Patchogue board holds hearing on extending building permit terms for large projects to three years

The Village Board of Trustees of the Incorporated Village of Patchogue held a public hearing on March 24 to consider a proposed local law amending section 435-59 of the Village Code to extend the term for building permits for large construction projects from one year to three years.

The proposal, made on behalf of the building department, would apply to projects the building inspector determines to be valued at $10,000,000 or more. The change is intended to accommodate multi-year projects that face delays while awaiting approvals from outside agencies such as the county health department.

Mister Reedy, a building-department staff member, told the board that as projects have grown in scale the village has seen “projects being penalized for the renewal of their building permit, which in some cases can be very, very expensive” when permit expiration occurs while a project is awaiting outside approvals. He said the proposed change would prevent a near-complete project from being unable to obtain a certificate of occupancy solely because the underlying permit had expired.

Senior Building Inspector Peter Sarish, quoted by Reedy, described the change as easing administrative burden: “It’s a win‑win for both sides because it’s very cumbersome for the building department to track multiple permits when a project goes on for three or four years and they’re constantly renewing.”

Board members asked questions about how fees would be handled under the proposal. One trustee noted that permit fees are typically a percentage of construction cost; Reedy responded that under the new approach, renewals at the end of a three‑year term would be limited to the remaining work, not the full original project value. Reedy also said the village has increased building fees recently and cited New York comptroller guidance and court precedent that permit fees should reflect administrative cost rather than serve as revenue sources.

The hearing record shows a motion to close the hearing and move the proposal forward; the motion was made during the meeting and recorded as acted on by the board. A formal public hearing on the proposed local law will be held on Monday, March 24, 2025, at 6 p.m. in the Municipal Building, with a copy of the proposed local law on file at the village clerk’s office.

If adopted, the change would only apply to projects meeting the high-value threshold and as determined by the building inspector; the ordinance text and any fee calculations will be available at the clerk’s office.