On Aug. 21, Newsday reported that a group of angry North Hempstead residents confronted their town's officials demanding they repeal an accessory apartment law that the town board had passed by unanimous vote earlier that month.

They complained that the new law would lead to an "urbanization" of the town, overcrowd the schools and attract "transients" to our town. The naysayers are not considering some disturbing facts:

1. Between 1990-2006, the number of young persons on Long Island, aged 25-34, declined by 35 percent; and

2. That most senior citizens who live in North Hempstead want to remain in their homes, close to their friends, houses of worship and their health care providers.

One might say that the Not in My Backyard (NIMBY) mindset is comparable to a refugee who being lucky enough to get on the last ship leaving for safety yells at the top of h/her lungs, "I'm aboard now, pull up the gangway."

While our situation is serious, it is not desperate, yet. As approved, after some heavy debate, the accessory apartment law would make it possible for our own young families to stay in the area rather than moving hours away to find a place to live, senior citizens could keep their homes and continue to support their community while retaining their quality of life.

Anyone who has taken the trouble to read the new law will see that the permission to have an accessory apartment must be given by the town and that permission does not transfer to the new owner when the house is sold.

Please, please, work with us to protect the value of your homes as well as the quality of this community's life.

Support the Town of North Hempstead's Accessory Apartment legislation. It's "win-win" for everybody.

Howard Kimmel

(Editor's Note: Howard Kimmel is the founder and president of the nonprofit Anna and Philip Kimmel Foundation.)