Accessory-apartment application put on hold after neighbor complaints

The Town of Babylon Accessory Apartment Board put an initial permit application on hold after neighbors raised concerns about occupant counts and whether the applicant used the property as a primary residence. The board said it would pursue further investigation before acting on the application.

The applicant, identified in the record as Ochoa Gorer and later referred to during questioning as 'Mister Aguirre,' was asked about unit location and occupancy. Board members confirmed a one-bedroom accessory apartment on the first floor and that a late-September inspection and an affidavit of posting were in the file. A resident, Lisa Forsch, told the board she had seen the posting sign and "assumed it was gonna be for a rental permit," and said "the house he's renting, the apartment, he still doesn't live there." She described multiple adults and children occupying the property.

Board members pressed the applicant and neighbors about how often the applicant is present, who else lives in the house and whether rooms were being rented. One board member advised neighbors to file a written complaint with the town so it could be entered into the applicant's file and prompt an external enforcement visit. The board said that, given the unresolved questions, it would hold (table) the application "for further investigation." No formal vote or mover/second was recorded on the record for the hold; staff told the applicant the action was a hold pending investigation.

Next steps: the board indicated staff will log any written complaints and follow up with code enforcement or other town processes as appropriate. The board did not set a date to revisit the application during the meeting.