Terry Semel
Former Yahoo CEO Terry Semel may have to tear down his house on Further Lane after the East Hampton Town Zoning Board of Appeals voted unanimously to revoke a building permit that appears to have been issued in error, as well as a certificate of occupancy, the East Hampton Star reported. However, the end result of the vote is still unclear, since the board’s reason for revoking the permit will only be revealed when a written document is prepared, according to Carl Irace, the board’s attorney. Irace would not comment on the decision, but said that the vote was “based on some pretty narrow criteria.” The ruling points to a willingness by the board to enforce a zoning code that is known to be one of the strictest in the nation, said David Eagan, a lawyer who represents Jonathan and Peter Sobel, the brothers who initiated the appeal of Semel’s building permit, on the grounds that he received permits to build two houses on his property, which is zoned for only one. Semel does not plan to appeal the board’s decision, said Jon Tarbet, one of Semel’s lawyers.