Brookhaven Town Hall

Brookhaven Town Hall Credit: Newsday / Bill Davis

Building fees will increase for commercial applicants looking to construct in Brookhaven, after the town board voted to raise some fees by 9.5 percent at Tuesday’s meeting.

The fee increases are largely for commercial applicants, according to town officials. The total amount of anticipated raised revenue was not immediately available yesterday as town officials were still finalizing last-minute amendments to the resolution.

Councilwoman Kathy Walsh was the only “no” vote on the seven-member board.

Resident Archie Kaszuba, a construction consultant from Selden, had told the board before the vote that the town would make even more money if fees were raised well beyond 9.5 percent for commercial applicants. “I propose you make it much higher for commercial builders,” he said at the meeting.

The board also unanimously passed a resolution to regulate the storage of superstorm Sandy-damaged cars to only commercial or industrial areas, with each applicant to be considered separately by the planning department and within a defined time frame after a declared state of emergency.

The board also approved changing the schedule of the bimonthly 5 p.m. town board meetings. Public comment will now begin about 5:15 p.m. after the consensus resolution agenda, and resume after the 6:30 p.m. public hearings conclude. The regular resolution agenda will conclude the meeting. Each commenter would receive three minutes to speak as long he or she submitted a comment card before 6:30 p.m.

Council members Walsh, Steve Fiore-Rosenfeld and Connie Kepert voted against the resolution, citing concerns that residents would have trouble getting to the meetings before the 6:30 p.m. cutoff for public comment submission.
 

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