Smithtown considers raising some zoning, subdivision fees

Smithtown Town Board members are considering increasing zoning code and subdivision fees.

Town assistant planning director David Flynn presented proposed fee changes to the board at public hearings held April 23, saying that the increases are needed to cover administrative costs and make fees more equitable among developers.

The zoning code fee increases would be for site plans, board of zoning appeals and zone change efforts, Flynn said.

“It's been four to 16 years since the fees have been changed and costs have increased in that time,” he said, citing the complexity of cases and newly adopted laws.

Flynn said the goal of the proposal is to make fee structures more fair, help defray the costs of permit applications and simplify the fee structure.

Under the changes, fees for all board of zoning appeals special exceptions would increase to $1,000, up from fees now ranging from $250 to $900, a copy of the proposal indicates. The town could also charge $1,000, up from $500, for any application for a structure built before obtaining site plan approval.

One key amendment for subdivisions would create an incentive for developers to cluster development to preserve open space and natural resources, Flynn said.

Preliminary filing fees for residential subdivision applications could increase to $600 from $400. The same type of fee for industrial zoned lands would rise to $1,000 from $500, per the proposal.