Starting A business
Businesses
Businesses
The Greenport Village
The members of the Business Improvement District (BID) welcome you to our historic Village, settled in 1682 and incorporated in 1838. The Village of Greenport is part of the Township of Southold (established in 1640). This is an important detail for many reasons but if you have purchased your real estate, you will pay property taxes to both the Village of Greenport as well as the township of Southold (see section on property taxes).
You have joined a historic coastal community with a strong maritime and agricultural heritage anchored in fishing, farming, whaling and shipbuilding. This Village has a year round population of 3,000 which swells to approximately 10,000 in the summer months. Melding the old with the new, and the year round resident with the seasonal, is something that requires a vehicle such as ours to foster open communication and understanding on both sides.
We would like to congratulate you on your new venture and welcome you to the Village as a new neighbor and colleague.
Before You Get Started
Before you open your business you need to go to Village hall for any of the following matters:
Applying for a building permit, new sign, change of use or permit, opening utilities accounts or anything else for your new business:
Applying for a building permit, new sign, change of use or permit, opening utilities accounts or anything else for your new business:
Village of Greenport
236 Third St
Greenport NY 11944
Phone: 631-477-0248
Fax: 631-477-1877
www.villageofgreenport.org
Prior to purchasing commercial real estate or a business in the Village, you need to check the CO (certificate of occupancy). The certificate of occupancy will determine the existing use and dictate the limits of your intended use.
If you have already purchased a business and need to do alteration, construction or change of use, you will need to apply for a building permit which will require architectural drawings and a hearing process with the Planning Board. The Planning Board reviews applications and architectural plans and votes to approve or not approve your application. If you are not approved, you may not proceed.
The next step would be to submit your application for the ZBA, Zoning Board of Appeals. The purpose of the ZBA is to review the rejected application and explore any additional information or amendments to your plans or intended use in a series of meetings that take place once a month. These meetings are held in a court-like setting at the Greenport Fire Department and local residents are encouraged to attend the meetings– in support or in protest of your project. It is in the forum that you will present any background that may be helpful to the approval of your application. Topics that need to be addressed are parking, usage, height, signage, environmental impact and impact on local residents. This process could take as little as two months or as much as two years.
Village elections are held every four years for the position of Mayor and any vacant seats for Village Trustee. The tenure of the Mayor is for the duration of four years. The tenure of Village Trustees does not have a limit.
Permits
Before you open your business you need to go to Village hall for any of the following matters:
Applying for a building permit, new sign, change of use or permit, opening utilities accounts or anything else for your new business:
Greenport has its own power plant and offers favorable rates. Greenport Electric is governed by New York State Power Authority and is a member of NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority). You will need to go to the Village offices and open an account for electric, water, sewage and sprinkler system. If you plan to install solar panels, please note the Village does not have net metering which means your system will not be tied into Village electric.
You are responsible for the disposal of your own garbage. A sticker is required to dump garage at the local dump in Cutchogue and one can be procured at Southold Town Hall for the cost of $30. Village-issued yellow bags which may be purchased at the local IGA, ACE or at the dump can be used to dispose of your regular garbage. Anything that does not fit or that contains hazardous or flammable materials, may not be placed in yellow bags and is to be disposed off at the dump. If you have available parking space, you may procure the services of a dumpster companies (Google for local companies).
Permits are required for access to town beaches. Full time resident with proof (driver’s license, real estate tax documents, leases or utilities) along with vehicle registration entitles you to a beach sticker at the cost of $20 per pass and is valid for two years.
If you are a licensed hotel, motel or bed and breakfast, you are entitled beach passes for up to 25% percent of your guestrooms at the cost of $100 per pass payable to Southold Town.
As the Village of Greenport is part of the township of Southold, your property occupies both property tax designations. Therefore you will receive a tax bill from the Village of Greenport (supports or school and Village government) and another one from the Township of Southold (supports Southold infrastructure including care of beaches as well as Southold Police and other services. Both are payable semi-annually in January and again in May.
Town of Southold (Open Monday through Friday from 8 am to 4 pm except holidays)
Town Hall
53095 Route 25
Southold, NY 11971
Tel. 631-765-1800
