By: Jason Scheer
Nearly a decade ago, when the long-dormant West Hempstead Community Association began an overdue process of rejuvenation, Bykofsky decided to take a role. Current civic association President Rosalie Norton said the organization has grown tremendously over the past 10 years and, in addition to bringing people together, has brought fun and hope to the community. The WHCA sponsors concerts, scholarships, economic initiatives and holiday celebrations. Norton said that Bykofsky was integral in laying the organization-s foundation.
He eventually became WHCA-s president, and currently serves as chairman of its Zoning Committee. If it wasn-t for his enthusiasm and perseverance, the civic association would not be existing right now the way it is ... he is very dedicated, Norton said. He doesn-t cave in easily. He turns around and has a stick-to-itiveness to have an objective, know it-s the right one and stick to it.
Perhaps the issue on which Bykofsky has displayed the most stick-to-itiveness is illegal housing. Norton said the problem has grown progressively worse over the years, becoming both an economic issue and a safety hazard. Norton said that Bykofsky was at the forefront of efforts to educate West Hempstead residents about the dozens of single-family dwellings that house several families.
And the problem of illegal apartments isn-t limited to West Hempstead. Bykofsky eventually met people in other towns who agreed that the issue of illegal rentals couldn-t be ignored.
One of those people was Roy Mezzapelle. Mezzapelle, who was active in a number of community groups, served on the Elmont Quality of Life Committee. He was also fed up with illegal apartments, and wanted to do something about them. When he met Bykofsky, he found a partner in the fight.
He was probably as involved in West Hempstead as I was in Elmont, Mezzapelle said. It seemed like we were on common ground. It was refreshing to see that Elmont wasn-t alone in its battles, and someone else was fighting the same battles as we were.
Mezzapelle and Bykofsky eventually formed the Tri-Community Alliance, an organization dedicated to eradicating illegal housing by raising awareness and getting politicians involved. The alliance brought together 15 civic and community organizations from Elmont, Franklin Square and West Hempstead. Now known as the Community Alliance, it counts 38 local organizations as members, including those in neighboring areas including Valley Stream, Merrick and East Meadow.
The alliance has not only grown, but influenced local politics. This was never more evident than at its July 22 meeting, when representatives from all levels of government came together to listen to the concerns of local residents. At the meeting, Ed Ambrosino, the Town of Hempstead-s Second District councilman, shook the hand of Nassau County Assessor of Taxes Harvey Levinson in a symbolic gesture indicating their intent to work together to crack down on illegal housing.
Bykofsky, a mortgage broker, said that the presence of Ambrosino and Levinson served to bring the government to the people of local communities, and vice versa. We-re people who live in the county and people who live in the Town of Hempstead, he said at the meeting. We have common issues, common concerns and common representation, and we are here to try and work out some common solutions.
The issue of illegal housing stayed at the forefront of politicians- minds throughout the year, much as it had been on Bykofsky-s mind for several years. Legislation was passed by both the Town of Hempstead and Nassau County to aid in the fight against illegal rentals. Hempstead passed Nail and Mail legislation, making it possible for a building inspector to post a summons on the door of an illegally rented house, bringing the landlord within the local court-s jurisdiction. Previously, landlords had to be served in person, though many were absentees who did not live on the premises and in some cases were from out of state.
At the county level, Levinson has begun reclassifying homes being rented to multiple families from Class 1 residential properties to Class 4 commercial properties a status change that costs landlords thousands of dollars more in taxes every year. Levinson is also pushing Nassau County District Court to require landlords to confirm that their apartments conform to building and zoning codes when they file petitions against tenants regarding back rent or evictions. The assessor is also asking the courts to turn petitions over to his office so he can verify whether the apartments in question are legal.
Mezzapelle said it was the community alliance that helped bring Levinson to the table and got the ball rolling on the illegal-housing crackdown. He credits Bykofsky with having the determination and wherewithal to bring the appropriate players together. He-s very confident in his convictions, Mezzapelle said. He knows what has to be done, and he-s not afraid to stand up to the powers that be to get it done.
Mezzapelle hopes other people will follow Bykofsky-s lead and get involved. I wish that we could get everybody in the community as involved with the community as Seth is, to take the time to make things better in their community, Mezzapelle said. He-s definitely a role model. They should follow his lead.
