Islip homeowners back in court after failing to take down wall

Islip homeowners are due back in court next month after failing to take down a wall around their bayfront property that violated town code and upset neighbors, officials said.

Rakhi and Amit Sharma are set to appear before a judge on Feb. 14, about 19 months after pleading guilty to a wall permit violation and agreeing to remove the wall, said Suffolk courts spokeswoman Mary Porter.

They have a delinquency hearing, which is typically held when people fail to complete part of a sentence, at Suffolk County Fifth District Court in Ronkonkoma, Porter said.

Their nearly 6-foot wall has stayed up, rankling neighbors for exacerbating flooding on East Bayberry Road and blocking views of the Great South Bay and Fire Island, they said.

Neighbor Frank Lombardo, an architect, said the wall prevents high tides from receding back into the bay.

“The bottom line is this block floods all the time,” Lombardo, 65, said. “My concern is, if we have another (superstorm) Sandy, what’s that going to do?”

The Sharmas did not return a request for comment. A representative previously told Newsday that the Sharmas believed the wall complied with town requirements and wanted to put up a wall to protect their disabled daughter.

Islip Town officials said wall construction began in summer 2015 without a building permit. The Zoning Board of Appeals had approved a 5-foot-1-inch wall be built behind the house. The wall was instead constructed along the roadway.

Code enforcement officials issued a summons in October 2015. The Sharmas pleaded guilty to the violation in July 2016, officials said.

Michelle Bassen, deputy commissioner of town planning and development, said the Sharmas obtained a building permit to remove and replace the wall on Nov. 20, 2017. They have a year to do the work but can renew the permit for up to three consecutive years.

“Hopefully they’ll get it done soon,” she said.

Lombardo said he expects the work to continue to be delayed.

“One of the beautiful things about coming down this street is that beautiful vista,” he said. “That’s gone.”

By Rachelle Blidner

rachelle.blidner@newsday.com@rachelleblidner

Rachelle Blidner covers Suffolk County government, politics and breaking news.