- Such a
nice place to live and raise a family.
Listen, I’m one of those inquiring people who simply want know.
What is it I want to know? Well, it seems that there was a lot of sabre
rattling around election time last year. Now, the voices of reason and debate
have fallen silent. If there is one thing about Huntington politics you need to
know, it’s that the current regime will always speak with forked tongue when
addressing the concerns of their constituency.
I am going to go back in time a few months, and reignite the fire
that was burning then. There are a number of issues still unresolved in the
minds of this Town’s residents. The list below is by no means a complete list
of grievances and observations, but these items may get the old ball rolling,
once again.
1) This little nugget is about the land on the
south side of Rte. 25-A at the split with Washington Drive. A quick look at the
topography tells you that this Assisted Living Home project is ridiculous, at
best. Imagine, if you will, the amount of excavation that would be needed to
build anything of size at this location.
Huntington Residents Fight Plans For Assisted Living Facility :
Old Northport Road residents Jim Scaglione, Astrid Ludwicki and
Connie Scaglione oppose a development company’s plan to request a zoning change
for a property between their residential road and East Main Street to allow for
an 87-unit assisted living facility. The homeowners are holding a sign, placed
at various locations on the road, which says they oppose the Residential Health
Service zoning change.
(Long-Islander photo/Jacqueline Birzon)
“Benchmark Senior Living, a Wellesley, Mass.-based company, picked the property in 2011 as a potential development site for a 71,133 square-foot, three-story assisted living facility. The Town of Huntington Planning Board in August 2012 received a conceptual plan for the facility drawn by RMS Engineering in Huntington.”“Jonathan Osmun, a 15-year resident of Old Northport Road, said the facility would cause his property value to “plummet.” The installation of a septic tank, within several hundred feet of his backyard, is “the most egregious quality-of-life issue,” he added.“It’s just a mess, a total mess; and our Island needs these facilities but certainly not in this type of residential area. I love it [here], but I’m not going to love it as much with this thing next door,” Osmun said”
“According to a preliminary agenda, town officials intended to schedule a public hearing at the March 5, 2013 board meeting but removed the topic from the agenda at a workshop earlier that day.”
2) Huntington
Station has apparently been designated as a “Boutique City” in “Urban
Suburbia”. Just what the Hell is “Urban Suburbia”? Back in the good old days,
it was either Urban, or Suburban, and that was a totally rational description
for growing population areas. This little piece of political hijinks, brought
to you by “Frankie and the Petronites”, is going to be built on land owned by
the Town which will deed it over to this developer. It just so happens that
this piece of land is currently a parking lot that serves the Train Station.
Remember Proposition/Initiative #7 on last year’s ballot (turning over
publically owned land to private developers)? Well, here is what we get because
no one knew anything about it.
-
Our Mission: Dedication to Authenticity and Quality of Life:
“Renaissance recognizes significant trends within the real estate industry, stimulated by a cultural renaissance, a return to downtown living within "Boutique Cities" and the rise of Urban Suburbia. These trends represent a stark departure from over 60 years of a sprawl mentality, which has had adverse effects on the environment and people's quality of life.”
Huntington Station: Residents ‘Sourcing The Station’:
“Renaissance welcomes input on strategies to revitalize area.”By Jacqueline Birzon / jbirzon@longislandernews.com
”Erika Forland, community outreach liaison for Source the Station, Renaissance’s campaign to get the community involved, said a goal of the meet-ups is to empower and encourage interaction among community members.” “Our real goal is to organize the community and bring to light what the community wants, and to support each other,”Forland said.” “Huntington Station resident Amanda Peppard, who owns a business in the area, said she attends the meetings to get involved in the decision-making process.” “People come from all over to my business, and [when they’re here] they want to make a day of it, and I always have to suggest they go to the village to do something. I’d love to see a beer garden, a wine bar, a couple more retail stores, or a fun eatery to go to,” Peppard said.” “A popular idea supported at the meeting was a multi-functioning community center, where residents could access services for a small cost.” “Kathy Kuthy, a Huntington Station resident, said there is a lack of public space in the Station area.” “We’re limited to parks in Huntington as far as community gathering space, or we’re limited to organizations like a church, or a club where you have to be a paying member. We’re thinking of a public space that can be rented or used by members of the community, for a nominal fee,” Kuthy said.”Also see, for more information on this “project”:
3) This
project looks good on the surface, but it, too, will require some public land
being deeded over to the YMCA for infrastructure improvements. It also opens up
a can of worms at the traffic light at the Rte. 25-A / Jackson Ave.
intersection. In true keeping with their short-shortsightedness, “Frankie and the
Petronites” don’t seem to care about the traffic impact on that intersection.
YMCA Considering New
Construction:
The outdoor basketball court at the
Huntington YMCA could be home to a new building if the organization pursues
plans for an expansion.
“The Huntington YMCA is ready to move forward with plans to construct a new building and parking facilities on its Main Street property.”“We have outgrown our space and our board has decided to explore the idea of creating new space at the YMCA,” Knauer said.”“The YMCA approached the town board to ensure their plans would be approved before they move forward to invest in architects and design.”“Knauer would not comment on the cost of the plans since they are still in the early planning stages. The YMCA will begin fundraising once plans are finalized, she said.”
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My next installment will re-focus attention
on our severely blighted properties that are being allowed to remain as public
safety / public hazard issues.
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