Town of Babylon rental board approves multiple permit renewals, grants extension for Amityville property

The Town of Babylon Rental Board approved renewal applications for multiple rental properties and granted a short extension to one Amityville applicant after ordering exterior repairs, the board said at a meeting.

The approvals covered renewals for properties listed on the agenda, including 146 Caboto Avenue (Copay), 95 Shamalik Place (Copay), 39 South 25th Street (Wyandanch), 146 North 27th Street, 122 Washington Avenue (Wheely Heights) and others. The board voted to extend the renewal deadline for the Amityville property on Great Neck Road to Jan. 29 and gave the applicant a list of exterior corrections to complete before an occupancy permit is issued.

Board members said the renewals enforce code compliance and tenant safety in the town. The presiding officer noted the board uses a third-party screening tool to check for short-term rentals: "We do use, a program called Rentalscape, which, goes and looks at all the addresses to see if any, any of these address or any short term, like Airbnb or VRBO, which is against the town code," the presiding officer said. That statement came during opening remarks describing hearing procedures.

Most renewal applications were approved with no public opposition. For 146 Caboto Avenue in Copay, applicant Paul Wilensick identified himself and confirmed he lives at the two-family home; the board voted to approve the renewal after no questions from members or the public. For 95 Shamalik Place, applicant Robert Lasalle confirmed he agreed to the town's terms and conditions; the board approved that renewal after no board concerns were raised.

At the hearing for the Amityville property on Great Neck Road, board member Patrick Nolan told the applicant there were several exterior issues that must be corrected before final permitting: repair or replace a hanging screen door, remove a chest-style freezer from outside, and clean debris and clutter around the property. Nolan moved to extend the deadline to Jan. 29 to allow time for those corrections. "We're gonna give you a little time, a couple weeks to get that straightened up," Nolan said; Marie Adesi seconded the motion and the board approved the extension. Nolan also said an inspector could be sent out sooner if the applicant cleaned the property and called the office.

The board approved the renewal for 122 Washington Avenue but asked the owner to remove a patio set from the driveway and store it in the backyard. Several renewals were approved on voice votes with no recorded opposition.

One item, listed for 537 Sacotag (Sukhothagi/Sacotag) Avenue in East Farmingdale, was adjourned by motion of Mark Smith and seconded by Marie Adesi; the board recorded the case as adjourned for a later hearing.

Votes at a glance

- 146 Caboto Avenue (Copay) — Renewal approved. Motion: approve renewal. Mover: Patrick Nolan. Seconder: Marie Adesi. Outcome: approved. - 95 Shamalik Place (Copay) — Renewal approved. Motion: approve renewal. Mover: Patrick Nolan. Seconder: Marie Adesi. Outcome: approved. - 3408 Great Neck Road (Amityville) — Renewal extended to Jan. 29 to allow exterior repairs (replace/repair screen door; remove chest freezer; general cleanup). Motion: extend to Jan. 29. Mover: Patrick Nolan. Seconder: Marie Adesi. Outcome: extension approved. - 39 South 25th Street (Wyandanch) — Renewal approved. Motion: approve renewal. Mover: Mark Smith. Seconder: Carla Bryant. Outcome: approved. - 146 North 27th Street — Renewal approved. Motion: approve renewal. Mover: Patrick Nolan. Seconder: Mark Smith. Outcome: approved. - 122 Washington Avenue (Wheely Heights) — Renewal approved; board requested removal of patio set from driveway. Motion: approve renewal. Mover: Mark Smith. Seconder: Marie Adesi. Outcome: approved. - 537 Sacotag/Sukhothagi Avenue (East Farmingdale) — Case adjourned. Motion: adjourn case. Mover: Mark Smith. Seconder: Marie Adesi. Outcome: adjourned.

The board stressed that permits may be contingent on verified corrections; the presiding officer reminded applicants the rental board "shall have the right to rely on any information that is presented by the applicant" and that inaccurate submissions could render approvals or permits void. Several applicants confirmed on the record that they agreed to the town's terms and conditions when sworn and before votes were taken.

The board closed the hearing items and moved to renewals by previous public hearings for follow-up cases.