Ask the Architect

‘How can we ever get ahead?’ Part II

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Q. We bought a house two years ago and now have a 1-year-old. We both work, and most of our earnings pay for our mortgage. Any extra income is a necessity, which is why we have a tenant in our finished basement. She’s a young professional who pays her bills and, just like us, works hard, hoping to get ahead. Our problem is that we’re expecting again, and want to add another floor to our cape. We hired an architect and were ready to get started, but canceled when we learned that we would lose our tenant and have to do a lot of work to remove a second kitchen, make windows larger or have to get a zoning variance. It seems that the building department is working against young people. How can we ever manage to get ahead instead of always struggling and, really, how can we go about changing these rules?

A. Continued from last week. The best argument is that everyone talks about affordable housing, which I got to address while serving on a committee of the Nassau County Planning Commission. In the four years I spent discussing this issue, there weren’t enough young people who needed this who could afford the time to come forward and get involved. Those who spoke focused on emotional issues and pleaded a weak case, mostly because officials have to address much more. They are charged with a responsibility for public safety, traffic congestion, property value, taxation and sustaining every aspect of the vitality of a community.

The common statement by those in opposition is, “We don’t want our neighborhood to become like Queens,” usually referring to congestion and lower property values. You have to not only be aware of your whole neighborhood, its traffic congestion, parking, school location, garbage pickup, shopping, pedestrian amenities, etc., but you have to show how doubling up a household won’t be a negative for the area. Everything from landscape screening to room for off-street driveway parking, peaceful co-existence (getting along with people by not making noise or pollution) and just being a good neighbor. You must also try to get across that people are doing illegally what you want to make legal, and that by not addressing this latest generational problem, municipalities are actually enabling the opposite effect they are trying to minimize or eliminate — namely, continuation of unsafe practices and the perpetuation of a “mill” of violations, court appearances, and denial of ordinary people to stay in the area, keep communities vibrant, and do as well if not better than their parents did.

Safety is No. 1, but it can be accomplished for all ages, and should be encouraged by making the system work better for all. Many people tell me they see the permit process as expensive and complicated, taking much more time than they ever expected. They often tell me this after getting caught with illegal construction. Good luck!

©2016 Monte Leeper. Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.