Long Island Town Looks To Cut Through Red Tape To Help Elevate Homes

ISLAND PARK, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- After seeing the damage of Superstorm Sandy, Town of Hempstead officials on Long Island have been trying to make it easier for shoreline homeowners to get their houses out of the way of Mother Nature's wrath.

As CBS2's Carolyn Gusoff reported, elevating homes for storm protection purposes is still a lengthy and expensive process. But many believe it is worth it.

Things are looking up in Island Park nearly four years after Superstorm Sandy. The neighborhood was once awash in floodwaters, but four years later, it was buzzing with homes on the rise.

Tom Schreiber is not taking chances in constructing his new home.

"We are going to be 20 feet up," he said. "We're putting an elevator in."

Schreiber's house was on temporary supports awaiting a foundation. His elevated house will tower over those of the neighbors.

Down the block, Tom Ebner is next. He will have to move out again for nine months to get his home elevated.

When asked if it was worth it, Ebner said: "Of course it is, because it brings the value of the house up. It's going to happen again."

And the number of elevations is likely to go even higher. The Town of Hempstead has proposed waiving the variance requirement and $1,000 fee that is necessary for homeowners in flood zones before they can elevate their houses, as well as a process that takes several months, WCBS 880's Mike Xirinachs reported.

"The more homes in the flood plain that we can get elevated, obviously, the better our community will be able to handle the worst should it, God forbid, come our way," said Town of Hempstead Supervisor Anthony Santino.

Why now? Officials were appealing to new homeowners – many of whom bought houses at auction. There has been turnover among homeowners in the area because so many grew weary of the rebuilding process.

"It was just one thing after the other, unfortunately," said Michael Ostander of Island Park, who has decided to move away.

But Schreiber with his newly elevated house is staying put.

"If there's ever a flood again, I'd be covered," he said. "My flood insurance would hopefully go down from $2,900 to you know, the normal $500-600, hopefully," he said.

Raising a house can cost between $80,000 and $200,000, and the deadline just passed for NY Rising to foot the bill. The storm recovery agency paid to elevate 4,500 Long Island homes.

But officials were hoping to appeal to a new wave of homeowners. There is no deadline for making a house storm-resilient and upping its value.

Only around 1,000 of the 20,000 eligible flood-zone residents in the Town of Hempstead have opted so far to elevate their houses.