Brinkmanns file federal lawsuit against Southold Town over eminent domain
The Brinkmann brothers and Institute for Justice filed the lawsuit Tuesday. (Credit: Institute for Justice)
Southold Town’s attempt to seize a Mattituck property through eminent domain will be challenged in federal court.
The dispute centers on the wooded lot at Main Road and New Suffolk Avenue owned by Brinkmann Hardware Corp., which has plans for a 20,000 square-foot hardware store at the site.
The project was halted by a series of six-month building moratoriums first enacted in 2019 and the town voted 4-2 to initiate an eminent domain proceeding against the property owners last September in order to create a community park.