Supervisor To Pitch Affordable Apartment Plan for Second Go Round

SOUTHOLD, NY — Supervisor Scott Russell is carrying through on his promise to help create affordable apartments in Southold Town — and he's planning to again suggest allowing apartments as a principal use in the town's business districts.

At his annual state of the town address sponsored by the North Fork Chamber of Commerce at a breakfast meeting at Peconic Landing Monday, Russell said recently, the town board adopted legislation changes to town code that increase allowable density for affordable units from the current six units per acre to 12 per acre, establishing a limit of 24 units for any proposal.

The initiative was first discussed by Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell during his State of the Town address in February.

"We needed to see larger density, especially since Southold wants to focus less on home ownership and more on apartments," he said.

The idea of building affordable houses was a good one, but not effective, the supervisor said, because not everyone on the town's affordable housing registry earns enough to buy a house; they don't have enough assets. Many, he said, are either young and single, or retired.

Now, he's moving ahead to try and reintroduce an idea to the town board that went over "like a lead balloon" a few months ago, he said — the idea of apartments allowed as a principal use in the town's commercial zones.

Russell plans to discuss the idea with the town board at Tuesday's work session.

Currently, Russell said, apartments are largely seen as accessory units; he helped former Supervisor Josh Horton create legislation that expanded the use of accessory apartments, Russell said.

When that initial legislation for apartments as an accessory use was created, the thought was not to lose commercial space downtown, the supervisor pointed out.

But now, Russell said, more than "110,000, 120,000 square feet of vacant rental space exists in Mattituck."

Vacant commercial space also exists in Southold, he said. "I think those hamlets could absorb some of the inventory," Russell said.

Sanitary flow hurdles might be easier to overcome for apartments as principal uses in commercial zones, Russell said, reminding that the Suffolk County Health Department also has new septic treatment systems coming soon on the horizon.

As for who would be eligible to rent the units, Russell said earlier this year that while the town's affordable housing registry has about 100 names on it, "it hasn't been updated or a few years now. We will obviously want to undertake an update in the near future."

Discussing his proposal with the business community Monday, Russell said the idea of apartments as principal uses is a "pragmatic" idea. "I don't mean to sound cynical but it would reduce NIMBYism quite a bit," he said.

Some still ask why their hamlet receives all the affordable housing units, Russell said. "But at the same time, you have older houses, beautiful houses, and investors saying they can't maximize their commercial investment unless they knock them down or do something beyond the current scope of the code."

While Russell said the Suffolk County Health Department could pose a challenge, he said they are now approving alternative treatment systems. He said it would take time for the county to get onboard, but he hoped the town could pass the legislation in the meantime.

At his state of the town address early in 2016, Russell said his plan was to create 50 affordable apartments over the next three years, setting specific goals to shepherd the vision into reality.

The supervisor said he’s met with industry professionals who’ve developed projects in towns with no sewers, much like Southold; a community of 20 apartments is a reachable goal, with a recognized and approved sewer system, he said.

Developers have had difficulties providing affordable housing because they need critical mass, he said.

While some might say 50 units over three years is not enough, Russell said, "that's 50 more than we have right now."

Only 23 affordable units have been created in Southold in the past 11 years.

Public opposition can be reduced by ensuring the affordable apartments are scattered throughout the hamlets and in scale with the surrounding community, he has said.

“We’re not looking at projects that will overwhelm the community. If they’re well-placed, they won’t have the negative impacts," Russell said.

Another way to reduce public opposition is through a “far-reaching and ambitious effort” to educate the public about the programs — and the people the town is trying to help, he said.

The town’s affordable housing commission has already commenced that effort, he said.