Southold Town to host affordable housing meeting tonight
In the more than two years since Southold Town enacted a law allowing residents to create apartments in accessory structures on their property, few have taken advantage of the opportunity.
The town now hopes to help increase interest in creating affordable housing at a 7 p.m. meeting tonight in the Peconic Lane Community Center. Tax assessors will be on hand to help demystify the impact that building legal apartments would have on homeowners’ taxes.
Town special projects coordinator Phillip Beltz, who is involved in many of the town’s housing programs, said few residents know they could legally build apartments within their homes, even before the Town Board approved a law allowing them to also build apartments in accessory buildings, such as garages.
“In an existing structure, the tax implications are very minimal,” said Mr. Beltz.
The Town Housing Advisory Commission and Supervisor Scott Russell will host the workshop.
Also this week, the town’s economic development committee will formally kick off a “listening tour” with a meeting with members of the marina industry to discuss the economic development of marinas. The committee, formed earlier this year, has been meeting informally with business leaders for the past several months.
Mr. Russell will also be on hand for that meeting, which will also be held at the Peconic Lane Community Center at 7 p.m. June 28.
“Both of these community meetings provide town government an opportunity to further promote an understanding of two important issues, affordable housing and economic development,” Mr. Russell said.
For information, contact the supervisor’s office at 765-1889.
