Questions Of Affordability Raised At 'Vineyard View' Hearing

GREENPORT, NY — Community members who came out for a planning board hearing on "Vineyard View," a proposed project that would bring 50 units of much-needed affordable housing to Southold Town, were surprised Monday to learn that as of now, those units will only be affordable for 50 years.

According to Allen Handelman, vice president of development for Conifer Realty, the developer behind the plan, the 50 units would revert to market rate after 50 years.

But that could change: Southold Town Attorney Bill Duffy said, after the meeting, that the town and planning board were in discussions with Conifer Realty LLC, and the Community Development Corporation of Long Island on keeping a portion of the units affordable in perpetuity.

Located at 62600 North Road in Greenport, northeast of Chapel Lane, the project, on a 17.19 acre parcel, would be comprised of seven two-story buildings on 17.20 acres, with 14 1-bedroom units, between 686 and 707 square feet, with a projected rental price of $909 to $1,117 per month; 22 2-bedroom units, between 850 and 884 square feet, with a projected rental range of between $1,094 and $1,344 per month; and 14 3-bedroom units, 1,101 to 1,211 square feet, priced at between $1,264 and $1,552 per month.

The plan also includes a 2,649 square foot community center; 111 parking spaces, of which 97 are associated with the dwelling units, seven, with the community, and seven being land banked. Ten acres will be preserved as open space.

The property is located in the hamlet density zoning district.

Planning board member Jim Rich kicked off the discussion by explaining the hearing was preliminary, to formally introduce project plans to the public and the planning board; another hearing will be held in a few months. He noted that letters of support had been sent in from four entities, including the Mattituck Presbyterian Church and Peconic Landing, a Greenport Village trustee and a Southold resident.

Handelman gave a history of Conifer's work in developing affordable housing projects and said they've worked with the Community Development Corporation of Long Island on many such projects.

Conifer said the site was found at a team building event at a local winery; Conifer, he said, was familiar with the past plans for the parcel and the insights garnered were "invaluable."

The parcel was in the news for years in a debate over proposed annexation pitched by former Greenport Mayor David Kapell and the owners of the parcel, KACE LI, LLC; that proposal involved bringing the 17 acres of land, owned by KACE LI, LLC and the Kontokosta family, into the Village of Greenport for the purpose of creating a 128 residence mixed-income community.

Southold Town's decision to deny the petition for annexation sparked a hotbed of controversy between municipalities; at the time, a joint meeting between Kapell and then-Supervisor Josh Horton and both the village and town boards was organized to vet the issues.

The current plans, Handelman said, involve less than 50 percent of the density of the former project pitched and "meets the affordable housing needs of the community while respecting the environmental sensitivity" of the area.

So far, Conifer has met with a long list of community groups and civics, residents, school representatives, and local first responders, he said.

The advent of short term rentals has "resulted in a loss of many units" of year-round rentals, Handelman said. "This would be year round."

Design elements of the project were discussed; the project, featuring two-story buildings with pitched roofs, will have a "village square" feature, as well as a picnic area, playground and flagpole with seating. Environmentally friendly facets such as stormwater retention areas, stormwater pollution prevention, indigent and native plants, and rain gardens are also planned; sidewalks and walkways are ADA compliant and the lighting would be in line with the Dark Skies initiative. The plan includes a community meeting center, gym and laundry.

The community center will be staffed by a community manager and a maintenance supervisor.

A representative of CDCLI mentioned that the group has had great success locally with the Cottages at Mattituck and has created 1,800 affordable housing units on Long Island to date.

Affordable housing is critically needed on Long Island, where the area median income is $110,000 per year, as opposed to New York City, where the AMI is less than $90,000, a CDCLI representative maintained.

The 50 units proposed could greatly impact 50 families, significantly reducing their rent burden, he said.

A line of residents stood up and spoke at the podium in support of the plan.

Southold resident Helen Finnegan said affordable housing is a challenge in town.

The combination of having relatively little available land, escalating building costs, and a lack of affordable housing units, as well as the commuting distance for workers who can't afford to live on the North Fork, has created seemingly insurmountable burdens for many, she said.

A volunteer at Community Action of Southold Town, Finnegan said she recently gave a mom and her two children a ride home to Brown Street in Greenport; the mom said she was moving to Patchogue because that was the closest affordable housing she and her husband, who works in Greenport, could find.

"As a community we have to do better," Finnegan said.

New CAST Executive Director Cathy Demeroto listed all the services the organizations provides but said a dearth of affordable housing remains one of the biggest barriers for her clients, who represent the face of local workers such as restaurant employees, landscapers and dock builders.

"There are not many options for people working hard at low wage jobs," she said, with many not having enough to buy food after rent is paid. According to a quote by Matthew Desmond, Demeroto said, "The rent eats first."

She added, "We must ensure that our neighbors with limited income have access to safe, decent affordable housing."

One resident said he understands the dire need for affordable housing but asked for clarity on whether the housing would remain affordable in perpetuity, a question that was echoed throughout the hearing.

Handelman said under a the current regulatory agreement, all 50 units would remain affordable for 50 years. The houses would be indexed to the area median income, Handelman said.

Southold's Housing Advisory Commission Chair Rona Smith said the group supported the project "with all of our enthusiasm and all of our hopes. It's been a long time since we had a development of this sort."

Since the Cottages at Mattituck were built, there has only been "a wider and wider disconnect between the price of housing and local salaries," she said.

The HAC has been proactive, sending out a request for proposals for affordable project that got no responses, she said.

Cutchogue attorney Abigail Field, representing two neighbors who live across the street from the proposed project, read their concerns, which include traffic safety, environmental protection, and "true affordability."

The neighbors say there has been a "massive increase" in traffic on Route 48 due to many factors and a surge of visitors to the area, Field said.

"While we support the concept of affordable housing — we've seen housing costs skyrocket — we have concerns we want to raise," the neighbors said.

Field said deer strikes and accidents are a concern, with left turns nearly impossible in the area; she suggested a left turning lane be incorporated into the project and a traffic study be done for updated information. Route 48 remains 50 miles per hour, another concern, she said, suggesting perhaps discussion with the county could ensue about reducing that speed limit or installing rumble strips.

She cited environmental concerns and applauded the project's nod to stormwater control, wetland buffers and native plants but said attention needed to be given to the environment and details in the application concerning the environment.

Rich assured that a new state environmental quality review process would ensue for the project.

Field also questioned the affordability component. "We know it's 50 years but it's disappointing that nothing is in perpetuity," she said. "What's affordable?" she asked, calling for transparency. "We need a lot more transparency in regard to what affordable really is . . . that's a big justification" for the project, she said.

Anne Murray of East Marion also spoke about the environmental significance of the parcel. She added that she, like Field, was surprised that the applicants had checked "no" on the application on the question involving whether the project would have a "substantial impact on traffic." She said she'd also like to see a left turn lane incorporated and a more recent traffic study; she agreed deer strikes are a significant concern.

"I'm very much in favor of affordable housing. It's been a critical need for a long time. I just want to make sure every effort is made to make sure it's a good project for that site," she said.

Murray also said she was concerned that the project was not affordable in perpetuity. She also asked about there being no way to give preference to town residents on the housing registry because legally, the rentals had to remain open for all.

Handelman said the reality that is local applicants from the immediate community usually comprise the majority of who applies for such projects.

Murray also advocated integrated pest management.

Rev. Garret Johnson of St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Greenport and a board member at San Simeon suggested San Simeon be asked for input; he said his congregation and he added their voices in support of affordable housing for the community and "encouragement of this project." He said there's a need for affordable housing for seniors, too.

Rich said the project is not age restricted and people of all ages could apply.

Orient resident Debbie O'Kane, a member of the town's advisory commission and the North Fork Audubon Society said the project should be as environmentally compliant as possible and asked that LEED compliance, organic landscaping and solar panels be explored.

"This is the first I'm hearing that the project will not be affordable in perpetuity and I'd like to know exactly why not and if any portion will be affordable in perpetuity," she said.

"Some of this has come as a little bit of a surprise," Rich said. "I was under the impression that a percentage was affordable in perpetuity."

He said the planning board would discuss details with the developer during the process.

Smith said in 50 years, 50 percent of the units would remain affordable, but Handelman said as of right now, all 50 units would go to market rate in 50 years.

Handelman assured that the project would be held to high levels of transparency.

"The North Fork is at a crisis point where we are losing so many great families," said Denis Noncarrow, Southold Town's government liaison officer, after a recent town board work session where the project was discussed. "These people that are struggling are the base that keep our community going. They are our firemen, nurses, teachers, and hold many valuable positions on the North Fork. I rarely go anywhere without someone asking us for help. It is truly heartbreaking when a family is so involved in the community and have kids in our schools yet they can't find a place to rent and when they do, its 2 times what they can afford. They most likely will leave and bring everything they add to our community with them."

The town, Noncarrow said, looked at many potential sites. "This one has many positives and it will be nice to have 50 units in one shot. And it's also great to have CDCLI and Conifer, two organizations that look for high standards in what they do, to help people with their housing needs," he said.

So far, an application for funding was submitted to New York State in December. Next steps include an application that was submitted in January to Southold Town for site plan approval, a funding award in May, final site plan approval slated for November, with a construction start planned for March, 2019 and final completion of the plan by May, 2020.

Conifer Development, the Kontakosta family confirmed, has entered into contract to purchase the property, subject to their getting the tax credits and approvals necessary to move forward.

Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell, after the town board work session, said the property's current zoning is residential hamlet density, which permits up to four units per acre. Typically affordable housing proposals require a change of zone to reach that level of density, but, because that zoning is already in place, it requires no action by the board, he said. And the Greenport Village sewer infrastructure is already in place, he added.

"The fact is, based on current zoning, the property can already be developed at that density whether it's affordable housing or not," Russell said. "All this project does it ensures that the development addresses a community need."

Current zoning, he added, requires that a developer of a major subdivision include affordable units as part of the project. However, the developer can choose to "buy out" of that requirement. The funding that the town receives gets deposited into a "committed account" which means the money can only be used for affordable housing.

The town's housing advisory committee, Russell said, is currently discussing how to allocate that money to projects that come forward.

Funding for the proposed project would not be taxpayer money, it would be funds generated by developers to be used for a specific purpose, he sai.

"I think that there would be a commitment from the board to release some funds for this project. How much and what for has yet to be decided," Russell said.

Noncarrow said there would be a lottery to choose prospective renters who would then undergo background checks; a media campaign would also be launched to spread the word about the project. There would be no preference given to Southold residents, developers said.

Those who are already listed on the town's housing registry will be moved over to the new list, Noncarrow said.

Russell said many talk about a lack of affordable apartments. "It's a lack of apartments at an affordable price," he said. "There's no inventory out there at all. We need to address not just supply, but affordability."

All agreed that major employers in the area echo the concern that they just can't keep workers, because there is no housing available in Southold Town.

CDCLI partnered with Southold Town for the first successful affordable housing project, The Cottages at Mattituck; this would be the second venture in town.

Now, all agreed, the time was right to move ahead.

"This certainly shows what can happen when all the pieces fall together," said Southold Town Councilman Bill Ruland.

Patch photo by Lisa Finn.