By Ed Moltzen, Contributing Writer, LIBN
If you’ve seen long lines outside a home that’s for sale and hosting an open house anywhere on Long Island, you know that the appetite for homes is growing faster than the market can keep up.
Yet, the at-times byzantine nature of Long Island’s land use laws and codes makes addressing the need for housing a constant – if not growing – challenge. And while some very modest proposals in Albany might help, the overall dynamic is unlikely to change much.
An imbalance between what the law allows and what the market demands has continued to grow along with Long Island’s population.
For Long Island attorneys who work on land-use issues, the perception of layers of bureaucracy that keep new housing development on a slow roll aligns with reality.
Long Island itself has hundreds of municipal subdivisions, including its towns, villages and two counties. Each proposed project requires permits, zoning approvals, or environmental reviews. Some communities are more vocal about what they want or don’t want.
Scott Middleton, senior partner at Campolo Middleton & McCormick in Ronkonkoma, said the best way to start the discussion with a client is to set expectations for what can happen to a parcel before the ink ever hits the first permit application.
“Say your clients want 150 units, but they can live with 120,” Middleton said. But town officials say they can only approve and live with 75 units.
“So you have that conversation ahead of time,” Middleton said. “Setting expectations from the outset – for everyone – makes the project a lot easier.”
