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Village hears housing proposal for Louden Avenue With almost no public input, the Amityville Village Board heard a proposal to rezone property on the south side of Louden Avenue from B-residence, single family, to C-Residence, multiple family. The proposal was made by developers, Wilbur C. Breslin and Robert Curcio Jr. of Louden Avenue Realty, who are in contract to purchase the property, which was at one time part of the Brunswick Hospital Center complex. The developers are in contract to purchase a total of 18.5 acres and to construct 184 one-bedroom units with a community center and swimming pool on site. That is 13 percent over the density permitted under the C-Residence code and the developers also appeared before the Zoning Board of Appeals last week for that exemption. But the plan also includes developing 4.2 acres for a soccer field and baseball field, which the developers will construct and transfer to the Village, which would then own and maintain the fields. Steve Kretz of Lindenhurst, the attorney representing the developers said that if the 4.2 acres were included in the equation establishing the density, the plan would be below the number of units permitted under the C-Residence code, which is 220. "We do not think then that this is an overwhelming intensification of the use of the property and that the result will be a substantial benefit to the people of the Village who will have a field that they can own and use, something that they had not had for many years," said Kretz. Mayor Peter T. Imbert and the Village Board indicated that they believed the proposal was a good one for the Village. Both in the legal notice announcing the hearing and at the hearing itself, Imbert said that the change of zone was appropriate since there is a for additional owner-occupied, one-bedroom housing for working couples and unmarried persons without families and that the change would phase out an existing non-conforming business use, providing the Village with expanded Village-owned baseball and soccer fields. It also would provide a buffer between the commercial use and residential community on either side of the site. "When you consider what the benefits of this proposal are to the village in terms of additional tax revenue and open space for much-needed fields, this is a win-win situation for Amityville," said Imbert. The only in-depth questions about the proposal came from Phil Healy, a civic leader representing the Biltmore Shores Civic Association in Massapequa. Healy said that while the board was reviewing a proposal for a single site, that he and other civic leaders in the area are concerned about the development of numerous large parcels including four others in Babylon and Oyster Bay on property owned by South Oaks/Long Island homes. They include BroadlawnV illas in Amityville, the Bristal Assisted Living facility and a large housing complex onSunrise Highway in Oyster Bay which includes more than 300 senior citizen, condominium and single family residences. "We are concerned about the total impact of these developments on such things as the environment and drainage, and are requesting that you complete a full environmental review," said Healy. His comments fell short, however as Mayor Peter Imbert told Healy that he is not a resident of the Village and should not be questioning the board on an issue that falls within Village jurisdiction. "I understand your concerns but we have been taking care of this Village for a long time," said Imbert. Trustee Joe Slack added that Healy should go back to Oyster Bay and concern himself with issues within that Town. "I understand what you are saying," said Healy, "but in total we are talking about more than 80 acres in total and everything so far has been site specific. I believe these projects have to be looked at in combination." Support for the project as proposed came from resident Geri Dempsey who said that "it was a great" plan and one she supported. The Village reserved decision on the rezoning request. In other business: the board scheduled a public hearing for Monday, June 26 to consider a local law amending the Village code regarding trailers and temporary storage containers, also known as PODS. The hearing will be held at 8 p.m. the board announced that it is preparing for the annual July 3 family celebration; Trustee Ed Johnson announced that the Village Court collected $18,555 for tickets during the last month; Trustee Peter Casserly announced that the Memorial benches for the Nautical Park have been ordered and will be installed shortly. They say they support affordable housing but that the big bad builders won't build it. While we've never seen them support affordable housing, builders will welcome their support on any one of a dozen developments with affordable homes builders have before local town boards. They are part of a largely homeowner environmentalist group that wants to seal Long Island up like a bug in amber. No new homes, no new children, no new office space, no new shopping malls, no new apartment complexes. These are bad, bad things, they say. If they had their way there would never have been a Grumman, Arrow Electronics, Computer Associates, a Macy's, a Levittown, a Dix Hills. Instead there would be gently rolling plains and hills with nary a job nor home in site - except, of course, for theirs. Is that what most Long Islanders really want? We don't think so. Our customers tell us they want less expensive housing for their elderly parents, starter apartments for their post-college children, and town homes for young families just starting out. But the truth is that local government either prohibits most of these things or sharply limits the number that can be built. Builders would welcome the assistance of these enviro-politicians in convincing town and village legislators and zoning officials to permit denser development incorporating affordable housing. That would reduce sprawl and respond to one of Long Island's critical needs. If the proper zoning were in place, builders could build that type of housing quickly and without taxpayer subsidies. As a matter of fact, denser development in selected areas could actually help preserve open space - at no cost to taxpayers. Here's a proposal to the environmental politicians to work with us in helping to solve some of the problems we are all concerned about. Why not link open space acquisition and affordable housing together? We did so in the $75 million Suffolk County bond issue in 2004. When we use taxpayer money to buy an open space parcel and take it off the tax rolls, let's also rezone an equal amount of land earmarked for higher density affordable housing. Builders would buy the land at full market value, build the needed housing and the housing would contribute substantial amounts of tax revenues to the municipality to offset the cost of buying open space. We think that's a win-win proposition that balances our need for open space with the kind of housing Long Island needs to retain good jobs and keep more of our young people, our futures, from leaving Long Island for areas that provide affordable housing for young people, for nurses, for firefighters, for teachers and the trades people that keep our communities humming. What's not to like?
The writer is executive vice president of the Long Island Builders Institute, a trade group of Long Island home builders.
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