Two public hearings were the main focus at the last meeting of the Maybrook village board, there were few public comments and the board adopted both unanimously.

The first hearing was on a draft law to institute a moratorium on the issuance of all permits, certificates of occupancy (COs) and approvals for development in what the village calls the Traditional Downtown Design (TDD) District. The moratorium will be in effect for six months unless extended by the board later.

Only the area in the TDD will be affected. It is a four-five block area bordered by Homestead Avenue to the west, the Galaxy property (south of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) hall at the end of Main Street to the east, Volunteer Place to the south and Prince Street to the north. Main Street runs approximately down the middle of the district.

The village argues that without such a moratorium, “there is the potential that uses could be located in areas which would be unsuitable and have materially adverse and irreversible impacts to the village.” When it established the TDD, the village board envisioned and has encouraged economic development in that area. The so-called Galaxy development at the foot of Main Street, running to Henry Henning Drive in the Town of Montgomery, spurred the idea of economic development in a centralized area of the village.

The second hearing centered on a draft law to provide more transparency on those involved in limited liability corporations (LLCs) that own property in the village. Too often, village officials complain, an LLC owns property that has deficiencies or is in violation of village building codes such as abandonment or dangerous conditions. But since the village cannot discern the actual individuals involved in the LLC, the village is limited in action it can take to remedy the situation.

The now-enacted law requires any entity like an LLC or limited partnership or corporation to complete an entity disclosure statement. This stipulation applies to any land use approvals, permits or construction sought from the village building inspector, village board, planning or zoning board or any other village board or official.

Penalties for failure to comply include suspension of any application or work and/or civil penalties of up to one percent of the value of the project.

Leahy has repeatedly said he believes other municipalities in the county will follow Maybrook’s lead in implementing such a law because the problem is widespread.

The next board meeting is 7 p.m., Mon., July 22. Instead of the usual twice-a-month meetings, the board only meets once a month in June, July and August.