The children of two Village of Plandome residents who have died asked trustees to reduce the $40,000 in permit fees due on their parents’ former house at 44 North Drive, dating back 67 years, at the board’s Monday, Jan. 12 meeting.
The village is now seeking payment from the children, Mark, Todd, Sally and Julia Brickell.
The Brickell family’s former house on North Drive has two open permits—one for a change to the porch made by the prior owner from 1958 and one for a renovated bathroom from 1999.
Two of the children, Mark and Julia, were present at the meeting along with Julia Brickell’s husband, Roger Davis.
Their parents bought the house in 1970 and lived there until each of their deaths. The father, Henry Mitchell Brickell, died in 2019 and the mother, Mary Alyce Daly Brickell, in 2024.
Henry Mitchell Brickell was unaware of the unpaid permit from 1958, when he bought the house, and it only came to his attention in 1991, his children said. He was then told by the village that the house needed an electrical inspection and a building survey to close the permit.
“Someone dropped the ball,” said Mayor John Kurkjian.
The children became aware of the situation when they were selling the house in the summer of 2025, and the building inspector said there would be a $40,000 fee to close the permits.
“That’s another question of fairness,” Mark Brickell said. “Is it right to charge today’s rates for work that was opened in 1958?”
Kurkjian said the board would get back to the family later with a response.
Village Clerk and Treasurer Barbara Peebles also told the board that the village was working to collect outstanding permit fees and had collected $50,000 in fees, ahead of the prior year and 112% of its target.
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The board also heard from Rob McIntyre, the deputy chief of the volunteer fire department, who petitioned the board to buy a third fire chief’s car.
The Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department is selling one of its used cars for $12,500, and McIntyre said this was a good opportunity to have a car for each of the department’s three chiefs.
“It’s a little high in miles, but it’s bigger,” McIntyre said as he showed the board members a picture of the car.
Trustee James Corcoran, who was calling in from Florida, asked, “So if we have four chiefs, do we have to get a fourth car?”
McIntyre said they had previously had three cars and were looking to keep it at three.
Highway and Water Department Foreman Steven Flynn gave a report on the village’s handling of the past month’s snow.
“December was a pretty tough weather month,” Flynn said.
The village had over nine inches of snow for the month.
On Dec. 15, Flower Hill reached out to the Village of Plandome because one of its machines had broken down, and Plandome and Munsey Park helped Flower Hill plow the overnight snowfall.
“That’s what you do in these villages,” Flynn said.
Trustee Rich Dunphy also let the board know that Commanding Officer Mark Fitelli of the 6th precinct, who acted as liaison to the village, retired.
Deputy Commanding Inspector Kristin Rhine, who was previously an officer with Plandome, will now take over as liaison.
The board also debated hiring a stenographer for planning board meetings. In 2025, there were two disputes about the outcome of a meeting and there were no minutes for reference.
The board will hold its next meeting on Monday, Feb. 9.
