Residents Raise Concerns Over Proposed Affordable Housing Project in Speonk

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — Wearing buttons that said "No Zone Changing", a crowd of concerned residents turned out for a Southampton Town board work session Thursday for a presentation on a proposed project for Speonk they say could bring an excess of density to their bucolic hamlet.

And while residents who spoke said they fully support the concept of affordable housing, the project as pitched was too much for the quiet street proposed.

The plan on the table involves a parcel located at 41 North Phillips Avenue in Speonk, the site of a dilapidated, faded blue building, once majestic, that's long stood in disrepair, an eyesore on the blighted property. For years, developer Jay Kopf had proposed a plan that called for 68 units on the 4.28 acre parcel, but those plans ultimately fell through.

Now, Jericho-based Georgica Green Ventures, LLC has come before the town with a workforce housing plan that would require a zone change.

Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Scheiderman explained that Thursday's meeting was a work session, not a public hearing, and no action would be taken. While the public is not normally allowed to speak at work sessions, he did allow for public comment.

Dave Gallo, president of Georgica Green Ventures, said the project is aimed at addressing the "deficit" of workforce housing in Southampton.

The zone change would not require any variances or special exceptions, he said.

Currently the parcel is split zoned, with a village business zoning designation along 1.45 acres along the streetfront, and the 2.83 acres on the back of the parcel zoned R20, or residential.

Currently, seven buildings sit on the land, he said, including the crumbling blue building so well known in Speonk.

The hope, Gallo said, is to convert a portion of the village business, and all of the residential zoning, to MF44, or multi-family, and create 51 affordable housing units on the land.

The businesses would have apartments above; the first building would have apartments above and a not-for-profit agency community room.

In order to proceed, the project would need to fall under the helm of the Town's Housing Authority or a not-for-profit agency, Gallo said.

There would be a total of 10 studios, 25 one-bedroom units, and 16 two-bedroom units, he said.

The studios would range from a minimum of 450 to a maximum of 550 square feet, the one bedrooms would range from 660 to 725 square feet, and the two bedrooms would run from 750 to 950 square feet; none would be "overly generous," he said. Ten of the units would also need to be ADA compliant, Gallo said.

All of the units, he said, would be rentals. A property manager would be on-site, he said.

Schneiderman asked about rents. Gallo said studios would range from $930 to $1434; one-bedrooms from $1,000 to $1,500, and two bedrooms from $1,195 to $1,1750.

The income range would run from $37,000 to $86,000, with $86,000 the income for a family of four, restricted to 90 percent of the area median income.

The goal, Gallo said, would be to provide housing for the area's teachers, nurses, firefighters, Town Hall and hospital employees, and other young professionals who cannot afford to live in Southampton Town. All would be carefully vetted, with six months of banking information, paystubs, personal references and other criteria required, Gallo said.

The residential mix would be similar to the Sandy Hollow project in Tuckahoe, a project also spearheaded by Georgica Green, Gallo said.

The board asked for a yield analysis between what could be developed on the land as of right, compared to the what the project proposes.

Gallo said as of right, five, six-bedroom single family homes could be built, and that number could go up to seven if the units were affordable — as well as apartments above the businesses fronting North Phillips; the units may not be owner occupied and well cared for, he said, and there would be no manager on-site.

Schneiderman asked if there was such a thing as an "affordable" six-bedroom house "in the Hamptons."

A lengthy discussion was held on the proposed sewage treatment plant; as soon as the first alternative wastewater treatment system is approved, Gallo said, the best system possible would be given the green light, "whatever the best technology is."

As for design, Gallo said the hope would be to incorporate the turret design from the dilapidated old home on the parcel into the new structures.

Schneiderman brought up traffic woes on a street already hit hard by congestion once the guard rails go down for Long Island Rail Road trains to the north of the parcel.

He also asked about impacts to community-funded expenses such as police and school districts, should the parcel come off the tax rolls as a not-for-profit.

A payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT, program could commence, Gallo said.

As it stands, Georgica Green Ventures has not purchased the property.

"All this right now is theoretical, pie in the sky," said Southampton Town Councilman Stan Glinka.

Councilwoman Julie Lofstad said she's had a sea of more than 150 emails from concerned residents, "almost entirely opposed to the project."

Schneiderman said he had received a total of 191 such emails before the meeting, then told residents they could voice their thoughts.

Joyce Duck, longtime Eastport resident, was livid. "I find it hard to believe in this quaint area we are exposed to a zoning change that could mean the deterioration and destruction of our community. This is not progress, and it only fills a few people's pockets."

She added that the roads, school system and local community could near handle the influx of people, stating that she opposed the project.

"Listen and support the people who put you in office," Duck said. "Let's not have a rigged system on this level. Nothing is free. Somebody is going to have to pay for the number of student attending the school and emergency services. Please listen to the people of the community."

Speonk resident Craig Catalanotto, a founder of the Remsenburg Eastport Speonk Communities United, or RESCU, group, said, "We are not opposed to affordable housing. Our issue here is density."

With other projects on the horizon nearby slated to bring 70 homes in the small, bucolic area, known for its tree-lined streets and quiet, residents say density concerns are escalating, and traffic on North Phillips is already a concern. "Our goal is to find an equitable solution."

One idea, he said, might incorporate Schneiderman's suggestion of single family homes with accessory apartments; perhaps six single family homes might be built for seniors with accessory work force housing apartments. The shops could also have affordable units above, he said.

"My group and most of my community reject this maximum density per acre model but we do not reject affordable housing," Catalanotto said. "Please engage us in the process."

Another resident said he is happy to have the "eyesore" developed but density is the concern.

Remsenburg resident Kerry Horton asked about the town's Housing Authority.

Another Hickory Bend resident reminded that town planning studies and hamlet studies have called for affordable housing east of the Shinnecock Canal, and for the preservation of the scenic vistas and rural character of Speonk and Remsenburg.

"It's not the right spot," she said, adding that the focus should be on a park or communithy center for residents, not increased development.

The town board will take no action until a recommendation is received from the planning department, which is expected within the next few weeks.

The once-grand blue building, known to some as the "Castle," has a rich history. Originally a "cottage" owned by the Fordham family, the building was later know as the Kropp house.