New zoning rules aim to protect Levittown’s character amid surge of oversized homes
The regulations will reduce the maximum allowable footprint from 30% to 27.5%.
On Tuesday, the Hempstead Town Board passed new zoning restrictions to limit the size of new or rebuilt homes in Levittown.
The regulations will reduce the maximum allowable footprint from 30% to 27.5%.
Nassau resident Jean Jean has lived in Levittown for nearly 30 years. She loves her neighborhood on Periwinkle Road.
"When you walk, you have a lot of very nice, manicured properties, reasonable sized properties," says Jean.
Jean took News 12 on a tour around her neighborhood and you can see several new homes and some still in the building process.
"It's like five or six or seven within a few block radius," says Jean.
Locals have been expressing a lot of concerns about these so called "McMansions."
"Some of the houses will have no sun during the latter part of the afternoon. They're so high that they can the privacy of their neighbor," says Levittown resident Lisa Tintle. "They don't represent the community."
"It's changing the character of Levittown neighborhoods. It is a burden on the infrastructure of Levittown," says Hempstead Town Supervisor John Ferretti.
As News 12 has reported, the demand for larger homes in Levittown is strong. Newly built houses are hitting the market at around $1.5 million.
A builder previously told News 12 that they're just responding to market demands and say it's hard to make a profit off of it.
Residents say they aren't against change to the neighborhoods but are relieved that new rules are in place.
"Young couples can't get into a nice community like this with a good school district. They're they're priced out," says Jean.
Town officials say the new rules will go into effect immediately.
