Public Hearing - February 24, 2026
INCORPORATED VILLAGE OF BABYLON
SUFFOLK COUNTY, TOWN OF BABYLON
STATE OF NEW YORK
NOTICE OF A PUBLIC HEARING
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Trustees of the Inc. Village of Babylon will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at 7:00pm at Village Hall, 153 West Main Street, Babylon, New York 11702, to consider the following:
A local law establishing a Façade Improvement Board to be added to Retail Business District Section of the Village Code.
Proposed Local Law 0224PH of 2026 allowing the Village to adopt a budget that exceeds the “tax levy amount” as defined by General Municipal Law §3-c.
An application for a Special Use Permit to open and operate the Whiskey Down Diner to be located at 175 E Main Street, Babylon, New York 11702.
PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that at said hearings all interested parties will be given an opportunity to be heard on said proposed Local Law at the place and time aforesaid. Copies of the proposed Local Law will be available at the Village Hall at least five (5) days before the public hearing and may be seen during the regular business hours.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
VILLAGE OF BABYLON
Jean Marie Parker
Village Clerk
Dated: Babylon, New York
February 3, 2026
FACADE BOARD
CHAPTER 365 – ZONING – ARTICLE IV – DISTRICT REGULATIONS
THE NEW LAW REPEALS THE CURRENT 365-20J AND REPLACES IT WITH THIS NEW LAW.
Section 1. Mission and Intent
The purpose of this Local Law is to promote the health, safety, and general welfare of the community by improving the appearance of existing buildings, preserving property values, and for the purposes of non-conforming facades. The Façade Improvement Program is intended to assist existing business owners in revitalizing their building facades. The Incorporated Village of Babylon recognizes the importance of assisting business owners in the maintenance and appearance of business storefronts in the downtown commercial district and providing funding to do so.
Section 2. Establishment of the Façade Improvement Board
There is hereby established a Façade Improvement Board, which shall consist of a Chairman and four (4) members, all appointed by the Mayor. The Chairman shall receive annual compensation of $1,000, and each member shall receive annual compensation of $1,000. The Board shall meet on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 6:00 pm. The Board will meet monthly to review and consider applications for façade improvement grants. Committee members shall serve a term of three (3) years. Committee members will be initially appointed in March 2026. These appointed members are not Village employees.
Section 3. Facade Improvement Board
(a) Contributing Qualified Applicants. Any applicant for a commercial building permit for new construction, additions, and/or renovations of floor footage shall make a payment pursuant to Section 1.
(b) The fee required to be paid under this section shall be fixed and established by Resolution adopted by the Board of Trustees from time to time.
(c) Information pertaining to the Facade Improvement Fund shall be available in the Building Department and on the Village website and all building permit applications shall indicate that projects may be subject to Facade Improvement Funds.
Section 4. Application and Review Process
1. A business or property owner seeking to improve an existing building façade shall first file a building permit application with the Village Building Department.
2. All applications must include written authorization and consent from BOTH the property owner and the tenant (if applicable). No application shall be deemed complete without signed consent forms verifying mutual agreement for the proposed façade improvements.
3. Following ARB review and approval, the applicant may submit a Façade Improvement Grant Application to the Façade Improvement Board. Applications may be obtained from the Mayor’s Office or downloaded from the Village website.
4. At the completion of work, the applicant will display a sticker in the window saying they participated in the Facade Improvement Program.
Section 5. Business District Definition
For the purposes of this local law, the Business District shall be defined as follows: Deer Park Avenue from the Village Line Road south to Main Street, extending east to Route 231 and west to the Village line and to various retail/commercial businesses off Fire Island Avenue and John Street in the Village.
Section 6. Funding and Fee Calculation
A dedicated Façade Improvement Fund shall be maintained by the Village Treasurer. Funds shall be derived as mentioned in (a) and defined in Resolution #12 of 2024. These funds shall be used exclusively for façade improvement grants to qualifying business owners in the Village. Grants shall be awarded on a quarterly basis or as the Facade Improvement Board deems appropriate. Facade fees will be based on only retail and/or commercial space of a renovated or new building.
Section 7. SEQR Determination
It is hereby determined pursuant to the provisions of the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), that the adoption of this local law constitutes a Type II Action within the meaning of 6 NYCRR 617.5(c)(26) and therefore will not have a significant effect on the environment. No further environmental review is required.
Section 8. Severability
If any section, subsection, or provision of this local law is adjudged invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, such judgment shall not affect or impair the validity of the remainder of this law, but shall be confined to the provision directly involved in the controversy.
Section 9. Effective Date
This local law shall take effect immediately upon its adoption and filing with the Office of the Secretary of State.
TAX CAP
A local law authorizing a property tax levy in excess of the limit established in General Municipal Law §3-c
Section 1. Legislative Intent
It is the intent of this local law to allow the Village of BABYLON to adopt a budget for the fiscal year commencing June 1, 2026 that requires a real property tax levy more than the “tax levy limit” as defined by General Municipal Law § 3-c.
Section 2. Authority
This local law is adopted pursuant to subdivision 5 of General Municipal Law §3-c, which expressly authorizes a local government’s governing body to override the property tax cap for the coming fiscal year by the adoption of a local law approved by a vote of sixty percent (60%) of said governing body.
Section 3. Tax Levy Limit Override
The Board of Trustees of the Village of Babylon, County of Suffolk, is hereby authorized to adopt a budget for the fiscal year commencing June 1, 2026, that requires a real property tax levy in excess of the amount otherwise described in General Municipal Law §3-c.
Section 4. Severability
If a court determines that any clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, or part of this local law or the application thereof to any person, firm or corporation, or circumstance is invalid or unconstitutional, the court’s order or judgment shall not affect, impair, or invalidate the remainder of this local law, but shall be confined in its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, or part of this local law or in its application to the person, individual, firm or corporation or circumstance, directly involved in the controversy in which such judgment or order shall be rendered.
Section 5. Effective date
This local law shall take effect immediately upon filing with the Secretary of State.