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Town board discusses alleged East Hartsdale permit delays; deputy building inspector disputes claims
Summary
A property manager alleged multi-month permit delays for new storefronts on East Hartsdale Avenue and suggested larger projects received faster treatment. Deputy Building Inspector Lee Gardy reviewed records and said the cited permits were processed within statutory timelines and that most slippage is applicant-driven or requires outside approvals.
At a work-session item prompted by constituent emails, board members raised concerns about what they described as extended permitting timelines for several new businesses along East Hartsdale Avenue.
Deputy Building Inspector Lee Gardy addressed the board and disputed the claim that municipal permitting caused the delays. "Property cited on East Hartsell Avenue and Central Avenue were reviewed and processed within the statutory 30-day permit review period, several substantially faster," Gardy said, adding that many projects experience construction or scheduling delays that are outside the building department's control. He also said the assertion that Key Food received an expedited waiver was incorrect: as a grocery in the HC district it is a permitted principal use and did not require a special-use permit.
Board members and staff outlined a range of causes for storefront projects' delays: applicants not appearing at required review meetings, missing submission items, outstanding approvals from outside agencies (for example, board-of-health sign-offs for restaurants) and contractors not scheduling inspections. Planning and community-development staff said three active sign-permit applications had action items and one had received a positive recommendation; staff agreed to proactively contact applicants with outstanding items.
Several board members said they had received constituent emails and wanted the town to be more proactive in communicating application status; others cautioned that publicly repeating unverified claims can damage staff morale. The deputy building inspector urged accurate public communication and said his department would continue to assist applicants but cannot waive statutory requirements.
The board directed staff to follow up with the property owner/property manager and to increase proactive outreach to applicants with pending action items.
