Town, civic and chamber hosting discussions on Mattituck sports complex
Three additional opportunities for residents to comment publicly on a private sports facility planned for Mattituck have been scheduled.
The Southold Town Planning Board will hold a public hearing Monday, May 2, at Town Hall to discuss Sports East’s site plan application for an indoor/outdoor athletic complex on Main Road.
The meeting starts at 6 p.m.
The Mattituck-Laurel Civic Association has also organized a public forum to discuss the proposal on Monday, April 25, at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will be held in the American Legion Hall at the corner of Pike Street and Wickham Avenue in Mattituck.
Sports East LLC partners Paul Pawlowski, Steve Marsh and Joe Slovak — along with Group for the East End president Bob DeLuca and Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski (D-Cutchogue) — are scheduled to be guest speakers. A Q&A will follow the panel discussion.
Mr. Pawlowski will also speak at the Mattituck Chamber of Commerce’s membership dinner meeting Monday, April 18, at 6 p.m. at Michelangelo’s restaurant in Mattituck. The dinner event costs $25 per person.
Mr. Pawlowski had previously proposed a mixed-use development for the Sports East property and, before that, an affordable rental complex. He withdrew both applications after receiving pushback from the community.
In an interview Tuesday, Mr. Pawlowski said he appreciates and welcomes opportunities to address community concerns about Sports East.
“We’ve been very transparent — it’s easier that way,” he said. “The more ears on it the better.”
As for dealing with the town, Mr. Pawlowski said his group is pleased overall with the application process.
The town’s first public hearing on the Sports East proposal occurred during a Feb. 4 Southold Town Zoning Board of Appeals meeting. Although few people raised concerns about traffic and membership fees, reaction to the project from those in attendance was overwhelmingly supportive, as people said they believe there’s a lack of local recreational activities.
The developers won’t need to seek a change of zone from the town because the property’s existing residential zoning allows annual membership clubs with a special exception from the ZBA.
Following the Feb. 4 meeting, the ZBA decided to leave the public hearing open for comment and is awaiting a study about potential environmental impacts, known as SEQRA, which the Planning Board has required as part of its own review of the site plan application.
The ZBA is expected to hold an additional public hearing to discuss SEQRA findings.
The developers have said the facility and membership pricing will be similar to the Southampton Youth Services recreation center, which is more than 40 minutes from Mattituck.
Sports East is proposing outdoor athletic fields closer to Main Road, including a synthetic field for multiple sports, as well as tennis and pickleball courts. Lighting for the outdoor fields isn’t included in the proposal.
Several athletic facilities are also proposed for the building’s interior, including a synthetic field for multiple sports, a basketball court, four tennis courts, two batting cages, a gym, space for yoga and spin classes and locker rooms.
Mr. Pawlowski has also said he’s looking into include a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment system and a saltwater pool.
While hours of operation haven’t been finalized, Mr. Pawlowski has estimated the facility could be open between 5:30 a.m. and 10 p.m. A 32-seat healthy cafe for members and pre- and after-care programs for schoolchildren are also planned for the sports complex.
