Long Island is home to a large stock of houses built in the 1950s and 60s. Experiencing population growth and a strong economy, LI’s housing market has been busy and on the rise over the past two years. With an increased demand for upgraded amenities, local governments have experienced an influx of home permit applications.
Upon taking office as Oyster Bay Town Supervisor 20 months ago, I joined my colleagues on the Town Board in advancing a Same Day Permit process for residents to more easily improve their homes. In a Town that stretches from the Island’s Gold Coast on the North Shore to the beaches on the south shore, Oyster Bay is home to 300,000 residents and is the third largest town in the nation. To accommodate such a large population, we also began accepting home improvement permit applications on both shores.
Under the Same Day Permit process, residents with a proper application obtain immediate permits for a variety of projects, including fencing, swimming pools, air conditioning units, permanent generators, plumbing, and solar panel systems, to name a few. This is the first time in our Town’s history that residents seeking certain approvals walk out of Town Hall the very same day with their approved permit.
In just over a year, we have issued more than 5,000 Same Day Permits through our Department of Planning & Development. The success of this program has helped residents improve their home and put contractors to work overnight. Government should never be the obstacle for residents who wish to get started on a simple home improvement and we have eliminated that impediment in the Town of Oyster Bay.
Due in large part to this Same Day Permit process, the Town of Oyster Bay has become a leader in issuing permits for solar panel installation, receiving recognition by the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority (NYSERDA). Through NYSERDA’s NY-Sun Team, the State’s signature solar initiative, the Town of Oyster Bay has been recognized with having great success with residential solar permitting and has been asked to speak with representatives from other towns on Long Island in an effort to achieve similar successful solar implementation throughout New York State.
With many families having two working parents and little time to visit Town Hall, I am happy we can assist residents seeking to update their homes with the convenience of Same-Day-Permits and offices on both the north and south shores of our town. T
he Oyster Bay Department of Planning and Development is located at Town Hall, 74 Audrey Avenue in Oyster Bay, and the new Satellite Office is now open at Town Hall South Annex, located at 977 Hicksville Road in Massapequa. Building permit applications are available at both locations and are also available online at oysterbaytown.com. To contact the Department of Planning and Development, residents should call 516-624-6200.
Joseph Saladino is the Oyster Bay Town Supervisor.
