3/23/2017 - Hearings Set for Proposals on Village Apartments
The Huntington Town Board, at its March 21 meeting, set public hearings on two proposals responding to the increased demand for apartments in the middle of Huntington Village.
One of proposals, sponsored by Councilwoman Tracey A. Edwards, would require that one-fifth of the apartments constructed in commercial district mixed-use buildings be designated as affordable. The second, sponsored by Councilwoman Susan A. Berland, would require on-site parking for the residential units or a provision for off-site parking independent of municipal parking lots. The councilwomen are co-sponsoring each other’s resolutions.
While both proposals would be in effect town-wide, they address specific comments that apartments constructed recently in Huntington Village are renting at rates beyond what young people entering the workforce can afford and that the units have strained municipal parking lots and made it more difficult for customers of village businesses to find parking.
The affordable housing resolution would also implement several requirements for affordable housing in residential districts, including the number of units that must be set aside as affordable in return for increased density and the quality of the affordable units in relation to the market rate ones. The resolution also would require those benefitting from affordable housing to file a statement certifying that the unit is still their main residency.
The hearings are scheduled for April 4.
The Town Board meeting had originally been scheduled for March 14, but the meeting was postponed because of inclement weather. As result, all of the public hearings that were to be held were rescheduled for April 4, with the exception of a hearing into an application for a rezoning to allow construction of an assisted living facility on West Hills Road in South Huntington. That hearing was rescheduled for May 9.
In other action, the Town Board:
-- authorized a lease between the Town and the Harborfields Public Library and appropriated $200,000 from the Open Space and Park Improvements Reserve Fund to construct a new accessible community playground at the facility commonly known as Pickle Park.
-- authorized a $222,500 increase in the contract with Chesterfield Associates Inc., which was retained to install a wave screen at the Woodbine Marina, to repair structural damage to the concrete floating dock system as a result of a February 9 storm.
-- authorized an agreement with Suffolk County’s Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management, which has received federal and state grant funding, to develop a multi-jurisdictional Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan. The plan is required in order to receive financial reimbursement in the event an emergency is declared as a result of a natural or man-made emergency.
-- approved the dates and films for the 2017 Movies on the Lawn series. The dates are June 26 at Heckscher Park; July 6 and July 20 at Crab Meadow Beach; and August 14 at Peter Nelson Park. The films are: Star Wars: Rogue One; Secret Life of Pets; Moana; and Sing.
-- approved spending $50,165.94 to install new LED lighting at 10 Town parks and at Crab Meadow Golf Course. The money will come from the Open Space Land and Park Improvements Reserve Fund.
-- authorized installing a two-port electric vehicle charging station at Town Hall. One port will be used to charge an electric vehicle the Town has purchased and the other port will be available for public use.
-- approved a pilot program of pricing specials at the Town’s two golf courses, including allowing a Town golf card holder to bring up to three guest golfers to play at the resident greens fee and special bundled rate pricing offers for low demand times during the day.
-- approved agreements with the state Division of Criminal Justice Services to allow the Town’s park rangers to run field background checks before approaching occupied vehicles and for the Town Personnel Officer to run fingerprint-generated background checks on prospective code enforcement employees.
-- accepted a donation from the American Legion Greenlawn Post 1244 and the Greenlawn Fire Department of restoring and upgrading the Greenlawn Memorial Park monument. The project will include removing and restoring two current plaques; purchasing and installing four bronze plaques for World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Global War on terror; and installing a newly-purchased eagle. Some of the stonework will also be upgraded.
-- accepted the donation of two sculptures by the artist David Haussler that were installed in Fair Meadow Park. Shortly after the sculptures, Fan Fare and Water Twist, were installed at the park, Mr. Haussler, who was seriously ill, passed away.
-- renewed the home rule message urging the State Legislature to pass legislation allowing the Town to create a civil code violation hearing bureau. The bureau, which would adjudicate infractions that involve routine civil violations, would operate in the manner currently permitted in the case of parking violations.
-- authorized applying for an $11,000 state grant to help fund a project to plant 100 trees at Heckscher Park to commemorate the park’s 100th birthday this year.
-- established fees for use of the Town boat ramps at $25 for a non-resident daily ramp use and $30 for a resident seasonal permit. The new fees are effective May 27 and represent a $5 increase from the current fees.
-- approved a proposal to revise the definition of congregate care to include persons with a state-approved individual service plan regardless of age, and to establish a special use permit process for such facilities.
-- scheduled an April 4 public hearing on a proposal to remove parking restrictions along the west side of First Avenue in Huntington Station between Depot and Pulaski Roads and to extend no standing restrictions on the east side.
-- scheduled an April 4 public hearing on a proposal to designate as an historic landmark the Velsor-Van Alst House on Fort Salonga Road in Centerport, as recommended by the Historic Preservation Commission. The house was built in the mid-1800s in the Greek Revival style and the limited changes made since then match the original architecture.
-- scheduled an April 4 public hearing on a proposal to replace the sludge press and sludge conveyor at the Huntington Wastewater Treatment Plant, at a cost of $900,000. The board also scheduled an April 4 hearing on a proposal to spend $1.713 million fir improvement of facilities at the Dix Hills Water District and, in a separate resolution, $500,000 for water meter replacement in the Greenlawn Water District.