AvalonBay Continues Push Into Huntington Station

On Wednesday night, AvalonBay held an information session at its Melville location to thoroughly address any and all concerns about the proposed Avalon Huntington Station community.

"I think we're going to be successful in the end because I truly believe that this is definitely an enhancement to the community," said Judith White, one of the founders of CJ2 Communications Strategies which is working hand-in-hand with AvalonBay on the new facility. "I don't see this as a down-zoning, I see this as an up-zoning to the best possible use of that particular piece of property."

The 26.2-acre parcel where AvalonBay would like to develop the new community is located along the north side of East Fifth Street and is currently zoned and approved for 109 single-family homes. There is an approved site plan for the property and the current owners can begin construction at any time.

The proposed concept states that Avalon Huntington Station will consist of 490 units, down from the original 530 units. Of the 490 units, 80 percent will be rental and 20 percent will be for sale. Also of the 490 units, 25 percent will be market-restricted in the three categories of 50 percent, 80 percent, and 120 percent of the average median income.

There were several opponents to the proposal on hand for the session, including Steve Spucces of Huntington who said he was skeptical of the concept and that he has doubts about its potential success.

"The thousand extra cars in the area, the additional kids that will be going to the schools, the potential for them not to be able to rent it at the $2,000 level or the $1,500 level and then having to expand it to a lower market rate that will not allow this project to be successful," Spucces said. "If this project is not successful we're going to be left with a big eye-sore in the community."

While the possibility of Section 8 housing has been suggested by many opponents to the Avalon proposal, none of AvalonBay's Long Island communities have contained Section 8 housing.

Avalon Huntington Station's biggest selling point is the fact that it would be a Transit Oriented Development (TOD). A TOD is a community based around a form of public transportation or in this case, the Huntington Long Island Rail Road station – a unique feature which could help Avalon Huntington Station become successful.

"No place else in all of Long Island is there 30 acres within walking distance of a train station, it doesn't exist," said Christopher Capece, the Development Director at AvalonBay. "But beyond that, it's the train station with the third highest ridership on Long Island. …We're going to be something positive in Huntington Station."

The TOD is not the only thing the supporters of the proposal think will be beneficial.

"It is within walking distance of the train station," White said, "It will bring fewer school children to the schools than 109 single-family homes would, it will a positive impact on the school district as opposed to 109 single-family homes, and I believe that it's the type of housing that we really need right now for our young professionals and our empty-nesters."

Regardless of the possible positive impact of the Avalon community, some Huntington Station residents feel that the project's density would be hurtful to the surrounding community.

"I absolutely cannot support the down-zoning of 5,000 residential homes in an area where I live, to support a project that is too dense and only has a toe in the zone," said Jennifer LaVertu of Huntington Station. "… I can recognize the need for affordable housing, but the way that they are selling their affordable units is something that most people cannot afford."

The proposed density for Avalon Huntington Station is 18 units per acre. The Town of Huntington Planning Department has analyzed the new site plan and determined that there is more green space in Avalon Huntington Station than there is at AvalonBay's active development, Avalon Court, in Melville.

While concerns of down-zoning, density, and schools were among many issues presented by the proposal's opponents, the concern over recent crime in the area sparked debate as well.

"We have never had a crime issue at any of the Avalon developments that we've built," White said. "We don't build and flip them, we build and manage them, and we are in for the long haul. So I believe that some of the issues that Huntington Station is currently facing are absolutely going to be helped by an Avalon moving into Huntington Station."

AvalonBay has previously developed communities in Jersey City, Long Island City, and the Bowery – areas which had similar concerns about crime.

"We took a look at Huntington Station and said, 'This could be something that's pioneering,'" Capece said. "We've been pioneers in other areas and we feel very comfortable. We want our residents to be safe. We want to build a community where our residents don't fear walking out their front door. We want to partner with the community to make sure that the Avalon community and the community surrounding it is something that we can all be proud of and is safe."