The Town of Oyster Bay recently announced the formation of a new department that will focus on development within the town.

The Department of Economic Development will serve as a sounding board or moderator between potential developers, residents and the town.

Currently, the town's Department of Planning and Development handles development applications. The department is primarily concerned with land use and assists the town board in the orderly growth and development of the town. This department also issues building permits and enforces the Town's building and zoning codes.

The new department will allow developers to meet and discuss ideas before their formal application is submitted and reviewed by the Department of Planning and Development. It will be an optional step in the application process.

"Over the years, we have seen a number of zoning applications come into the town and by the time they reach the town board and we have a public hearing, everyone is dug in," said Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto. "At that point, we have lost the opportunity to focus on the application and focus on what is important."

According to Venditto, the hope is that the developer will meet with members in the Department of Planning and Development before the application is submitted to discuss their ideas, see if their idea would fit in with the community and hopefully be able to find a middle ground between developer, community and town.

Concerned residents will be notified that a developer is interested in a certain area in a similar fashion to what the town uses now - mailings, phone calls and press releases.

The department, which is scheduled to be up and running by April 1, will be made up of approximately 10-12 people, all of whom are currently employed by the town, creating no increase in the town's budget.

Although the department will focus on new applications, developers who have already submitted an application can still utilize the new department, which will open the lines of communication between the town, residents and developer.

Legislation must be drafted in order to create a new department within the town. That process has already started and Venditto is hopeful that the department will be up and running by April 1.