Helping Sandy victims

Mobile building department visits Lawrence

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To expedite service to Hurricane Sandy victims, the Town of Hempstead has used its mobile building department to visit communities to help homeowners process building permit applications, meet with an on-site plans examiner and answer questions.

At Rock Hall Museum in Lawrence, building inspector Vincent Albert, building plan examiner Benjamin Pontrello and department receptionist Nancy Murray were on hand on May 2 to help homeowners such as Cedarhurst homeowner Perri Stern.

After fighting with her insurance company since Sandy struck on Oct. 29, Stern has not begun renovations to her home, which sustained water damage in the basement and on the first floor. “The insurance hasn’t finished processing our claim but we want to start work as soon as possible,” she said. “I think it’s amazing that Town of Hempstead is out in the community. They were able to expedite my plumbing permit application and waived the fees.”

Hempstead eliminated the requirement for homeowners to obtain a variance prior to increasing their home’s foundation height to comply with Federal Emergency Management Agency standards.

They also decided to waive Building Department fees until June 1, as building permits are required for all structural repairs and alterations within the town. “We’re waiving the fees because people didn’t expect to do this, these weren’t planned repairs,” Albert said. “It’s only right to waive them.”

Albert added that homeowners could walk out with a building permit, if they have a letter of intent from their engineer or architect stating the work that will be done and the damage the home sustained, as well as contact information and licensing numbers for all of the contractors. “At the very least, they’ll walk out with the application and they’ll be in the system,” he said.

Stern said she is grateful to the Town of Hempstead for providing the Mobile Building Department. “The process was amazing and they were extremely knowledgeable,” she said. “It was great to have them in our backyard.”

Though his home was not damaged by the hurricane, Pontrello said his mother’s Oceanside house was flooded, so he empathizes with the homeowners he helps. “When people come in, I know what they’re going through,” Pontrello said.

Murray said a lot of people have never been to the Building Department prior to Sandy. “People are so glad that we’re out in the community and they don’t have to go out of their way to drive to Town Hall in Hempstead,” she said. “It makes the process easier.”