Woodbury Town Board opposes proposed Revive Act to fast-track conversion of vacant commercial buildings into high-density housing

On April 14, the Town of Woodbury authorized Town Supervisor Jacqueline Hernandez to sign and send a letter to Senator James Skoufis and Assemblymember Christopher Eachus opposing the REVIVE Act on behalf of the board.

The proposed bill, introduced by Skoufis and backed by Governor Kathy Hochul, is designed to fast-track the process of converting vacant shopping plazas, retail centers and office parks into high-density housing by overriding certain local zoning restrictions.

According to the proposed legislation (https://shorturl.at/IUxvr), the conversion of vacant commercial buildings would “promote the general welfare by revitalizing underused properties, creating new opportunities for housing, businesses, and recreation, and strengthening the economic and social vitality of New York’s municipalities.”

But critics of the proposal said it would significantly limit municipal discretion by setting strict approval timelines that could lead to projects being automatically approved if a municipality fails to act in time. Joining other local officials across the state, Hernandez expressed concerns that the bill would undermine local zoning authority and cast aside community input.

“This bill strips towns of their authority to make local land use decisions and replaces that authority with a rigid, state-imposed framework that treats every community as if it were the same,” Hernandez stated in the letter. “Town officials are elected to make planning and zoning decisions based on the unique needs, infrastructure, development patterns, and character of their communities. This legislation would push those local judgments aside.”

During the meeting, Hernandez said the act would be “sidestepping” the regulations set by the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), the process that allows municipalities to assess environmental and economic impacts before approving projects.

“These are very critical regulations that are in place, and these are regulations that we should protect and preserve,” Hernandez said.

The legislation is currently under legislative review by the New York State Senate Standing Committee on Housing, Construction and Community Development.

Refuse enforcement

During the meeting, the board also approved a motion to extend the workweek hours of Refuse and Recycling Clerk Juana Leandry from 20 hours to 29 hours to properly address the town’s refuse removal.

During public comment, Leandry addressed the board, requesting to increase the refuse workweek. She noted the department is still tackling a high number of bulk accumulation violations, despite last year’s passage of Introductory Local Law No. 5, which aimed to address bulk refuse issues through enforcement rules.

“Within the last several weeks, many home owners and renters have left bulk items beyond the 72 hours that are allowed during pick-up time, creating and triggering an enforcement action from our department,” Leandry said. “My role as I understand it is to enforce this new local law...Currently, I am fielding over 100 requests a month.”

Bonds for future projects

Additionally, the board adopted resolutions to take out bond anticipation notes (BAN) to finance future projects in the community, including $858,000 to fund improvements at the Animal Shelter and $1.3 million to fund the replacement of the Ridge Road Bridge.

Hernandez noted that the funds could only be used for the respective projects. She added that any additional leftover funds would only be used on the project sites at the discretion of the board.