The following is a press release from the Town of Hempstead
As neighbors in Inwood and the Five Towns communities recover from the destruction left behind by Hurricane Sandy, devastation still remains for many Town of Hempstead homes and properties.
Supervisor Kate Murray, Councilman James Darcy and the Hempstead Town Building Department have taken numerous steps to help people rebuild their homes, including streamlining the building permitting process, providing door-to-door home inspections and establishing mobile offices throughout the township.
Murray and Darcy invite residents to visit the town’s Mobile Town Building Department at Inwood Marina, located at Bayswater Boulevard in Inwood, on Thursday, Dec. 27 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hempstead Town’s Building Department staff members will assist residents seeking to rebuild or reconstruct their homes damaged or destroyed by the wrath of Hurricane Sandy. In addition, staff will be ready to address the concerns of residents from unincorporated areas about building permit regulations, variances and other inquiries related to the repair and reconstruction of storm-damaged homes. Residents can also obtain permit applications from this mobile location.
“The Town of Hempstead Building Department continues to work tirelessly to inform and assist all residents affected by Hurricane Sandy,” Murray said. “Our dedicated staff is helping neighbors to rebuild their homes and get their lives back on track.”
“While our hard-working building department staff is available to residents at Hempstead Town Hall, we are bringing their services right to the residents of hard hit communities in our town,” Darcy said.
The Mobile Town Building Department program is an extension of the town’s efforts to help residents struggling after one of Long Island’s worst natural disasters. In response to this storm of historic proportions, Murray and Darcy have directed the Building Department to waive all permit fees for “in-kind” storm-related structural repairs and temporary housing trailers within the unincorporated areas of the Town of Hempstead.
The town will also be doing away with a requirement for a building variance for those residents who wish to rebuild homes (“in-kind” reconstruction) with elevated foundations to meet FEMA flood standards. Residents applying for building permits will need to furnish a copy of an insurance claim related to the repair/replacement along with architectural plans submitted to the Town’s Building Department. The mobile building department has visited several impacted communities across the township.
“As local officials, we have seen Sandy’s devastation up close, and we will remain committed to assisting residents,” Darcy said.
“Bringing Hempstead Town Hall to neighborhoods is just one way we are continuing to aid residents in rebuilding their homes and lives,” Murray said. “It will be a long road to recovery, but we at Hempstead Town are here to help our friends and neighbors.”
Please note that if weather conditions are not good, the event may need to be cancelled. If weather is bad, please call 516-812-3303 after 9 a.m. to confirm that the mobile building department is going to be at the location as scheduled.
