Brookhaven, N.Y., board closes loophole on code impacting superstorm Sandy rebuilding

The Brookhaven, N.Y., town board has closed a loophole that allowed residents in protected areas of Fire Island to repair or replace their homes without approval from authorities even if that work exceeded what zoning laws would permit. The board voted unanimously Friday to rewrite a code amendment that had been intended to help Fire Island residents rebuild homes damaged or destroyed by superstorm Sandy in October 2012. The rewritten code now requires those property owners to seek variances from the town Board of Zoning Appeals before they do any work.

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