Presiding Officer Kevin J. McCaffrey and more than two dozen elected officials from every level of government and both major political parties joined together to state their vehement and well-reasoned objection to Governor Kathy Hochul’s plans to force apartments into every single family home on every street in every New York neighborhood. Hochul’s proposal is to allow– as of right– an apartment in every single family home’s garage, basement, second floor or rear yard shed/garage. The Governor’s proposal would usurp the roles of locally elected Town and Village Officials who control neighborhood zoning and in doing so would effectively eliminate single family zoning.
Gov. Hochul’s plan mandates that at least one “second” unit of living quarters must be permitted on lots that would otherwise be single-family home zoning. Doing so would strain municipal resources, overcrowd streets and schools, reduce property values and harm suburban quality of life. Under the radical plan, the state would take away zoning control from locally elected governments, eliminating residents’ ability to voice objections to new apartments. The bill also prohibits the imposition of parking requirements, resulting in motor vehicles clogging residential streets.
Presiding Officer McCaffrey (R-Babylon) said, “As a former Village Trustee for 24 years, I understand that a Village or Town’s zoning decisions are the most impactful ones they’ll make. Throughout the state, our residents rely on these elected officials to make decisions which comport with local residents’ expectations. Governor Hochul’s one-size fits all approach to zoning would replace those elected official’s judgment with her own and, in turn, would destroy the quality of life that so many of us hold dear here in the suburbs of Long Island. So many families chose to move here because of the simple, quiet, and single-family home neighborhoods that are the inspiration for so many suburbs throughout the nation. The Governor’s proposal will destroy all that within just a few years by turning Suffolk County into the 7th borough of New York City.”
Long Island, by and large, already allows for accessory dwelling units. Each of the municipalities that allow ADUs, have restrictions to ensure proper zoning and prevent overcrowding and overdevelopment in their community. The proposal does not address any issues of taxation on Long Island, one of the most overburdened regions in the nation.
Currently, many Building Permit applications that increase the number of bedrooms in a dwelling require the approval of the Suffolk County Health Department. At no point in the proposed legislation does it address the fact that the Health Department determines the appropriate amount of persons residing at a home that is utilizing cesspools. Over seventy-five percent of Suffolk county is unsewered. A mass expansion of ADUs will result in a deterioration in the water quality here on Long Island.
Long Island officials are acutely aware of the affordable housing crisis here in New York State, but they unanimously agree that this is not the way to go. Alternatives, like transit-oriented development will create housing in areas that enable commuters to get to their jobs, while creating a new cheaper housing option.
Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-Nassau) said, “Governor Hochul’s radical housing plan would eviscerate local zoning control and end single family housing across New York. Instead of requiring municipalities to allow at least one accessory dwelling unit on residential properties, the Governor should engage with local stakeholders and bring people together to implement a common sense approach to housing.”
Suffolk County Legislator Stephanie Bontempi (R-Huntington) said, “As an environmentalist, supporter of local control, and someone who values the quality of life here in Suffolk County, I cannot overstate how misguided the Governor’s zoning ideas are. Long Island has an extremely fragile ecosystem, a large part of which involves our groundwater system. A zoning framework that essentially allows for unlimited accessory apartments or additional dwellings in backyards will spell nothing but disaster for our infrastructure and precious natural resources. As to the obliteration of local control, the people should be furious. Residents and their representatives in local government deserve the ability to ensure that their laws and policies meet their unique needs and aspirations.”
Huntington Supervisor Ed Smyth (R-Huntington) said, “Here on Long Island, we are proud of the local control our towns have over zoning. With home rule, we have ensured that our communities do not become overdeveloped, are kept environmentally sound, and are a place people want to live and raise a family. This proposal by the Governor would end all of that overnight. Proof of how bad an idea this is in the fact that both sides of the political aisle have come together to state their opposition. This is not about Republicans versus Democrats. This is about New Yorkers versus Albany. We won’t stop until this item is removed from the budget and laid to rest.”
Village of Islandia Mayor Allan Dorman said, “Villages are one of the hyper-local levels of government a person can reside in. As a result, we interact on a daily basis with the residents and know their concerns. A one size-fits-all proposal approach to zoning never works. Our residents are overtaxed, overburdened, and the state’s solution is to jam more people into a region so many feel is overdeveloped. This proposal would result in the death of the suburbs and begin the slow erosion of our local rights until it is determined that Suffolk County might as well join with New York City. We’re not saying there shouldn’t be accessory dwelling units in any Village or Town, just that we in our local municipality know the appropriate zoning that would make them beneficial.”
Residents are encouraged to contact their State Senators and Assemblymembers to tell them to keep home rule on Long Island.
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