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Overcast More help for Sandy rebuilding
Saying they would rather lose fees now than have to pay for losses after a storm, Town of Hempstead Supervisor Anthony Santino and Councilman Anthony D’Esposito announced on Monday that the town will propose waiving zoning variance fees for residents who live in the flood plain and want to raise their homes.
Both officials noted that many people bought homes after Hurricane Sandy. Now, new homeowners who want to make their homes flood-resistant by elevating them would have the same benefits as homeowners of record in October 2012, when Sandy hit.
“If you are willing to raise your house, we are willing to help you out,” D’Esposito said at a press conference in Island Park. “There is an opportunity here for people throughout our communities on the South Shore to invest in their community. There’s young families, there’s new homeowners, they want to invest in the communities they decided to live in, and this gives them the opportunity to do it at a reduced cost.”
“It’s been a long four years,” said homeowner Tom Schreiber. “I have to say, after the storm the Sanitation Department and Fire Department really stepped up and did a fantastic job. We just have to get this whole process going now and get it completed.”
Santino noted that Hempstead would be one of the first municipalities to waive fees related to Sandy. “By cutting the red tape and eliminating the variance requirement,” he said, “we are not only saving money for homeowners, we are encouraging them to elevate their homes to [Federal Emergency Management Agency] standards, so our communities will be more resilient should we get hit by another storm like Sandy.”
The change would shorten the approval process for home elevation by an estimated two to three months, and reduce the cost of raising a home by about $1,000, according to Santino. He added that people who raise their homes should also see a significant savings on their flood insurance.
Schreiber explained that there are various requirements that have to be met before permits are issued by the town to allow a homeowner to raise a home. For example, there is a height limit, so owners of homes with high peaks will need waivers to exceed it. They will have to go through the zoning variance process, which will add cost and time to the process.
Santino said he hoped the proposal would be put to a vote by the town board at its September meeting.
