Transfer will Bring Money to the County Through Land Acquisition Fee and Put Properties Back on the Tax Rolls
(Long Island, NY) Suffolk County Executive was joined by Legislators Tom Cilmi and Monica Martinez, NYS DEC and environmental organizations to sign into law the transfer of tax liens on four delinquent, environmentally distressed properties to the Suffolk County Landbank. The four properties, located in Brentwood, West Babylon, Lindenhurst and Kings Park, will now be added back to the tax rolls and re-purposed for productive use.
“Today marks an important step in moving our communities forward as these properties have been a burden on our taxpayers and a blight on our communities,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. “The inactivity at these locations dragged down neighboring property values and served as magnets for criminal activity. I applaud the Suffolk County Landbank and officials from all levels of government for coming together in the best interest of Suffolk County residents. Through the Suffolk County Landbank, we will continue to pursue various opportunities to revitalize other abandoned properties throughout the county.”
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone was joined by Legislators, NYS DEC and environmental organizations to sign into law the transfer of tax liens on four delinquent, environmentally distressed properties to the Suffolk County Landbank. Photo Credit: Suffolk County.
This has truly been a collaborative effort with multiple departments in the county coming together to solve a problem,” said Suffolk County Legislator Tom Cilmi. “We will continue to chip away at these properties in Suffolk County and make sure that they are cleaned up so we improve the environment, put them back on the tax rolls, and make sure that communities can once again see properties they can be proud of.”
“This (Brentwood) property has been an eye-sore in this community for decades,” said Suffolk County Legislator Monica Martinez. “This has been an area that has surfaced many illegal activities. And now knowing that there was someone to have this vision and this mission to really bring Brentwood to a different level – and has that faith and has that knowing that this community can be so much greater that it already and really investing in it – I thank you for that.”
In 2013, the New York State Empire State Development Corporation approved Suffolk County’s application to establish a Landbank, a not-for-profit entity that gives Suffolk County the ability to acquire, dispose of and/or redevelop tax foreclosed properties and tax liens located throughout Suffolk County, including sites previously deemed unsuitable for acquisition, such as brownfield and superfund sites, which had been previously denied for tax foreclosure by the County, due to potential environmental liability.
The four properties, located in Brentwood, West Babylon, Lindenhurst and Kings Park, will now be added back to the tax rolls and re-purposed for productive use. Photo Credit: Suffolk County.
In January of this year, the Suffolk County Landbank issued a competitive Request For Proposals to the public for redevelopment of eight specific sites. The Landbank selected three developers to take title to four sites. The developers selected possessed the qualifications and expertise to clean up the properties and reuse them in a way that benefits the community, stabilizes the tax base, and protects Suffolk County’s soil and groundwater. The four sites, on average, have been tax delinquent for 21 years and cumulatively owe over $4 million in back taxes. Once back on the tax rolls, the properties would pay a cumulative property tax of more than $175,000 per annum.
Since the creation of the Landbank, 44 parcels have had outstanding tax liens paid in full to the County. This combined with payments received on installment plans has resulted in approximately $4.7 million in back taxes collected by the County’s as well as approximately $650,000 of ongoing annual tax revenue back on the tax rolls.
“What was once a community burden is now going to become a community asset,” said Carrie Meeks Gallagher of New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. “The DEC and the State hope to continue to be involved in these redevelopment processes with the Landbank across Suffolk County.”
“Initiatives like these, for historically low to moderate income communities, are especially crucial,” said Ann Fangman from Sustainable Long Island. “We will look forward to working with Suffolk County moving forward to develop practical strategies to build stronger, healthier, more vibrant places for all Long Islanders to live, work, and play”
“We are very excited to bring this property to active use and hopefully build something that is going to be beautiful for the community and everybody to enjoy, and we are very excited to get it done quickly,” said Aaron Daniels from A.D. Real Estate Investors – the winner of the RFP for the Brentwood property.
The Suffolk County Department of Health Services and Suffolk County Landbank previously received funding from the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the New York State Office of the Attorney General to perform environmental investigations on brownfield properties in order assess their eligibility to be included in the Suffolk Count Landbank.
The following includes additional information on the four properties:
Liberty Industry Finishing-500-550 Suffolk Avenue in Brentwood
- Developer-A.D. Real Estate Investors,
- Proposed re-use of the site features development for retail, office and a bank shopping center.
Stein and Giannott property-95 Eads Street in West Babylon.
- Developer Joseph and Samuel Habibian,
- Proposed re-use of the site includes dry industrial, warehouse and office space.
Jericho Marine-269-271 Montauk Highway in Lindenhurst.
- Developer-Joseph and Samuel Habibian
- Proposed for the site to be used for retail and commercial space.
Steck Philbin Landfill-Old Northport Road in Kings Park.
- Developer-Powercrush, Inc.,
- Proposed re-use of the site is for solar farming
For more information on the Suffolk County Landbank, log on to the www.suffolkcountyny.gov.
