Posted June 8, 2005

Posted June 8, 2005
Brookhaven town board finalizes code amendments for new Multifamily and Planned Retirement Communities. After an extended moratorium, homebuilders will soon be able to bring forward development applications for badly needed town homes, apartments and condominiums under revised rules.

The new town guidelines contain a clear preference for constructing these higher density developments in and around existing downtown main street areas, redesign of under used commercial properties and areas targeted by hamlet and road corridor studies for such homes. At least ten percent of these units must meet the town's guidelines for affordability, and builders are encouraged to add a higher percentage as density increases.

LIBI expects a significant increase in such applications, driven by demands for more homes younger and older households can afford.

Suffolk County enacts rules for transferring development credits from open space lands purchased under the recent bond issue approved by the voters. Voters in Suffolk overwhelming approved an open space environmental land acquisition bond issue last November, that provided for the county retaining the development rights associated with the lands purchased. These rights could be issued for affordable homebuilding at other less important sites. The county has now finalized the rules for transfer and may begin retaining these rights for affordable units.

Suffolk County asked LIBI to circulate a request for qualifications form to builders interested in affordable homebuilding with county assistance. Over thirty members responded.

Homebuilding affordability in danger as State Legislature moves to adjourn.
Before N. Y. lawmakers are proposals for;

• Statewide regulation of all wetlands of one acre or more, instead of twelve acres. The local governments on Long Island already regulate these wetlands and the state DEC has too few personnel to duplicate the regulation, so all homebuilding will be subject to expensive delays
• Authority for all towns and villages to levy a 2% real property transfer tax on the sale of homes to buy more open space. East end towns got this authority because they had already made extraordinary efforts with local bonding.
• Local governments could exceed state building code standards at any time and for any reason without state approval, eliminating the uniformity of the state code and adding new costs.

If you have a question or comment, email me at evp@libi.org