Southampton Chief Building Inspector Set To Retire

Southampton Town Board members accepted the retirement of Chief Building Inspector Michael Benincasa, who served in the position for 18 years, on Tuesday, which will go into effect at the end of March.

Mr. Benincasa, then an East Patchogue resident, started with the town on March 11, 2002, filling the vacant position previously held by Paul Houlihan, who left the post in July 2001.

At the time of his hiring, Mr. Benincasa worked as a senior building inspector for the Town of Brookhaven, where he worked since 1996. Before that, he was a self-employed general contractor and owner of South Shore Builders in Brookhaven.

His starting salary with Southampton Town was $80,000, and this year he was slated to earn $126,969, plus $42,021 in benefits.

During his tenure with the town, Mr. Benincasa was known for what some described as a pro-development attitude.

In 2011, he determined that the creation of a seasonal day camp on Majors Path in North Sea would not be considered an expansion because of the preexisting, non-conforming use. With his determination, Mr. Benincasa said the camp did not need to go in front of the Zoning Board of Appeals for a change of zoning.

The decision rattled neighboring residents who feared the camp would create traffic and noise, and pollute Little Fresh Pond.

Ultimately, Mr. Benincasa’s decision on the camp was reviewed by ZBA members, who overturned it, thus requiring the camp to obtain a variance to move forward with the expansion.

Mr. Benincasa’s opinion that Sand Land Corporation should be able to process trees, brush, stumps and other natural debris at its Noyac facility also was later overturned by the zoning board.

But when it came to “The Hills at Southampton,” a 118-unit housing development in East Quogue that sought to build an 18-hole golf course as an accessory recreational use, Mr. Benincasa — now an East Quogue resident — recused himself from offering an opinion on the application, because he had publicly supported the project.

Mr. Benincasa is expected to continue working as the chief building inspector until March 31.