Continued delays for proposed Mattituck housing development
A clustered housing development in Mattituck remained in question Monday evening after the Planning Board postponed approval of its plan for the required inclusion of affordable housing.
The project, known as The Koehler Family Limited Partnership, involves construction of homes on a 14.9 acres on New Suffolk Avenue and Marratooka Road. The idea has been controversial among neighbors in the past.
The owner, represented by Thomas McCarthy, wants to subdivide the land into seven lots and construct an access road about half a mile in length.
Southold Town code requires applicants to provide one affordable housing unit prior to final approval. The affordable housing unit does not have to be in the same location as the subdivision. In October 2018, the Planning Board found the owner’s proposal failed to provide sufficient information to comply with that requirement.
At Monday’s work session, the applicant put forward a private 27,748-square-foot lot on Zion Lane, near First Baptist Church in Cutchogue, as a site for the mandated affordable unit.
Mr. McCarthy told the board that the this parcel satisfies previous complaints from the board and the community.
“The offering of this piece of property is really consistent with the town’s goals at that time to say, ‘no industrial property; we want residential,’ ” Mr. McCarthy said. “It’s an opportunity for the town to be consistent with their recommendations and demands for a residential neighborhood.”
Assistant town planning director Mark Terry said the board still couldn’t approve or deny the proposal because the applicant had failed to include lot recognition and proof of access, both of which he was then asked to provide at the next work session. Mr. Terry said a decision on the suggested affordable lot would be made at February’s Planning Board work session.
Dozens of residents objected to the overall development proposal at a public hearing in 2015. At the time, locals expressed concern that the plan would damage the environment and disrupt the community.
In August 2017, the Planning Board granted conditional preliminary plat approval, according to previous reports.
Photo caption: Members are expected to make a decision on the suggested affordable lot next month. (Kate Nalepinski photo)
