Officials from all three Nassau County towns came together in Floral Park to fight back on recent state initiatives to push for more regulated zoning.
The town supervisors for Hempstead, North Hempstead and Oyster Bay were joined by other town officials and local leaders on Tuesday, March 18, as they openly challenged proposed legislation that would take zoning power out of their hands into the state’s.
“For the fourth year in a row, Albany is attempting to take away our ability to protect our suburban communities,” Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino said.
Gov. Kathy Hochul has looked to expand the state’s housing opportunities for years, citing a shortage of 800,000 housing units.
In 2022 the state pushed for accessory dwelling units in single-family neighborhoods. The following year, the state proposed high-density mandated housing around train stations. In 2024, a state proposal looked to override local zoning laws by allowing mass housing developments on land owned by religious institutions.
Hochul later provided financial incentives to municipalities that were deemed development-friendly.
The town governments are now closely watching two proposed bills – an assembly bill that limits the authority of cities, villages and towns to impose certain zoning requirements and a senate bill that establishes a New York State Social Housing Development Authority.
Both bills are still in the committee stages and backed by Democrats.
Saladino called the latest proposals “just another backdoor attempt to impose high-density housing on our neighborhoods.”
“The housing crisis now faced by our state requires not only bold action but durable solutions,” Senate Bill S5674 reads in its sponsor’s memo. “A state authority can streamline and fast-track developments by incorporating all necessary powers and functions under one roof, eliminating unnecessary expenses and bureaucratic delays.”
We all want affordable housing, and we all want options for our families and friends, but it seems like Long Island is always ground zero for Albany’s “one-size-fits-all,” bad ideas, North Hempstead Supervisor Jen DeSena said. “Nobody knows our neighborhoods better than we do, and no one is more accountable to our residents, so we reject tone-deaf plans that rob us of our zoning rights and our ability to preserve our suburbs.”
Hempstead Supervisor Don Clavin shared a sentiment similar to DeSena’s.
“Local zoning control is essential because local elected officials have the finger on the pulse of their individual communities,” he said. “We understand the wants and needs of residents, and we will continue to do right by those we were elected to represent.”
Despite the governor’s lack of local reception to state-wide housing efforts, the county is home to nine certified pro-housing communities.
Qualified areas must show either a recent increase in housing or a resolution that states their commitment to pro-housing principles. This makes those communities eligible to receive funding through multiple grant programs for housing projects, according to the state.
Farmingdale just received $4.5 million through the NY Forward program and Hempstead Village was awarded $10 million from the state’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative on March 14.
The three town supervisors said that they will continue to fight against possible zoning changes from the state.
