Politics & Government

New Hyde Park Residents Responsible for Sidewalk Repairs

Property owners are expected to take care of their own sidewalk repairs if notified by the village.

New Hyde Park Village residents looking to refurbirsh their sidewalks this spring will be expected to do so on their own dime.

Under village code, residents are responsible for maintaining their sidewalks in front of their properties and also must obtain the necessary permits in order to complete repairs.

According to the online village codebook:

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With each application for a permit for the construction of a building, commercial or residential, there shall be paid to the Village Clerk an additional fee of $35 for the first 100 feet of street frontage or any part thereof and $1.50 additional for every 10 feet over the first 100 feet, which shall cover the engineering fee for establishing the grade of the sidewalk and curb and inspection of same by the Village Engineer. No sidewalk and/or curb shall be replaced or installed at any time until the above-mentioned fees have been paid, a permit secured, the grades established by the Village Engineer and staked out by the party doing the work.

Fees for a permit to establish the grade is listed at $100 while permits for repair/ replacement of sidewalks and curbs is $35 plus $.20 per additional linear foot.

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In some municipalities, residents have the option to personally take care of the repairs, hire a private contractor or hire the town or village contractor. Some municipalities also have persons going out to conduct sidewalk inspections.

Of Long Island’s 13 townships, the Town of Hempstead, along with Oyster Bay, Babylon, Huntington and Islip, put the responsibility of sidewalk repairs on homeowners.

As per town code, before commencing work, the property owner or contractor must obtain a sidewalk permit from the town's highway department. A copy of the signed contract should also be sent to the sidewalk division.

Once the work has been completed, property owners can write the sidewalk division directly. A final inspection will then be made and the file will be closed.

Should a resident opt to have the town complete their sidewalk, the property will be placed on a “Sidewalk Repair Resolution.”

According to the town, “Upon adoption of that resolution, the town clerk will notify you, via certified mail, that the resolution has been adopted and your sidewalk is slated for repair. This is simply a legal notification that permits the town to contract the project and assign your bill to the five-year payment program — if you choose this option.”

No follow-up with the division of sidewalks is necessary if the town is hired to complete the work. When the town's contractor is assigned to the resident's community, they will make the necessary repairs. The contractor will notify each property owner in writing prior to commencing work.

After completion, the town will send the property owner an invoice summarizing the total cost of the work that was completed. There are several payment options:

  • Pay the full amount due, directly to the sidewalk division by Dec. 31. If not, the Receiver of Taxes will bill the property the following spring.
  • Pay the Receiver of Taxes the full amount due, or it will automatically be placed on the five-year payment plan and be included in future tax bills.  Please note, if a lending institution or an individual other than the property owner pays the taxes, the bill will be forwarded to that party.

As far as cost goes, according to the town, it varies based on when it is being done and contractor, but right now the average is approximately $150 per 4-foot-by-4-foot flag.

Who would you get to do your sidewalk repair? A private contractor or use the town designee? Tell us in the comments.


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