Town of Huntington, NY - News Details

Residents May Watch First LIPA Public Forum Online and on Optimum 18 or FIOS 38

The Huntington Town Board held its August 11, 2020 meeting remotely and broadcast meeting audio live, rescheduling the second public forum on the LIPA proposal and the special Town Board meeting where the Board plans to vote on the LIPA proposal, to Thursday, September 3, 2020.

The Town Board held a moment of silence, led by Councilman Ed Smyth, to recognize the tragic, sudden death and lifelong contributions of Huntington resident and 1989 Huntington High School graduate Greg Kline, who will be missed as a member of the Town's Commercial Fishing Advisory Council, Huntington High School Booster Club and Alumni Lacrosse, and advocate for the Wounded Warrior Project; Kline leaves behind his wife, Melissa Mattiace Kline, and their three children.

SECOND LIPA PUBLIC FORUM AND TOWN BOARD VOTE RESCHEDULED

After receiving assurances from LIPA that the August 11 deadline to accept the latest settlement proposal on the Northport Power Plant tax certiorari litigation would be extended to September 3, the Town Board rescheduled both the second public forum on the LIPA proposal and the special Town Board meeting where they will vote on the offer for Thursday, September 3, 2020.

• The second public forum on the LIPA proposal was rescheduled from Wednesday, September 16, 2020 at 6:00 PM to the new date of Thursday, September 3, 2020 at 6:00 PM, occurring entirely online, using the same Zoom video conferencing platform used for the first forum and for virtual public hearings at Town Board meetings. Public comment may be submitted ahead of the forum at huntingtonny.gov/lipa-forum. The forum will live-stream on Optimum 18, FIOS 38 and at huntingtonny.gov/featured-programs, where residents may sign up to speak during the forum.

   

• The special Town Board meeting, at which the Town Board will vote on LIPA’s proposal, was rescheduled from Tuesday, September 29, 2020 at 7:00 PM to the new date of Thursday, September 3, 2020 at 8:00 PM, or immediately after the second public forum ends, and will live-stream on Optimum 18, FIOS 38 and at huntingtonny.gov/meetings.

WATCH THE FIRST LIPA PUBLIC FORUM

The night before the Town Board meeting, the Town held its first public forum on the LIPA proposal. Video of the full 3.5 hour public forum can be found online at the 8/10 LIPA Public Forum listing under Most Recent Events at huntingtonny.gov/featured-programs and the full public forum will replay on Optimum 18 and FIOS 38 daily at 6:00 AM, 1:00 PM and 8:00 PM.

At the public forum the night before the Town Board meeting, 31 residents delivered public comments and questions live on LIPA’s proposed settlement offer and potential outcomes related to a court judgment, which were answered by the Town Attorney. The Town Attorney also read comments and questions submitted by 43 residents prior to the public forum, addressing comments and providing answers during the forum.

On July 21, the Town Board had originally scheduled two public forums, one before LIPA’s initial August 11 deadline and one after, as well as a special Town Board meeting later in September as good faith measures to assure LIPA the Town was taking the offer presented on July 2 seriously, in the case that LIPA’s August 11 deadline to act on the offer could be extended. After the July 21 Town Board meeting, LIPA called for a judgment in the trial litigation while making it clear their August 11 deadline was firm but still open.

The Town Board scheduled public hearings for the Tuesday, September 15, 2020 Town Board meeting at 7:00 PM to consider:

• Authorizing various actions be taken upon certain properties designated as blighted in accordance with Chapter 156, Article VII, §156-60 (Blighted Property).
• Establishing potential terms of shared Town-County acquisition of farmland development rights for Melville property (Muller Farm), as recommended by the EOSPA Committee to be a Town (30%)/County (70%) partnership; to initiate steps toward the purchase of farmland development rights to protect approximately 17 acres of open space at the Muller Farm property at 33 Half Hollow Road in Melville, which was nominated by the owner/seller to the County Farm Committee.
• Amending the Code of the Town of Huntington, Chapter 198 (Zoning), Article I (GeneralProvisions), §198-2 (Definitions and Word Usage), Article XI (Conditional Uses; Supplementary Regulations); to update the Zoning Code by establishing Section 198-68.3. Energy Systems, to allow for the safe use of various clean energy technologies to reduce reliance on peak power by storing energy for use at other times, and to avoid any potential adverse effects on the community, also requiring a Special Use Permit to be granted by the Planning Board in specific scenarios where an eligible property is 2 acres or larger and within 200 feet of a residential property.
• Amending the Code of the Town of Huntington, Chapter 198 (Zoning), Article XI (Conditional Uses; Supplementary Regulations), §198-66 (Conditional Uses; Special Use Permits), §198-77 (Landscaping and Screening), Article XVII (Planning Board Approvals); to grant the authority of issuing a Special Use Permit to the Planning Board.
• Amending the Code of the Town of Huntington, Chapters 50 (Public Nuisances), 73 (Advertising; Distribution of Circulars), 74 (Affordable Housing), 76 (Alcoholic Beverages), 78 (Animals), 92 (Clothes Drop-Off Bins), 99 (Dix Hills Water District), 109 (Firearms), 111 (Fire Prevention Code), 117 (Solid Waste Management: Collection, Recycling and Disposal) 119 (Graffiti), 120 (Harbors and Waterways), 124 (Housing Standards and Property Maintenance), 132 (Landscaping), 133 (Littering and Dumping), 134 (Local Waterfront Consistency Review), 135 (Loitering, Parking and Congregating), 137 (Marine Conservation and Regulation of Marine Structures), 141 (Noise), 150 (Christmas Trees), 151(Petroleum and other Fuel Products, Sale of), 153 (Plumbing Regulations), 160 (Registration and Permitting of Property), 164 (Sewer Use Management), 169 (Coastal Erosion Management), 170 (Stormwater Management), 171 (Streams, Watercourses and Wetlands), 180 (Taxicabs and Vehicles for Hire), 183 (Tow Trucks and Towing for Hire), 196 (Wood Burning and Coal Appliances), and 198 (Zoning); so as to make uniform the period of time within which any monetary penalties escalate for a second, third or subsequent code violation in proceedings in both the District Court and the Bureau of Administrative Adjudication; the escalation of the penalty range for a second, third or subsequent violation will apply if that violations occurs within five years of the first violation.
• Amending the Local Law No.: 17-2015 so as to rescind the Covenants and Restrictions in their entirety for the property located on the west side of East Gate Drive, north of Colonial Drive, West Hills, (Oheka Property) identified on the Suffolk County Tax Map by Number 0400-188-01-025.001, rescinding the approval for a residential development thereon, and pursuant to §198-42.1 authorizing an additional use of the property for the construction and maintenance of a 90-unit residential condominium pursuant to §198-42.1 of the Huntington Town Code.
• (In their role as the Town of Huntington Board of Trustees) Granting a variance and issuing a Special Use Permit to Scott Grodsky to construct a residential fixed pier and floating dock assembly, overall length of dock assembly is to measure 179.25’ perpendicular to the shoreline from MHWL at 167 East Shore Road, Huntington, NY.
• (In their role as the Town of Huntington Board of Trustees) Executing a license agreement pursuant to the Marine Conservation Law, Town Code Chapter 137 for the use of underwater lands as is necessary for the construction of a residential fixed pier and floating dock assembly for the docking of water-craft with a maximum length of 179.25’ perpendicular to the shoreline from the MHWL at 167 East Shore Road, Huntington, NY.

In other action, the Town Board:

• Authorized the Town of Huntington to co-sponsor the New Community Cinema Club, Inc. d/b/a Cinema Arts Centre’s Drive-In movie event at Dix Hills Park on August 29, 2020 (Rain Date: August 30, 2020).
• Appointed Huntington resident Tania Mouscardy Johnson as a member of the Beautification Council, for a term expiring December 31, 2024.
• Established a community shellfish gardening program in the Town of Huntington, administered by Oyster Bay Cold Spring Harbor Protection Committee at West Neck Beach with oysters donated by Cornell Cooperative Extension, to help improve water quality, establish a sustainable oyster population and enhance marine habitat.
• Established a committee to identify a public art project and site to commemorate Huntington’s Black History including the achievements, contributions and service of known and unknown African American residents.
• Amending the Code of the Town of Huntington, Chapter 87 (Building Construction), Article VI (Administration and Enforcement); eliminating imprisonment as a punishment option for less serious criminal violations of the Town's Building Code.

Supervisor Chad A Lupinacci closed the meeting with a moment of remembrance for Rosalia Maria Zona, the Town’s oldest living resident at 108 years of age before her death on Wednesday, August 5, for whom the Supervisor served as a pallbearer at her funeral at St. Patrick’s Church in Huntington on Monday, August 10. Supervisor Lupinacci and Town officials participated in a 108th birthday drive-by parade for Rosalia at her home in Huntington Station on Sunday, June 28. Rosalia was born on June 17, 1912 in New York City, just two months after the Titanic sank. After a teen modeling career, which started at age 14, Rosalia attended the Fashion Institute of Technology where she obtained an Associates’ Degree in Advertising and Communication. She dated tennis player Don Budge, who won Wimbledon in 1937 and would “kiss the tennis ball” for her. Rosalia has five children with ex-husband Raymond Havlicek.

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