Eastern box turtles and retired bank exec thwart Bedford housing project

A former Morgan Stanley executive and several eastern box turtles represent the latest hurdle for a developer who has long planned a residential project in the tony Westchester town of Bedford.

Developer Ni Zhaoxing has been trying to build the 10-unit project on Upper Hook Road for a decade, and has faced opposition from neighbors, according to LoHud.

After an environmental study found protected wildlife — including the turtles — at part of the development site, Ni was told to move one planned home to an adjacent parcel. But retired Morgan Stanley vice chairman Bruce Fiedorek has sued to stop that transfer. Fiedorek, who lives near the development site, claims that a 2003 restrictive covenant bars such a move.

He also claims in the suit that the project would damage wetlands, contribute to light pollution and increase traffic on the exclusive stretch of dirt road, which counts Ralph Lauren among its residents. [LoHud] — Dennis Lynch