Planning & Development

An Accessory Apartment is defined by the Town of Babylon as an additional self-contained dwelling unit which is incorporated within a one family dwelling and contains a second kitchen. You must obtain an Accessory Apartment Permit from the Accessory Apartment Review Board to legally use these spaces as living area. All Accessory Apartment Permits are temporary exemptions from the Town of Babylon zoning laws regarding rentable portions of your primary residence. These permits must be renewed upon expiration. Three months prior to the expiration date, you must reapply for the permit. An Accessory Apartment Permit Application must be completed and an appointment scheduled to have your documents reviewed. To schedule an appointment or if you require additional information about the process, please call (631) 957-7468. To qualify for this permit the dwelling must:

• Be owner-occupied and the primary residence of the owner
• Provide sufficient off street parking for four cars
• Meet fire and structural requirements

The following applications are also available online:

• Accessory Apartment Permit Renewal Application
• Accessory Apartment Affidavit of Transfer

Below are some of the Accessory Apartment Permit requirements. This list is not exhaustive and the homeowner is advised to schedule a meeting with a Town Representative to discuss the requirements in detail.

• The home must be at least 3 years old
• The homeowner must verify that the certificate of occupancy does not restrict accessory apartments
• If your accessory apartment is new, a plumbing permit is required for the sink in the new kitchen
• If you have an existing apartment and a second sink, the Town will notify you if a plumbing permit is required
• Both units must have at least 350 square feet of habitable space
• All rooms must have at least 80 square feet of habitable space
• One of the dwelling units must limited to a total of three rooms

Call (631) 957-7468 to schedule an appointment and to submit your completed application to the Accessory Apartment Division. The application and the required documents will be reviewed on your scheduled appointment date. An inspection date may be scheduled for a Building Inspector to inspect both apartments in your residence. In some cases, a Town of Babylon Licensed Engineer Report may be required to certify that the premises comply with all required codes. If an inspection fails, all violations must be corrected, and reinspected subject to a $50.00 re-inspection fee. A public hearing will be scheduled with notices published in the Town-designated newspapers. Your application will be heard by the Accessory Apartment Review Board after all the paperwork has been submitted. A decision will be rendered by the Board after reviewing all submitted documentation and testimony of the hearing.

A Rental Permit allows a home to be legally occupied by persons other than the owner. This applies to all occupants, including family members who do not pay rent. Buildings with rental units can be a single family dwelling with only one kitchen. If the home is a legal two family by way of Certificate of Occupancy, both units may be rented and neither would be required to be owner occupied, but still requires a rental permit.

Anytime someone other than the owner of a home is the primary resident, a Rental Permit is needed. This is done to ensure that all homes are safe for others to live in and that the premises have complied with all applicable code requirements.

To apply for a Rental Permit, you must fill out a Rental Permit Application and file it with the Rental Division. The following items will be required when you submit your application:

• Deed or duplicate Certificate of Title
• Detailed floor plans drawn at 1/4" = 1' scale
• Survey
• Certificate of Occupancy
• Identification
• Tax bill
• Building Permit application (if you intend to make changes to the dwelling or building)
• Fee ($200 for first unit and $50.00 for each additional unit)

The permit requirements for rental units include:

• Smoke detectors must be placed in each bedroom, each hallway leading to a bedroom and at least one on each level of the house
• Hardwired carbon dioxide detectors must be on each level of the building
• Railings for all outside stoops in excess of 18" high
• Handrails for stairwells
• Fire-rated sheet rock for boiler areas
• Improved driveways
• No unregistered motor vehicles are allowed on the property
• Property must be in good and well maintained condition
• Storm windows
• No basement bedrooms
• Electric outlets cannot be exposed
• Tiles and grouting in bathrooms must be in good condition
• All units must have proper heat and hot water
• All Building Permits and Certificates of Occupancy must be in place and up to date
• House or building address number must be visible

The Division of Traffic Safety provides:

• Expert traffic studies
• Implementation and maintenance of traffic signals
• Development of other traffic control devices
• Pavement markings
• Data collection and analysis
• Spot speed radar studies
• Vehicle turning movements analyses
• Volume counts
• Stop signs and traffic safety devices
• Reviews and updates the Babylon Unified Code of Traffic Ordinances
• Requests for stop signs and other traffic safety devices for traffic control are processed through this division
• The process of studying, analyzing, approving, and implementing these requests is managed and overseen by the Traffic Safety Committee

The Traffic Safety Committee meets monthly to review and discuss new traffic-related applications such as traffic signs, traffic calming controls, etc. The committee is made up of a traffic engineer, a representative from the Supervisor's Office, a community member and a representative from the Suffolk County Police Department. The Committee will then, if deemed warranted, submit an application to the Division of Traffic Engineering. Traffic Engineering will then do a site study and make a recommendation on the request. This may take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. The Traffic Safety Committee will review the request and the engineering site study. After consideration, the committee will make a recommendation to the Town Board, who will then schedule a hearing. If the Town Board issues a resolution, that will then finalize the process and effectuate the change. This entire process may take several months before a final decision is rendered.

The Division of Traffic Safety provides the following traffic-related signs:

• No Parking
• Children at Play
• Traffic Signal Ahead
• Deaf Child Area
• Blind Child Area
• Other types of traffic control and disability warning signs

Requests for traffic-related signs can be submitted in writing to:

You can also submit a request using this online form.

All requests should indicate the location of the proposed sign and a brief description explaining the reason for the sign. The Traffic Safety Committee will examine the location for the requested sign to determine if it fits with the area’s existing traffic controls and conforms with both state and federal laws (NY State Vehicle and Traffic Law; NY State Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices; Federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devises for Streets and Highway).

All complaints regarding areas where vehicles commonly speed must be submitted to:

Reports of damaged or missing traffic signs should be reported to the Traffic Safety Division at (631) 957-3105 ext. 3106 or the Traffic Sign Shop at (631) 957-3105 ext. 7480. Reports should include the location of the missing or damaged sign such as the address and street name and/or intersection. The town is responsible for responding to such reports within two hours of receipt and then correcting the situation within 72 hours.

Reports of damaged or inoperable traffic signals should be reported to the Traffic Safety Division at (631) 957-3105 ext. 3106. Reports should include the location of the broken signal such as the address and street name and/or intersection. The town is responsible for responding to such reports within two hours of receipt.