Albany should act to streamline home building permits

At some point, nearly every homeowner on Long Island goes through the process. They want to add a room, or a deck, or a pool, or they need to install a new generator or they might even want to build a new home from scratch.

Then, they bump up against the roadblock: Trying to get a building permit.

It shouldn’t be hard — but most often it is. It’s a significant barrier to the region’s economic success and often costly for the property owner.

The Town of East Hampton particularly depends on a steady stream of building projects to propel its local economy. The demand is there. The workers are ready to go. And yet, the town’s internal bureaucracy is impeding its own economic success as a recent investigation by Newsday’s news division showed. A former building inspector and office manager allegedly accepted bribes for prioritizing and accelerating certain permits.

That, too, isn’t new. Two decades ago, North Hempstead’s building department was plagued with accusations of scandal, corruption, bribery and mismanagement, in a mess that led to multiple convictions.

And the permitting problems haven’t abated. Across Long Island, towns and villages have spent years unable to keep up with the demand for building approvals leading to delays and backlogs. Such a scenario paves the way for trouble, as some homeowners try to do the work without a permit — and others feel forced to pay an expediter or others just to get the job done.

The stakes are high. The region desperately needs new housing and economic development. The cost of material and labor continues to rise, making margins thin. Add in the permitting delays and it makes it tough for any builder to make even a smaller job pencil out. That can ripple through the housing and construction industry, impacting jobs revenue and the broader regional economy.

There are some relatively simple fixes. Streamlining the process and utilizing best practices from other municipalities can help. Online permitting is a must. Right now, some towns have it, some don’t — and some don’t utilize it to its full potential. East Hampton has had issues with new software that made it harder — rather than easier — to get simpler jobs processed.

Beyond that, it’s long past time for Albany to do its part, by passing a bill sponsored by Assemb. Steve Stern and State Sen. Monica Martinez that would allow municipalities to issue building permits based on a professional certification by an architect or engineer. That legislation has gone through several iterations over the years, but has yet to get through both houses. Meanwhile, local permitting hasn’t fixed itself. State lawmakers should usher this bill through in the remaining days of their session.

Our homes are our greatest assets. We should be able to build and improve them without a paralyzed bureaucracy standing in the way.