The Village Board of New Hyde Park is considering new legislation to control illegal apartments. Citing illegal dwellings as a major deterrent to the administration's goal of preserving and improving the suburban life-style of New Hyde Park, the Village Board is proposing a series of new laws and amendments to the Village Code aimed at making it tougher for illegal apartments to exist.

The board of trustees will hold a public hearing on Dec. 4, at Village Hall at 7:30 p.m. to hear input from residents on the proposed changes. The meeting will pre-empt the regularly scheduled meeting of the board of trustees scheduled for that night. The public meeting has been rescheduled to Dec. 11, at 8 p.m. "Pushing the regular board meeting back one week in lieu of this public hearing underscores the importance that trustees and I have placed on getting these laws enacted," said Mayor Dan Petruccio.

The mayor and the board of trustees considers illegal apartments to be a major detriment to the suburban life style that they have pledged to preserve and improve.

Mayor Petruccio stated: "Illegal apartments create a higher population. They are contrary to our zoning code that aims to control land use and over-development. More people bring more cars and traffic on our roads. There is an increased cost of municipal services without a commensurate increase in revenue. But perhaps the most insidious and costly effect of illegal apartments is the effect on our schools and our school property taxes."

Our schools are reaching capacity levels and two of the school districts that serve NHP have floated multi-million dollar bonds to expand. The Elmont School District recently passed a $12 million bond to pay in part for expansion of the Stewart Manor School. The NHP-GCP School District also passed a $21 million bond and work will begin in the summer to add classrooms to their buildings.

One measure for the board to consider to rid the village of illegal apartments is to eliminate from the zoning code the special exception permit for second kitchens and thereby eliminate mother/daughter apartments in the village. The mother/daughter status has been the gateway that many people have used in their transition from homeowner to landlord. In many cases after a relative moves out, a tenant moves in. Homes with existing mother/daughter permits will be given three years to bring their home into compliance. The measure will also disallow outside entrances on the second floor.

This provision will bring New Hyde Park's code more in line with other villages that don't allow mother/daughter apartments. Anyone reading the real estate classifieds can see that mother/daughter homes are only featured in ads for homes in New Hyde Park. "So we will propose that the Village Code be amended to make it illegal for any person to advertise a use of property that is not permitted under our code," said the mayor.

In addition, the Village Code will be amended to require new certificates of occupancy be issued any time a home is sold. The new certificates of occupancy will only be issued after a visit has been made by the Village Building Department. If illegal fixtures or an illegal kitchen is present, it will have to be removed before a new certificate can be issued. This will ensure that a condition that tends to encourage illegal rentals will not be perpetuated.

Another step will be to amend the code and utilize the courts to obtain search warrants when there is compelling evidence of more than one family in a single-family home. For example, more than one mail box, doorbell, cable TV lines, or separate entrances will be beacons alerting officials of trouble. Earlier this week a five-year grace period expired making it a violation to have more than one gas, electric or water meter on a single-family house.

The proposed laws will also increase the fines for illegal rental apartments so as to have a meaningful financial impact upon offenders.

In order to implement some of these initiatives and encourage greater compliance, the village has recently added another part-time building inspector, and they are very close to establishing a new code compliance officer to concentrate on property maintenance and quality of life issues. "Our building department is very busy with plan and permit reviews and is not as able as they would like to be to address some of the more visible items that degrade our community. This part-time person will address garbage that is left out and sidewalks and graffiti filled walls that are neglected. This person will also be utilized to help identify and follow-up on illegal apartments," said Trustee Montreuil, liaison to the building department.

In another move to help handle the increased workload, the Village Board has added another prosecuting attorney. This will help meet the increased demand in Village Court.

Additionally, the village will establish an Architectural Review Board to, in part, eliminate the construction of large box-like homes that are ripe for future conversion to multiple family uses. The Architectural Review Board will review plans for both commercial and residential building and major exterior modifications. The intent is to make sure that changes that are made are in harmony with the character of the village. The Village Board is actively seeking residents who may wish to participate on this panel. Of particular interest are people with backgrounds in architecture, civil engineering, and landscape design. People with a keen sense of aesthetics are also encouraged to come forward. Those people wishing to be considered should contact Village Hall at 354-0022.

Clearly, the board is united in its commitment to root out illegal apartments in New Hyde Park with the goal of improving the character of the village we all treasure. Mayor Daniel Petruccio said, "We understand that not everyone will be pleased with these steps. But after long consideration, we feel the eventual decline of the village is the alternative future we face if we take no action at all. In the end, the people who will grumble the most are those that are now benefiting at the expense of the taxpayers who are playing by the rules."

Residents are encouraged to attend the public hearing of these proposed laws on Dec. 4, at 7:30 p.m. at Village Hall.