Suffolk County Land Bank Side Lot Program Study

The Suffolk County Landbank Corporation (SCLBC) hired BJH to support design and implementation of a countywide Side Lot Program — a scalable initiative to transfer tax-delinquent vacant parcels that are less than 0.1 acres to adjacent property owners for productive reuse. BJH conducted background research, legal and financial analysis, and geospatial assessment to establish the program's framework and eligibility criteria. A core deliverable was the creation of a comprehensive database of 881 eligible parcels, integrating County and State data to evaluate property conditions, existing encroachments, and projected tax impacts. BJH's analysis identified the parcels best suited for near-term disposition and organized all 881 lots into a tiered structure for prioritized conveyance. BJH's analysis resulted in a coordinated disposition process between SCLBC and Suffolk County Real Estate Adjacent Owners (SC DRPRAM). SC DPRAM is recommended for transferring Tier 1 (309) Parcels and SCLBC is recommended for transferring Tier 2 (390) and Tier 3 (182) Side Lots. Working closely with SCLBC, BJH conducted further analysis to identify prime candidates for Year 1 Side Lot Dispositions resulting in 106 eligible lots.