Port Chester Permit Amnesty Program Extended to May 1

The Port Chester village Board of Trustees followed up Tuesday night on a previous agreement as they approved an extension of the village's building permit amnesty program.

Although Port Chester has been talking about the amnesty program for months - it was originally supposed to expire Dec. 31, 2012 - village officials and residents agree there is still much confusion about the program in the community.

With the amnesty, property owners who apply have 18 months to correct paperwork problems and other issues related to their properties. The program reduces fees and forgives penalties that would ordinarily be charged to resolve building issues.

Port Chester Village Manager Christopher Steers told village Board of Trustees members on Tuesday that, based on his experience, the program is going well.

After a series of community meetings about the amnesty program, Port Chester trustees decided in December to extend the amnesty by four months so that property owners - residential and commercial - could have more time to learn about the amnesty and decide whether to participate.

During discussions about the amnesty, trustees have debated just how long the program should be kept in place. 

One of the goals of the program is to help property owners close out old building permits that were never cleared. These open permits could cause problems for owners as they go to sell a property.

Tuesday's approval from the Board of Trustees was necessary for the village Building Department to move forward with new amnesty applications received after the original Dec. 31, 2012, deadline.

For more information on the amnesty program, click here.