Qaddafi, His Tent, and Tree Permits

Following-up on my recent post, I see that the Wall Street Journal reports that President Qaddafi no longer plans to stay in a large tent on the grounds of a home owned by the Libyan government in Englewood, NJ, during the opening of the UN General Assembly this fall. No specific reason is being given for the change, although diplomatic negotiations are the likely reason.  However, it is interesting to note that last week Englewood filed a suit against Libya and the construction contractor that had been renovating the Libyan property (probably in anticipation of Qaddafi’s visit). According to Findlaw (which also has links to the court papers), after an August 24th stop work order by Englewood’s city engineer was ignored:

Englewood Mayor Michael Wildes had the City Attorney Bill Bailey sue to get a temporary restraining order and injunction against the Libyan Government and its Greenwich Village-based New York City contractor, Quattro Construction.

The lawsuit contends that Libya and the contractor:

1. Have “not maintained Soil Erosion and Sediment Control (SESC) measures on site. Based on the amount of disturbance taking place on the property, the applicant will be required to obtain a SESC permit.”

2. “Has not obtained a tree permit for the trees cut down on the property;”

3. Must submit a grading plan to the City for “review and approval,” and potentially a “Soil Movement” permit;

4. Obtain approval for the construction of a wall on the property, which “may require a Stream Encroachment Permit for construction near the pond area.”

I love it when NJ tree permit litigation and international relations overlap!