Islip Plans Fight Against Blight

In an effort to combat the growing problem of blighted properties across the township, Islip officials are proposing legislation that takes what called a “carrot and stick” approach to tackling this issue.

At a Tuesday afternoon press conference in Bay Shore, Nolan was joined by members of the town council and civic leaders to unveil the plan to not only punish landowners that allow their properties to fall into disrepair, but also reward those developers for investing in neglected residential and commercial real estate.

“We are united in our abhorrence of blight,” Nolan said. “This is an issue that we have worked on for many years and something that is frustrating to deal with.”

While blighted properties in past years were largely an issue with commercial real estate, the problem today is more prevalent with residential property as the deep economic recession led to a rise in foreclosures. The supervisor estimated that between 70 and 80 percent of blighted properties across the town are owned by banks or mortgage lenders.

To deal with the problem facing Islip today, the proposed legislation would use a three-tier strategy that town officials feel would help eradicate the issue. This includes a point system to define a property as blighted, development of a Blighted Property Inventory List that carries a registration fee of $2,500 for residential properties and $5,000 for commercial properties and an incentives program designed to encourage developers to buy and redevelop blighted properties. As part of the effort to persuade developers to redevelop neglected properties, the town is offering reduced permit fees by as much as 50 percent and expedited processing of permits.

If adopted by the town following a public hearing on the legislation in the coming weeks, code enforcement officials would then be equipped with a checklist of conditions to look for when visiting a potentially blighted property. The checklist includes a variety of items that ranges from the possibility of any illegal activity on the premises, if it is a fire hazard, its impact on the neighborhood and condition of the structure ranging from the roof and windows to gutters and siding.

“The goal of this legislation is to get these blighted properties restored as quickly as possible,” said Nolan. “We have to confront the eyesores that have been sitting dormant for too long and at the same time prevent new permanent blight from putting down roots in our communities.”

Donna Perricone, president of the Bay Shore Chamber of Commerce, applauded the efforts of town officials to tackle the issue of blight across Islip.

“This is a brave move by the town and I commend you all for taking this action,” she said during the press conference. “You look at broken down cars and appliances on a property and wonder how this could be allowed to happen. I thank the supervisor and the town board for doing the right thing.”