Officials: Elwood Developer Scales Back Proposal

The Seasons at Elwood, the controversial over-55 housing community planned for former Oak Tree Dairy site, has scaled back its proposal, authorities said Tuesday.

The move is in response to meetings Huntington Supervisor Frank P. Petron said he arranged between the developer and the major community groups.

“Like any negotiation, neither side is 100 percent happy with the outcome, but through continuing dialogue they have found consensus on a version that both sides can accept,” Petrone said, in a statement.

Petrone commended real estate developer Jan Burman, Preserving Elwood Now, the Elwood Taxpayers Association and their representatives – James Cameron, Mary Jane Mackey, Loretta Hamann, Tom Van de Merlen and Richard Ward – for “coming together to consider what is in the best interest of the total community.”

The revised proposal calls for 256 units to be built, down from the previous 360 units and the originally-proposed 482, on 37.49 acres along Elwood Road. Now, the proposed density is reduced from the original 12.9 units per acre to 6.8. The current plan adjusted some of the clustering of units to maximize open space and made some other minor changes to improve traffic flow. The developer, BK Elwood, also agreed to work with the Elwood School District during construction and to work with Suffolk County on possible traffic improvements on Elwood Road.

BK Elwood had applied to the Town for the property to be rezoned to R-RM Retirement Community District, and the application was the subject of a June 17 public hearing. After the hearing, Petrone said he hoped the two sides would continue to meet. Petrone hosted some of those subsequent meetings at Town Hall, according to officials.

In a letter to its members, Preserving Elwood Now and the Elwood Taxpayers Association said that “the developer’s latest offer represents a significant difference from their previous proposals….The leadership of PEN and ETA firmly believe that this is the final and best offer we will see at Oak Tree Dairy.”

“I thank Supervisor Petrone for bringing the two sides together and being the catalyst for the discussions that led to this latest refinement of The Seasons at Elwood,” Burman said. “I believe that with this new jointly created plan we have now resolved the last major hurdle before the Town Board votes on our rezoning in the next few weeks”.

The Town Board meets again on Aug. 19, where it could consider the rezoning.