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Resident presses board for clarity after yearslong permit delay over wall encroachment and insurance
Summary
Eric Hastings told the board he has an approved site plan and provided an easement and a $14,200 bond but cannot obtain a building permit because the village requires specific indemnification and insurance documentation for a wall that partly sits on village property; the mayor arranged a three‑way call with the village attorney/insurer to resolve requirements.
Eric Hastings, a Greenwood Lake resident, addressed the board about a stalled building‑permit process for a project to replace a deteriorating stone retaining wall along Edgemere Avenue. Hastings said he obtained planning-board approval about five years ago and later provided an easement and a $14,200 bond check, but that additional indemnification and insurance documentation has prevented permit issuance.
“My name is Eric Hastings, and I'm at 32 Edgemoor Ave... I gave the village clerk a check for $14,200 for the bond,” Hastings said, describing the wall as roughly 13 feet high in places and about 500 feet long. He said parts of the existing wall sit on both his property and village property and that prior communications—including during the COVID period—contributed to delay.
Mayor Howie and staff explained the hold-up centers on liability and the village’s need to see insurer policy language, not just a certificate of insurance. The mayor said the village attorney and insurance representative have been consulted and proposed a three‑way call to identify the exact documentation that will allow the building department to issue a construction‑phase permit while reserving a separate perpetual indemnification arrangement for longer‑term liability concerns. Hastings and the mayor agreed to meet or join the call the following day to attempt to finalize the requirements.
The exchange focused on procedural and insurance requirements rather than zoning merits; the board did not change any standards at the meeting but committed to direct follow-up with the applicant and his contractor/attorney.
