters of an historic landmark in Tuckahoe claim a developer is doing unlawful demolition inside of it.
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Supporters of an historic landmark in Tuckahoe claim a developer is doing unlawful demolition inside of it.
At the corner of White Plains Road and Winslow Circle sits what Sal Provenzano calls a very important piece of Tuckahoe history.
"The battle happened right here," says Provenzano, who serves as president and chair of the Friends of the Ward House.
At the center of it all is the Ward House. It has been around since the 1700's.
That's why Provenzano wants to protect it.
"There's too much history at stake here," Provenzano explains.
However he claims the developer who owns the property is doing work inside of it against the village's historic preservation law.
"Any further work on the Ward House should stop immediately until the historic preservation commission reviews and approves the data in accordance with the law," says Provenzano.
He says the demo permit was issued without getting the required approval by the village's historic preservation commission.
That's why "Friends of the Ward House" is asking a judge to stop it. They filed a petition in the state Supreme Court Monday.
However Lee Lefkowitz, the attorney for the developer says no "real demolition" is happening. In fact, he says this permit only allows removal of things like cabinets, appliances and fixtures.
It is mentioned in a document sent to News 12 by Lefkowitz.
"Though many homeowners would simply remove these things on their own, Tuckahoe (like most municipalities) technically requires a permit from the building department to do so. So, to stay beyond reproach and in full compliance, my client did the right thing and sought a permit from the building department to remove a few items from the house. Tuckahoe technically titled this permission a “demo permit,” but no real demolition is going on. FWH’s (Friends of the Ward House) motion is unnecessary and based on untruth."
It's the latest layer in a dispute that has been going on since the developer bought the property in 2021. The village marked the Ward House as a historic landmark within a year of that purchase.
Since then, applications have been denied for the developer to begin work on the outside of the home.
News 12 reached out to village leaders but has yet to hear back.
A court date has been scheduled for January 28.
