The rocky road continues for the proposed Westport Crossing apartment project at 75 Monroe Avenue in the Village of Pittsford. Westport Crossing is being developed by a subsidiary of Mark IV Enterprises.

The village board voted this morning to set a special meeting for 8:30 a.m. on Monday, December 30, to discuss hiring a consultant to evaluate the project's existing environmental review.

Historic Pittsford and two village residents wrote to the board to ask for a new environmental review for the project. At issue is whether the existing review is valid for the current proposal, which some village officials and residents say differs from what the village board approved last year. The consultant would evaluate whether the village has a valid reason to conduct a new environmental review, Mayor Bob Corby said this morning. 

Village Trustee Lili Lanphear said the village board ought to resolve the issue with the environmental review before the planning board makes its decision on the project's final site plan.

The planning board has approved the project's preliminary site plan, but that action sparked a challenge from a group of residents. In response to that challenge, the developer sued the village. A group of residents is also suing the village over the village board's approval of the project last year.

After the meeting, Mark IV CEO Anthony DiMarzo said that any action by the board won't hold up. The judge overseeing the lawsuits has issued an order barring village officials from discussing or acting on the project, he said.

"We believe they're out of order," DiMarzo said.

Corby disagrees and during the meeting said the order only requires the village to keep the court informed of any discussions or actions.