NY Islanders Bo Horvat sued in Nassau County Supreme Court after landfill decision

There's usually only fun stories about ponds and hockey. This is an exception.

New York Islanders center Bo Horvat believes Long Island is a hidden gem, and he's quickly finding out how passionate its residents can be in a legal dispute between his development and those on the side of environmental protection for Leeds Pond. Karina Kovac in TheIsland360 reports that Bowie (legal name) Horvat and his wife are defendants in a lawsuit filed by Eastern LLC in Nassau County Supreme Court seeking nullification of a recent ruling in their favor.

At the center of the case is the Village of Plandome Manor’s Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) decision to approve a large quantity of fill near the pond located in Great Neck. According to the report, the plaintiffs argue the that the amount of fill is excessive and surpasses the amount the building department can authorize, according to the village code.

Leeds Pond, a 22-acre fresh body of water in Plandome Manor, has been a battleground in recent months leading up to the decision that came down in July. In a story written last month by the Manhasset Press, Barbara Donno, the Mayor of Plandome Manor, noted that the project received full approval from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and stated that no work being done on the project affects the pond.

However, opponents on the side of restoration and preservation have argued that the amount of fill approved for the project will further deteriorate the conditions of the pond and pose environmental risks. To date, the Horvats have not been present at the BZA meetings as their case has been argued on their behalf through legal representation.

It's been a busy year on the ice and in real estate for the Horvats. After the All-Star was traded from the Vancouver Canucks to the Islanders on Jan. 30th, he quickly signed an eight-year extension worth $8.5M AAV annually to play out the prime of his career and beyond alongside Mathew Barzal and call UBS Arena his home rink. After deciding his long-term future was on Long Island, Horvat and his wife put their luxurious Vancouver home on the market in March.

GM Lou Lamoriello may have felt he needed to offer an offer that was too long and too much money to extend Horvat, but unlike the 30-goal scorer, his western Canada home was locked in for below asking price. The home, dubbed a "West Point Grey gem" by the real estate company, sold for $5.21M after having a listing price of $5.599M.