Dix Hills Residents Urge ZBA Not to Divide Lot

Numerous Dix Hills residents asked the Huntington Zoning Board of Appeals Thursday to deny an application proposed by JLP Associates Inc. in regard to a lot on the northeast corner of Millet Street and Baldwin Path.

The applicant submitted two separate applications with a plan to split the current uniquely-shaped lot into two unique lots. A house on the southern lot would remain in place, while a new house would be built on the northern lot.

Real estate expert John Breslin, who spoke on behalf of the applicant, noted that the Town of Huntington Planning Board supported the application when it was . He also contended that the reconfiguration of the lot would not have any adverse impacts on the surrounding area.

The latter point was what the residents who spoke against the lot contested. The residents, led by a significant presentation from nearby Oakfield Avenue resident Joan Guido, contested that such a lot, while consistent with some lots west of Baldwin Path, was not consistent with properties east of Baldwin Path, which are frequently over one acre in size.

Guido also expressed concerns that numerous homeowners in the area would seek out a similar division of their lots, overcrowding the spacious neighborhood.

"What has been done [to the west] is odd and substandard," she said. "This is our chance to stop it."

The seven additional residents who spoke agreed with Guido, citing a desire to keep their spacious backyards the way they are.

"There are houses so big in this neighborhood, they belong in Lloyd Neck," said Rose Butcher, of 140 Oakfield Avenue. "My father moved out here because of the open-ness."

When asked to respond, Breslin contended that a line distinguishing different zoning areas in the neighborhood was in the wrong spot, which incorrectly placed the lot in the neighborhood discussed by the neighbors.

"Mrs. Guido described the neighborhood north and east of this neighborhood, as well as Oakfield Avenue," he said. "I agree [with her characterization of that neighborhood], but this parcel isn't in that neighborhood. The zoning line is in the wrong spot."

Breslin also countered the residents' concerns that the passing of this plan sets a precedent for other landowners by arguing that the precedent was already set when a similar application was approved on a nearby lot to the north in 2002. Guido referenced the lot in her presentation, saying that while it may not look out of character to an outsider, it felt out of character to the residents living in the neighborhood.

The request of the zoning board was simply for lot relief to maintain the dwelling on Lot 1. The planning board will make the ultimate determination on whether or not the line gets divided, but the zoning board will submit their input to the planning board before a decision is made. That input was not submitted at this week's meeting, as the board tabled a decision on the application until next week.

The Town of Huntington Zoning Board of Appeals reviews applications every Thursday. Their next meeting will be on May 26 at 6 p.m.