The Village of Old Westbury is in the midst of amending a section of its village code to more closely regulate the ways in which residents can build or modify walls on their property.
The change would require residents to consult with village officials about wall construction and repair.
“It outlines the procedure for what type of reviews you need on new walls and whether or not you need to go through a planning board or whether it’s a simple building application through the Building Department,” village engineer Paul Stevens explained at a public hearing on Monday.
Wall repairs would require a visit from the Building Department. Officials would decide whether the repair would be simple or is a structural problem that would require an engineer to ensure the safe construction of the repair.
“The intent of the ordinance is to make sure that everything is done safely and is done under the supervision of a professional if it needed to be,” Stevens said.
The issue was part of a public hearing in July, but it has continued to be revised and discussed since than, said Michael Sahn, the village attorney.
The Board of Trustees raised the issue Monday to determine whether to approve the amendment or extend consideration.
One resident, Mikel Eisenberg, recommended that the decision be postponed to allow the board more time to inform the public about the change and examine details of how it would likely play out.
“There are still a number of people that aren’t even aware that this is going on including some of my own neighbors,” Eisenberg said.
The board unanimously agreed with Eisenberg’s request.
“I think that would be wonderful,” said Trustee Leslie Fastenberg. “I think it would be a good opportunity to post it on the website and give everyone an opportunity to dig a little deeper and hear from the residents.”
