An open letter to Gov. Hochul:

I am writing to you today on behalf of the residents of North Hempstead’s 6th District, urging you to revisit the mandates set forth in the New York Housing Compact. I am frankly alarmed at your willingness to strip away local control from municipalities, which will significantly hamper our capacity to represent the residents who elected us. During my tenure as council member for North Hempstead’s 6th District, I have heard time and again from my residents that major development projects such as those implied in the New York Housing Compact are not viable in our communities, and I agree.

The 3% home growth and transit-oriented local rezoning mandates outlined in the Housing Compact offer limited options for a suburban town that is already highly developed like North Hempstead. I am concerned that our unique and beloved downtowns would be profoundly altered to fit the guidelines set forth in the Housing Compact. Furthermore, it is difficult to comprehend how the New York Housing Compact was created without significant regard for our local environment. Preserving the ecological systems that make North Hempstead so special has always been a critical priority for me as a leader in government. The Housing Compact, which ostensibly emphasizes development for the sake of development, asks municipalities to cede environmental preservation efforts, and that is simply unacceptable.

Residents and community leaders across New York State have been adamantly against the New York Housing Compact as it currently stands, and I am one of them. It is my hope that you will work diligently to amend your plan to consider the many concerns you have heard since the Housing Compact’s announcement.

Council Member

Mariann Dalimonte

North Hempstead