North Hempstead sets new rules, fees for filmmakers

Even though Manhasset provided the backdrop for parts of the movie "The Good Shepherd" and Port Washington appears in scenes from "Meet the Parents," the town has never had a filming policy.

On Tuesday night, the Town of North Hempstead board unanimously approved establishing a town code for a permit policy and accompanying fees.

Supervisor Jon Kaiman and officials had previously allowed filming on a case-by-case basis. Daily fees will range from $500 to $1,000 depending on the scope of the project, Kaiman said.

Creating a policy, he said, will ensure that traffic, parking and public safety concerns that film crews may cause are addressed. The policy will also allow for a way to provide communitywide notification about an upcoming film shoot.

"It's pretty important for police to know there's a movie and where they're filming," Kaiman said, citing an incident earlier this month where police were called to respond to a hostage situation at a convenience store, which turned out to be a scene for an indie movie.

Town Councilman Fred Pollack said that example, which happened in the neighboring Town of Hempstead, reinforces a need for North Hempstead's filming policy.

Port Washington resident Barry Loeb said the new policy is welcome because his community is starting to feel like "Hollywood East."

Some Capital One Bank commercials were shot in Port Washington about six months ago, and most recently scenes for a film starring Paul Giamatti were filmed there.

"Port Washington is photogenic for their purposes," Loeb said of film crews. "The problem is it is disruptive, to say the least."

He said film crews, which bring hundreds of people, block streets and sidewalks. "It does nothing but tie up traffic on our already congested streets," said Loeb, who has lived in Port Washington for more than 30 years.

"I'm not saying the movie companies are doing anything malicious," he said. "What I would like to see is better coordination."

North Hempstead communities are desirable to film crews, Kaiman noted. "It's close to New York City, so that actors can get here easily," he said. "It also has that suburban feel."