At its September 20 meeting, the Huntington Town Board rescheduled its October 23 meeting to 7 PM, set strict conditions on two proposed development projects, including historically-appropriate plans at the former Platt’s Tavern property, and scheduled two public hearings.
The Town Board rescheduled its meeting for Tuesday, October 23, 2018 to 7:00 PM. The original meeting was scheduled for 6:00 PM but it was moved to 7:00 PM in keeping with the usual evening meeting start time to which the public has become accustomed.
The Town Board enacted strict conditions as the first step of the rehabilitation of a property that was once the site of the Revolutionary-Era Platt’s Tavern. Sitting President George Washington paid Huntington its first presidential visit at the site, most recently serving as a part-time food pantry and ministry inside an old, abandoned gas station painted in bright, multi-color stripes, an eyesore, which has left a bad impression on visitors to the Town and the surrounding neighborhood.
“This property is in the Downtown Huntington Historic District so it must come before the Town Board for a second approval, subject to several strict conditions, just to issue the building permit,” said Councilman Ed Smyth as he reassured those watching and in attendance, “The Town Board must review and approve the architectural plans and elevations of the premises before anything moves forward, so many of the concerns residents have had can be addressed once we are all able to see the proposed plans.”
“This highly visible corner property at Park Avenue and Main Street welcomes visitors to our downtown area with an ugly, abandoned gas station, and this is the first step of beautifying that area. As Councilman Smyth said, this project must still go through many levels of approval and the developer will be working along with the community to do such,” stated Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci, who added, “I hope that one day we unveil a historical marker there to recognize the historical significance of the location, which desperately needs rehabilitation, it’s an eyesore as it stands today and the neighboring community deserves better.”
Among the strict conditions are that the architecture must be residential in nature; all storm water and septic drainage much be recharged on-site and land grading must not be significantly altered to accommodate the drainage systems in order to retain the aesthetic and historic character of the neighborhood and to minimize any effect on neighborhood drainage; the developer must have an archaeologist on site during excavation for the new building foundation so that items of historical interest can be preserved; and no site plan will be approved by the Planning Board or signed by the Director of Planning unless the plan is in full compliance with the conditions and any applicable condition, restriction or limitation established by the Planning Board during site plan review, among other conditions.
The Town Board enacted strict restrictions for the construction of an assisted living facility for memory-impaired patients at the property located on the northeast corner of Woodbury Road and East Gate Drive, West Hills, across from the Cold Spring Harbor LIRR Train Station. Conditions include: the building must be limited to one story in height; landscaping and irrigation must be designed to reduce fertilization and water use; no curb cuts to be allowed on East Gate Drive; landscaped buffers of 45 feet in width must be provided along East Gate Drive and Woodbury Road, with existing landscaping to be maintained; the facility operator must provide sufficient parking on its own property; employee shifts must be staggered to reduce traffic flow during rush hours; all deliveries and trash pickup must be conducted between the hours of 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM; during site plan application the developer must request State, County and Town agencies to synchronize their traffic signals on Woodbury Road to improve traffic flow; and other.
In other action, the Town Board:
· Appointed and reappointed Commissioners to the Huntington Housing Authority: Kevin Lyons, appointed to a term expiring 6/22/2019; James McGoldrick, appointed to a term expiring 6/22/2022; and Barry Lites, Esq., reappointed to a term expiring 6/22/2023.
· Scheduled public hearings for the Wednesday, October 10, 2018 Town Board Meeting at 2:00 PM:
o To consider authorizing various actions be taken upon blighted properties.
o To consider amending the Town Code, Chapter 109 (Firearms) to be consistent with New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Law, to allow farmers to obtain DEC-issued Deer Damage Permits outside of deer hunting season in regards to damaged crops. The current language bars the DEC from issuing Deer Damage Permits outside of deer hunting season, which has compromised the livelihoods of resident farmers whose crops have been destroyed, an issue related to the overpopulation of deer.
· Temporarily waived the prohibition against dogs in Heckscher Park during the Long Island Fall Festival to allow animal shelters and rescue organizations to promote their mission and encourage adoption at the Festival (Days/Hours: Friday, October 5, 5pm-11pm; Saturday-Sunday, October 6-7, 11am-10pm; Monday, October 8, 11am-5pm).
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