PUTNAM VALLEY – A group of Lake Oscawana lake-front property owners that sued the Town of Putnam Valley after the town banned ice retardant devices on the lake in 2020 has lost their appeal. The ban is known as the “Ice Law”.
The property owners had been using heaters and dock bubblers to maintain the integrity of their docks, according to the original lawsuit. Ice that forms around a dock can damage it if the ice heaves.
The town passed a law in January 2020 prohibiting the devices in response to a person that had previously fallen through the thin ice. The property owners sued the town, claiming the law was arbitrary and the town had passed the law illegally. The lake-front property owners lost their case and appealed the decision.
The appeal was argued in February and the Appellate Division issued its decision earlier this month, denying the appeal. The Town of Putnam Valley was represented by Sara Ryan of the law firm of Van DeWater and VanDeWater.
In denying the appeal, the town’s “ice law” is considered legal and enforceable.
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