The owner of the historic Ward House property in Tuckahoe made its appeal before the village board tonight.

In February, the village's Historic Preservation Commission rejected the developer's application claiming the inability to do work on the home has created an economic hardship. In July 2023, that same board rejected claims from the developer that the current state of the home posed imminent health and safety risks to the public.

Attorneys for the developer appealed both of those rulings to the village board as part of a public hearing.

This small village fight between the developer and community members who are hoping to preserve the historic structure began back in 2021 when the former Concordia College sold the land as it was shutting down. Within a year of that purchase, the village designated the Ward House as a historic landmark which immediately put an end to any potential construction.

There is also an ongoing lawsuit brought by the developer against the village and community group Friends of the Ward House asking a judge to overturn the historical designation.

The public hearing took place at Village Hall.