Some Breezy Point homeowners are breathing a sigh of relief after Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation that authorizes an additional two-year extension to Chapter 100 of the Laws of 2013.
The measures, introduced by state Senator Joseph Addabbo and Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer-Amato, provide exemptions directed at Breezy Point work permits for resiliency and recovery in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.
“Thousands of residents have been subjected to delays under Rapid Repair, Build it Back and other programs at the city level, creating an urgency for us to provide residents with at least two more years to rebuild with relief from red tape,” Addabbo said. “I am confident that Breezy Point neighborhoods will now be able to complete the rebuild process and return to living in structurally sound homes as a result of this new law. The fact that we needed to introduce and pass an extender bill yet again shows the magnitude of the devastation Sandy brought to our constituents in Breezy Point.”
The devastation of the seaside bungalow community was seen around the world when Sandy crashed into the Rockaway Peninsula in October 2012. What wasn’t destroyed by the storm surge was lost to a massive fire which destroyed more than 150 homes and businesses.
“Nearly seven years after Sandy made landfall, many Breezy Point constituents are still trying tirelessly to rebuild their lives and their homes in the community they love,” Addabbo said. “While the storm wreaked havoc throughout my Senate district and elsewhere, this neighborhood was devastated beyond imagination.”
Pheffer-Amato said the law would make a huge difference for Breezy Point families, seniors, laborers and the overall community.
“With the passage of this bill extension, we are helping the people of Breezy Point to continue to go forward and succeed in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, and to spare them the frustration and expense of reinventing the wheel when it comes to dealing with city bureaucracy,” Pheffer-Amato said. “I appreciate my colleagues in both houses for understanding that my neighbors deserve to live in structurally sound homes and that they deserve every chance to rebuild.”
The law takes effect immediately and extends to July 3, 2021.
“With the approval of Chapter 83, we are ensuring the people of Breezy Point can continue to move forward and succeed in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy while sparing them additional frustration and expense in dealing with city bureaucracy,” Addabbo said.
