Dozens of angry and outraged officials at the state, county, town, city and village levels joined to denounce the state’s plan to eliminate single family home zoning across the state. Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino, joined by his colleagues on the Town Board, including Councilwoman Michele Johnson, Councilman Lou Imbroto, Councilman Tom Hand, Councilwoman Laura Maier and Receiver of Taxes Jeff Pravato, expressed grave concern regarding ‘Section AA’ of the proposed 2022-23 New York State budget. Town officials were joined by representatives from incorporated villages throughout the Town.
“As representatives of the fourth largest township in America, we see that this policy is a direct attack on suburbia that will turn our neighborhoods into the overcrowded urban centers that most residents fled in order to live here,” said Supervisor Saladino. “This provision, intended to eliminate single-family home zoning across New York State, threatens both the sovereignty and quality of life of suburban municipalities. It will strain the critical community resources including police departments, school districts, utilities, sewage and energy needs and, very importantly, the limitations of fresh drinking water, to name but a few. If passed, this policy will have a devastating effect on our environment, increasing the carbon footprint at least twofold as it compromises our cherished quality of life.”
The coalition of officials, led by Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino, Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin, North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jen DeSena, Glen Cove City Mayor Pam Panzenbeck and several other officials representing a wide span of jurisdictions within Nassau County, detailed how the Governor’s urbanization plan would negatively impact the environment, traffic, parking, emergency services, police protection, gas and electric supply, sanitary sewers and water supply, as well as the local school systems. Village representatives from the 17 incorporated villages throughout the Town of Oyster Bay also expressed their concerns with the proposal, including officials from Brookville, Bayville, Old Brookville, Matinecock, Centre Island, Cove Neck, Farmingdale, Massapequa Park, Lattingtown, Laurel Hollow, Mill Neck, Muttontown, Old Westbury, Oyster Bay Cove, Roslyn Harbor, Sea Cliff and Upper Brookville.