[Adopted 11-22-2005 by L.L. No. 33-2005 (Ch. 458, Art. XV, of the 1985 Code)]
A. 
This Legislature hereby finds and determines that the preservation of historic property is essential to maintaining the culture and history of Suffolk County.
B. 
This Legislature also finds and determines that owners of historic real property will be more willing to alter or rehabilitate such property if they were to receive incentives in the form of property tax exemptions.
C. 
Therefore, the purpose of this article is to opt into the state program to provide a real property tax exemption for historic property located within the County of Suffolk to the extent of any increase in value attributable to alterations or rehabilitation, in order to promote historic preservation in Suffolk County.
The County of Suffolk hereby grants an exemption from taxation and special ad valorem levies as authorized under § 444-a of the New York Real Property Tax Law and as provided herein.
A. 
Historic property located within the County of Suffolk shall be exempt from taxation and special ad valorem levies imposed by or on behalf of the County of Suffolk, to the extent of any increase in value attributable to such alteration or rehabilitation pursuant to the following schedule:
Year of Exemption
Percent of Exemption
1
100%
2
100%
3
100%
4
100%
5
100%
6
80%
7
60%
8
40%
9
20%
10
0%
B. 
No such exemption shall be granted unless:
(1) 
Such property has been designated as a landmark, or is a property that contributes to the character of an historic district created by a local law passed pursuant to § 96-a or 119-dd of the New York General Municipal Law.
(2) 
Alterations or rehabilitation must be made for means of historic preservation.
(3) 
Such alterations or rehabilitation of historic property meet guidelines and review standards in the local preservation law.
(4) 
Such alterations or rehabilitation of historic property are approved by the appropriate historic preservation commission, or other commission, committee or board having jurisdiction to approve such alterations or rehabilitation, of the town in which the historic real property is located prior to commencement of work.
(5) 
Alterations or rehabilitation are commenced subsequent to the effective date of this article.
A. 
Such exemption shall be granted only by application of the owner or owners of such historic real property on a form prescribed by the State Board of Real Property Tax Services. The application shall be filed with the Assessor of the appropriate town having the power to assess real property for taxation on or before the appropriate taxable status date of Suffolk County.
B. 
Such exemption shall be granted where the Assessor is satisfied that the applicant is entitled to an exemption pursuant to this article. The Assessor shall approve such application and such property shall thereafter be exempt from taxation as herein provided commencing with the assessment roll prepared on the basis of the taxable status date referred to in Subsection A of this section. The assessed value of any exemption granted pursuant to this article shall be entered by the Assessor on the assessment roll with the taxable property, with the amount of the exemption shown in a separate column.
The Clerk of the Suffolk County Legislature is hereby directed to file a copy of this article with the State Board of Real Property Tax Services and the 10 Town Assessors who prepare the assessment roll on which taxes of this County are levied.
This article shall apply to alterations or rehabilitation of historic real property occurring on or after the effective date of this article.
This article shall take effect immediately upon filing in the office of the Secretary of State and shall apply to taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2006.