Planning Board Nixes Plan for Fourth-Floor Expansion

The Town of Huntington Planning Board addressed modifications to the further expansion of a building located at 20 Clinton Ave. in Huntington Village at its most recent meeting on Wednesday night. According to Anthony Aloisio, the board's director of planning, the Town of Huntington's Board of Zoning Appeals already approved this property for expansion from a two-story to a three-story building. Blockwell Realty, which owns the building, now hopes to expand the project to include a fourth story.

"By expanding this building and adding a fourth floor would be out of character within the neighborhood," Aloisio said. "The height would be out of balance and this will go in front of the BZA for further review."

The building currently has retail stores on the ground floor and offices on the second level, according to Steven Haber, executive assistant to Aloisio.

"The third story was just approved for apartments and now the building planner, Craig Turner, wants to modify the building with adding additional floor for more apartments," Haber said.

According to the building's rendering, the proposed three-story building would be 20,368 square-feet and is zoned for commercial use. Municipal parking has already been approved for the third story. The applicant wants permission to build a 5,012 square-foot fourth story with six apartments, which would currently match the approved third story. If approved, the building would have two floors for commercial space and two for residential space.

Planning Board Chair Paul Mandelik said most buildings in Huntington Village are only one or two stories, not four.

"This proposal of increase to four stories is inappropriate for the village," Mandelik said. "In my view, the board cannot accept this proposal and municipal parking availability is also a concern."

Mandelik added, "If other properties in the area seek to just add second or third stories to their buildings, that alone would create a huge increase in parking demand."