Long Island towns, villages battle against Albany bills

For the fourth consecutive year, local officials across Nassau County are standing firm against Albany’s latest attempt to override municipal zoning laws. Town Supervisors Don Clavin (Hempstead), Jen DeSena (North Hempstead), and Joseph Saladino (Oyster Bay), alongside village mayors and trustees, gathered in Floral Park on Mar. 18 to voice their opposition to two proposed state bills that they say threaten local control.

Assembly Bill A2586 aims to limit the authority of municipalities in imposing zoning requirements, potentially giving the state greater influence over local land use decisions. Senate Bill S5674 seeks to establish a Social Housing Development Authority — a public benefit corporation with the power to acquire land and develop housing, which local leaders fear could bypass community input entirely.

“Once again, Albany is seeking to establish the ability to have the final say regarding local zoning,” Clavin said in a news release. “Year after year, they disguise these efforts as solutions to the housing crisis, but what they’re really doing is stripping away our communities’ ability to determine their own future.”

The latest battle follows years of similar fights between local and state officials. In 2022, Albany pushed for accessory dwelling units in single-family neighborhoods. In 2023, lawmakers sought to mandate high-density housing around LIRR stations. Last year, a proposal aimed to allow mass housing projects on land owned by religious institutions. Each time, local officials successfully rallied against these measures, arguing they would fundamentally alter the character of suburban neighborhoods.

Saladino warned of the potential consequences of the proposed bills.

“Albany is once again attempting to strip away our local zoning control with a new housing authority, threatening to transform our suburban neighborhoods into overcrowded urban centers,” he said in the release. “This is just another attempt to impose high-density apartment buildings in areas meant for single-family homes — jeopardizing our schools, traffic, emergency services, and environment.”

DeSena echoed these concerns, emphasizing that local officials are more in tune with residents' needs.

“Time and again, we’ve seen Albany try to force this type of anti-suburban legislation on Long Islanders,” she said in the release. “But each time, my colleagues and I will be there to stop them and ensure local government follows the will of the residents, not the bureaucrats.”

With the bills currently under consideration in the state legislature, local officials say they are prepared for another fight to preserve municipal zoning authority.

“Local zoning control is essential,” Clavin said in the release. “We understand the wants and needs of our residents, and we will continue to do right by those we were elected to represent.”