§ 7-740 Review of decisions of planning board. Any officer, department, board or bureau of the village, with the approval of the board of trustees, or any person or persons, jointly or severally aggrieved by any decision of the planning board concerning such plat or the changing of the zoning regulations of such land, may bring a proceeding to review in the manner provided by article seventy-eight of the civil practice law and rules in a court of record on the ground that such decision is illegal, in whole or in part. Such proceeding must be commenced within thirty days after the filing of the decision in the office of the village clerk.

Commencement of the proceeding shall stay proceedings upon the decision appealed from.

If, upon the hearing, it shall appear to the court that testimony is necessary for the proper disposition of the matter, it may take evidence or appoint a referee to take such evidence as it may direct and report the same to the court with his findings of fact and conclusions of law, which shall constitute a part of the proceedings upon which the determination of the court shall be made. The court may reverse or affirm, wholly or partly, or may modify the decision brought up for review.

Costs shall not be allowed against the planning board, unless it shall appear to the court that it acted with gross negligence or in bad faith or with malice in making the decision appealed from.

All issues in any proceeding under this section shall have preference over all other civil actions and proceedings.