Former Planning Board Member Speaks Out

Pleased with some of the town's accomplishments during his tenure, former Huntington planning board member Avrum Rosen said he will miss serving the community. 

Rosen received word May 16 from the that he would not be reappointed for another term, after serving since 2002.  

“I’m not happy to be off the board, but I will say that I am happy that everyone who is on the board is on it,” he said last week while discussing his term which came to an abrupt end Wednesday.

New members were appointed to the planning, zoning and housing boards but the Town Board did not approve the reappointment of Rosen, a longtime board member.

Rosen said he’s glad the board brought the number of planning board members to its full complement of seven members, two more then when his term ended.

“I think there were too many 4-1 votes,” he said.

Planning board members serve seven-year terms with some serving as hold-over appointments. Rosen, a bankruptcy attorney, was a holdover appointment since 2007.

The current planning board now consists of veteran board members Paul Mandelik, Jane Devine and Lynn Healy.  New members include David Pennetta, David Walsdorf, Kathleen Casey and Leslie G. Cernava.

Rosen said he hopes the new board  takes a long-term view when ruling on plans put before it while remaining consistent in its rulings, thinking about precedents it may set.

“Sometimes we have been too tempted to follow the experts report and not question them enough,” he said.

Looking back on his time on the board, Rosen said he was pleased with the town's decision to adopt a steep-slope ordinance in 2005 to regulate subdivision or construction on land that contains a hill or slope greater than 10 percent, including those smaller plots that require only building permits.

“I pushed hard for the steep-slope ordinance and the town board passed it,” he said.

He also said he is glad to see work that has begun on the bridge for the Northern State Parkway over Route 110 in Melville.

“We saw that as part of a larger vision,” he said.

The planning board provides support for planning and land-use decisions that enhances the character of the community, according to the town's website. Its next meeting is set for June 1 at