North Hempstead, NY Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing body
- 7-member Historic Landmarks Preservation Commission
- Adopted
- 10-21-2003, rewritten 2-17-2022
- Notice radius
- 300 feet of affected property
- General penalty
- Up to $250 fine or 15 days
- § 27-8A violation
- $1,000-$5,000 fine or 1 year
- Appeal route
- CPLR Article 78 to State Supreme Court
Summary
North Hempstead's seven-member Historic Landmarks Preservation Commission designates buildings, structures, sites, objects, and districts as historic landmarks under Town Code Chapter 27. Once designated, no alteration, construction, demolition, or relocation may proceed without a certificate of appropriateness, and pending applications freeze other Town permits.
Notwithstanding any other ordinance, code, rule or regulation concerning the issuance of a building permit, and whether or not a proposed activity requires a building permit, none of the following activities shall be commenced on a designated historic landmark or in a designated historic landmark district without the issuance of a certificate of appropriateness: (1) Any alteration, subject to the exclusions in Subsection K. (2) Any construction within a designated historic landmark district.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4892187; v82 updated 2026-04-21; through 04-21-2026).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 27 was adopted in 2003 and rewritten entirely by Local Law 3-2022. Any person, or the Commission on its own motion, may apply to designate a building, structure, site, object, or district; owners within 300 feet must get mailed notice, and the Commission must hold a public hearing within 60 days of the application and decide within 60 days of the hearing's close. If the Commission recommends designation, the Town Board holds its own hearing within 90 days and can accept, remand, or reject the recommendation.
Under § 27-7, no zone change, variance, site plan, building permit, demolition permit, or sign permit may be granted for a property under a pending landmark application until the Commission or Town Board finally disposes of it. Once a landmark or district is designated, § 27-8 requires a certificate of appropriateness before any alteration or new construction on the landmark or within the district, and before any demolition or relocation, reviewed by the Commission against factors including historical and architectural value, design, materials, and compatibility with surrounding structures.
1. Public agencies must refer plans affecting Town, county, or other government-owned landmark property to the Commission for a 60-day review before final Town approval. Decisions of the Commission may be appealed to the New York State Supreme Court under CPLR Article 78.
Violations & Fines
Violating most of Chapter 27 is punishable by a fine of up to $250 or up to 15 days' imprisonment, or both, with each day a separate offense. Unauthorized alteration, construction, demolition, or relocation without a certificate of appropriateness under § 27-8A is a misdemeanor, carrying a fine of $1,000 to $5,000, up to one year in jail, or both. The Town Attorney may also bring a civil action to prevent, restrain, correct, or abate a violation in addition to any fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I alter a designated historic landmark in North Hempstead without approval?
Who decides whether a property becomes a historic landmark?
What happens to permits while a landmark application is pending?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in North Hempstead
New York rules heatmap·Compare North Hempstead to another location·View the New York historic preservation overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.