Mixed Reviews, Concerns of Over Development
The Town Board heard input from the public on their latest revisions to the Master Plan. Accompanying the board was H2M, the consultant company hired by the town, and various department heads, including Town Planning Director Peter Hans. Citizens in attendance took turns in three-minute intervals speaking before the board to offer criticism and praise for the plan.
Before the public hearing was opened, Town Planner Allison Murray spoke to where the plan currently sits. The town is currently on the tenth step of its 16-step plan. They began this process in the Spring of 2018 and if everything goes according to plan, will complete the process after the Summer of 2022.
“The plan is [to be] continually updated and is not designed to be a static document,” said Murray.
There were many voices in support of the plan, such as Lynda Hedinger of the Kings Park Civic Association.
Hedinger was convinced that the Master plan would help revitalize the downtown area of her hamlet.
The Secretary of the Nesconset Chamber of Commerce Frank Scagluso and the President of the Hauppauge Industrial Association of Long Island Terri Ailess joined in support. Both of these individuals are residents of the town of Smithtown.
They claim that the plan is necessary to attract and retain the young workforce needed to keep Long Island economically viable while respecting the suburban character of the town. Those in favor were especially hopeful that it would combat the “brain drain” spurred by an “exodus” of young people from the Island.
Ailess cited statistics showing that young people are much more likely to move into the neighborhood they rent from.
Though the public hearing’s focus was the Town’s blueprint, audience members did also comment on matters adjacent to the plan. The most prominent matter was the Gyrodyne application for subdivision, which was submitted before the beginning of the Master Plan.
Chair of the Head of the Harbor Zoning Board of Appeals Joseph Bollhofer was the second one up to the lectern, and the first to voice his dismay over Gyrodyne.
“The most significant deficiency I saw in this plan is the inconsistencies with the Gyrodyne parcel,” stated Bollhofer.
According to an expert witness, claims Bollhofer, the traffic numbers could increase by as much as 3,262% on the intersections on Route 25A if the land is left to develop into its highest capacity usages. These numbers could be 338% if left to develop into a residential area. He questioned why the board did not include these traffic numbers in the Master Plan.
Bollhofer cites numbers an expert witness provided under oath when Gyrodyne was in litigation with the State of New York over the eminent domain acquisition of the Brookhaven portion of the Gyrodyne lot by Stony Brook University. If one examines these court documents, it is worth stating that these numbers were generated back when the parcel of land in question was over 300 acres. The current parcel under review for subdivision is only 24.5. Therefore, the testimony referenced by Bollhofer was no longer up to date on the reality of the parcel of land.
Head of the Harbor Planning Board member James Scully and resident Culet Purciello also voiced their displeasure over the subdivision, which is not a part of the Master Plan. They hoped that the town would zone the land as Park Land.
While Scully offered some praise for the town to undertake the plan, Purciello asked for a full-fledged moratorium on large-scale development until the plan is complete. She was joined by other residents calling for a moratorium.
A town spokeswoman stated that a moratorium would not stop the Gyrodyne subdivision because its application was initiated before the Master Plan. If the town decided to rezone the property at this juncture, the town would likely face litigation, which would cost millions.
Also present were members of the “We are Smithtown” organization – formerly “We are Nesconset” – who were concerned with the Master Plan itself. They contend that there is too much area allotted for mixed-use in the plan, and the potential for too many apartments. The areas they were particularly worried about most are an overlay district in the Hauppauge Industrial Park, arguing that insufficient attention is paid to additional parkland as well.
Hans tried assuaged concerns by noting that out of the 450 parcels of land that could be used for mixed-use, higher density lodgings in Hauppauge, only 13 are included with that zoning, and none have submitted plans for development. The one property owner that submitted a plan for approximately 300 apartments found through the SEQR process that the property does not have the sewage capacity for such a development.
No matter what side of the debate you fell on, the room was impassioned. Slight zoning changes and the redefinition of longstanding zoning terms caused some confusion, with outside issues playing an outsized role in the process.
However, it is always a positive sign to see people this engaged in their community.
