Port Chester Extends Building Amnesty Program

Port Chester's building amnesty program, designed to help property owners clear up old problems with building permits, has been extended until Oct. 31.

The controversial program enacted in late 2012 was set to expire today, but members of the village Board of Trustees agreed Monday night to continue the the program to give more property owners an opportunity to take advantage of the amnesty.

The program allows property owners to get help from the village government in clearing up old building permits that were never completed, or to get required approvals for work that was done without permits. The amnesty includes reduced permit application fees and waives fines that would normally be charged for violations.

The amnesty, however, has been met with mixed reactions and confusion among village residents. Some property owners have said they fear being subject to paying for thousands of dollars in related costs to fix problems that existed prior to the purchase of their property, or having to pay similar costs to hire professionals to handle related engineering or legal matters related to clearing up old problems.

While the amnesty was extended, Board of Trustees members agreed the system is not perfect.

Mayor Neil Pagano said the village needs to create a task force to review the operational details of the amnesty. Additionally, he said the task force is needed to address some of the issues that the amnesty was designed to have an impact on — mainly overcrowded housing and illegal housing in Port Chester.

Trustee Daniel Brakewood opposed extending the amnesty in its current form. He said the program needs to be changed to make it less difficult on village residents to clear up old problems.

The amnesty, in part, was a response to village property owners having problems selling or refinancing properties because they lacked certificates of occupancy or could not get them because of old permits that had been started but never completed.