Town Board Votes to Serve As Planning Board, Fast-Track Accessory Apartment Applications
In a significant shift aimed at cutting through bureaucratic red tape and accelerating community-supported planning approvals, the Brookhaven Town Board unanimously voted at its February 22 meeting to adopt a resolution transferring the responsibilities of the Planning Board directly to the Town Board. This groundbreaking move, now in effect, seeks to streamline applications, save time and money, and facilitate a more efficient development process in Brookhaven, the largest of Suffolk County’s ten towns, home to a third of the county’s population.
Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico, who was elected in 2023, said the Town Board has been moving away from traditional methodologies towards a more hands-on approach in the site plan review process, covering aspects such as architecture, landscaping, fencing, lighting, and signage. This approach is rooted in the belief that the Town Board and Planning Department can provide a more thoughtful and thorough review compared to past decades, making the additional step of Planning Board approval for community-supported redevelopment projects seem redundant and unnecessarily time-consuming.
“We cannot and should not simply do things just because it is the way it has always been done,” Panico said. “It’s time to lead and while there will be more work for the Town Board, the times demand it.”
While highlighting the reforms, Panico was careful to note that the changes do not reflect negatively on the Planning Board’s members, who have diligently served the town. Instead, these reforms are seen as necessary responses to the current demands for efficiency and community engagement in the planning process.
In his inaugural address, Panico pledged to bring about such changes, with a vision to propel Brookhaven towards a brighter future, meeting the needs of its residents and the regional economy. “This is only the beginning of the changes that will come,” he said.
In addition, the Town Board approved, at the same meeting, a set of code amendments designed to “fast track” the application process for Accessory Apartment Review Board (AARB). The newly adopted changes are expected to significantly reduce the time and financial burden on applicants seeking to add accessory apartments to their properties.
Previously, the process required applicants to undergo a cumbersome two-pronged submission, which included applying for an accessory apartment license along with submitting construction plans. Following plan approval, a preliminary inspection by a building inspector was needed before the application could proceed to the AARB agenda. Applicants also had to invest in certified mailings to notify surrounding neighbors ahead of the scheduled hearing, adding to the expense and duration of the application process.
Under the old system, after the hearing, applicants would wait for the AARB’s decision, which could approve or deny the application based on apartment size, among other factor s. Approval led to another waiting period for an official approval letter before construction could begin, while denial required a lengthy appeal process through the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA), stretching the entire procedure to as long as six months.
The newly enacted amendments streamline this process significantly. Now, the Building Division will accept the accessory apartment license and building permit applications concurrently, eliminating the need for duplicate plan submissions. The updated requirements call for a Public Notice sign to be posted on the property for 10 days, with an affidavit of posting submitted as proof, simplifying the notification process.
Furthermore, once the Certificate of Occupancy for the alteration is issued, the accessory apartment license will be granted simultaneously, removing additional waiting periods. The renewal process for licenses has also been expedited. Provided there are no violations on the property and all paperwork is in order, the Building Division will issue renewed licenses immediately, with all licenses now valid for two years.