Government

Developer pitches 75-unit affordable housing complex for Mattituck

The site of a proposed 75-unit affordable housing project on Route 25 in Mattituck. (Cyndi Murray photo)
The site of a proposed 75-unit affordable housing project on Route 25 in Mattituck. (Cyndi Murray photo)

A wooded 20-acre property across from the Capital One office building in Mattituck could one day become the site a new 75-unit affordable housing complex.

Mattituck developer Paul Pawlowski told the Southold Town Board Tuesday the complex would feature up to 75 detached one-, two- and three-bedroom cottages. Each would have at least one bedroom, a kitchen, living area, bathroom, attic, a small outdoor patio and yard, he said.

All would rent for less than $1400 per month, in compliance with Suffolk County and Southold Town affordable housing standards.

In order for the affordable housing complex to move forward, the board would need to authorize a zone change to allow for affordable housing to be built on the parcel.

Already in contract on the 20.8-acre Main Road property, Mr. Pawlowski addressed the board on Tuesday in hopes of rallying support for the estimated $10 million complex prior to submitting a formal site plan for Southold Town Planning Board review.

“What’s out there now are illegal rentals or not-affordable opportunities,” Mr. Pawlowski. “I’d like to work with the town to pull this off.”

If the application moves forward, Mr. Pawlowski said he would  be “exploring every option” to include an on-site sewage treatment plant in the plan and would use local contractors for the construction.

Mr. Pawlowski’s pitch comes two years after the town issue a request for proposal to find a developer to build a new affordable housing complex somewhere in Southold Town. That request generated interest from just one developer, who decided not to pursued the project, Supervisor Scott Russell said.

The Mattituck property, however, was priced reasonably enough that Mr. Pawlowski said he would see a return on his investment, despite keeping the units moderately priced.

“There is a lot of thought that went into why this property would work,” he said. “It is not the best rental rate for the developer, but all things considered it will work. It would be nice to have a development close to town with shops and public transportation.”

Councilwoman Jill Doherty, however, expressed concern about the location of the proposed complex, questioning the potential impacts on the Mattituck-Cutchogue School District and the construction of another larger building in the hamlet.

“Mattituck is saturated,” she said. “I don’t know what the general population is going to feel about having another development in Mattituck.”

The Town Board agreed to consider the zoning change, but only after the Planning Board reviewed a preliminary proposal.

If the project is approved it would take 12 months to complete “start to finish,” Mr. Pawlowski said.

Mr. Pawlowski is a lifelong Southold Town resident who owns Cedars Golf Club in Cutchogue and manages several other properties, including commercial properties on the South Fork and a resort in Costa Rica.

If the project were to be built, he said his sister would be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations.

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