No Resolution Yet for Senior Housing Plan

The Huntington Zoning Board of Appeals adjourned Thursday night without a final decision on a request for approval of a senior housing project at Gateway Gardens.

Huntington residents filled the board room in Town Hall to voice both support and opposition for the housing development’s projected renovation and additional construction.

Gateway Gardens, located on Lowndes Avenue, consists of 40 units: 30 for families and 10 for senior citizens. The plan is to not only renovate the 30 family units, but to also demolish the 10 senior citizen units and build an additional 46 one-bedroom senior units in two three-story buildings. The plan is to provide affordable low and moderate income housing to residents in need.

Attorney Michael McCarthy represented the Huntington Housing Authority, which wants to build the senior housing.  The Housing Authority said Friday that the town Planning Department staff issued a "letter of denial,"  standard procedure necessary for the application to be referred to ZBA.

McCarthy said that the Housing Authority was applying for an area variance permit. He addressed some of the concerns that have been voiced to the Housing Authority, including the possibility of increased traffic congestion and additional children added to the already struggling school district.

McCarthy touted Gateway Gardens' location as an asset to senior citizens who may no longer drive.

It “is within walking distance to both the Big H shopping center and the Long Island Rail Road station,” he said.

“We specifically tailored this application to take the school district out of play,” he added.

McCarthy said that due to building codes, tenants would have to agree to a strict no-child policy. If this policy is violated, tenants would effectively lose their apartment.

Traffic expert Wayne Muller and real estate expert John Breslin also spoke on behalf of the Housing Authority and Gateway Gardens.

Muller noted that the proposed 76 parking spaces would definitely be more than sufficient to supply the residents with ample parking, and Breslin commented on the property’s ability to aid in reviving Huntington Station’s ailing economy.

The Housing Authority plan was not without opposition, however.

Attorney Vincent Messina Jr. represented the Huntington School District and challenged McCarthy’s request for an area variance. According to Messina, a use variance was the more appropriate permit. Messina also disputed Breslin’s claim that the Huntington economy would be improved by Gateway Gardens' renovation and construction and said that McCarthy, Muller and Breslin were not providing enough evidence.

Board chairman Christopher Modelewski, however, felt otherwise.

“When you have thousands of people in need of housing, I think that’s offering significant proof,” Modelewski said.

Residents also came out to voice their opinions. While some members delivered facts they found pertinent, other members voiced emotional pleas for or against the senior citizen housing.

Ultimately, the board gave both sides, McCarthy and Messina, the opportunity to submit documents to the board to support their arguments for each side of the case.

The board will then review the documents and make its final decision on the issue in the upcoming week. McCarthy stressed the need for haste in the decision making process, since the Housing Authority must apply for federal tax credits by Feb. 9 and cannot do so without first getting the board's approval.