Judge grants Stein's motion to withdraw from factory complex lawsuit

By John Fitts

Staff Writer

A Connecticut Superior Court judge has granted a New York developer’s motion to withdraw as a party defendant in a lawsuit related to the Axe Factory complex in Collinsville.

In 2021 Sheldon Stein of New York-based Ranger Properties and his team requested the changes to the in the Industrial Heritage 1 (IH1) Zone that regulates re-development of the axe factory complex.

The Canton Planning and Zoning Commission approved many of those changes in August of 2021, an action that was appealed by Tyler Nye, who owns property on nearby Spring Street. The suit named the commission and Stein as defendants.

That lawsuit is still ongoing but in early September Stein’s attorney filed a motion for his client to be withdrawn. While Nye’s attorney objected to the motion, Stein followed up the motion with a signed affidavit on Oct. 31.

“Subsequent to the subject appeal being taken and filed with the court, my contractual and legal interest in any real property located in Canton, Connecticut ceased; whereby, as of this date, I no longer have a contractual or other legal interest in any real property located in Canton, Connecticut, nor do I have any legal interest of other interest concerning the issues raised in the subject zoning appeal,’ the affidavit states at one point.

On Nov. 1, a judge granted Stein's request.

Sources have told the Valley Press that there were extenuating circumstances not related to the project that are at least, in part, behind Stein's decision to stop pursuing the plan.

For more about the lawsuit, see our previous story here.