Hooray for Hollywood!

Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy was quoted in the Sunday New York Times as saying, "We'll bend over backward and roll out a red carpet...it's a clean industry that gets a major infusion into the economy." He added that he has put before the county legislature a proposal that would "spare" this industry's representatives "the hassle of getting separate permits from villages and towns."

Has Mr. Levy gotten religion and suddenly realized how difficult local municipalities make things for home builders? That solving the housing problems plaguing the region is the most crucial step he can take to turn around the local economy?

Alas and alack, my friends, he has not. Mr. Levy was referring to attracting Hollywood production companies to Long Island. Apparently television and movies are the answer to Suffolk County's future.

To be fair, Mr. Levy has made housing a priority and demonstrated his commitment to that priority by giving Affordable Housing guru Jim Morgo such a dominant role in his administration. But for the love of God, man, if you are going to take such bold steps to help an industry jump-start the economy, why not focus on the industry that is already here and in a position to create the housing so sorely needed to keep the next generation of workers on Long Island. Those workers will determine whether the thousands of companies already here get to stay here, not the glamour of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt sightings at the local Starbucks while they shoot their next great cinema classic.

Why not create a county-wide permitting procedure so our builders do not have to endure the time-consuming paper chase that creates costly delays in the construction process? Why not expedite matters so our builders can start building and putting hundreds of tradesmen and women to work - work that generates economy activity and tax dollars?

Granted, watching a young family move into their first home may not have the sex appeal of Lindsay Lohan strutting down the red carpet at a Hollywood premier but in the grand scheme of things it means a lot more to the future of Long Island.

Fantasy Land

Newly re-minted LIBI member Michael Dubb (http://www.beechwoodhomes.com/news-whoswho-mdubb-augsep-05.htm) spoke about a fantasy of his during a panel yesterday at Building Long Island (http://www.buildinglongisland.com/) magazine's annual "Cutting Through The Red Tape" breakfast symposium at the The Milleridge Cottage in Jericho.

He shared with the 200-strong audience that he has enough property to build 700 houses in the Town of Brookhaven but that he is holding off from doing so for the time being. He said his fantasy is that the Town of Brookhaven comes to him and says, "What can we do to get you to build those 700 homes?"

Given the financial hardships the Town is going through right now, as well as the region's well-documented shortage of affordable housing you would think Mr. Dubb's fantasy would be a no-brainer reality. But no, we live on Long Island where there is an unfortunate disconnect amongst our elected officials in that they do not understand the relationship between home construction and remodeling and a healthy economy. Instead of encouragement, our members get roadblocks and delays by way of onerous paperwork, expensive and inexplicable fees and seemingly endless placating of civic associations.

The elected officials on the panel - Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi (http://www.nassaucountyny.gov/agencies/CountyExecutive/Biography.html), Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy (http://www.co.suffolk.ny.us/departments/CountyExec.aspx) and Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto (http://www.oysterbaytown.com/) all talked a good game. Suozzi pushed his "Cool Downtowns" concept - and multi-residential dwellings in downtown areas near train stations are key to Long Island's future. Levy discussed his on-going efforts to bring fiscal sanity to Suffolk County - including his efforts to have light-duty officers run the Suffolk County Police Athletic League, a move that will save County taxpayers $400,000 according to the County Executive. And Venditto suggested that Oyster Bay is doing "quite well." Tell that to the LIBI member who has a significant amount of business stuck in the limbo of the building moratorium in Massapequa.

Oh well. LIBI will use this space to monitor the local municipalities and draw attention to situations and government policies that are detrimental to the building community and, by extenstion, the Long Island economy. Stay tuned.