SAYVILLE—Last Wednesday night, an Islip Town Planning Board recommendation vote amounted to a split decision regarding a controversial application to construct 64 apartments on the southeast corner of Sunrise Highway and Lincoln Avenue. While Islip officials determine how to move forward with the application, nearby residents – none of whom were present at the meeting – are unhappy that the neighborhood was not notified of the upcoming decision in the first place.
The application for Village Green at Sayville LLC – dating back to November 2014 – seeks a modification of deed covenants and restrictions in order to construct 64 apartments instead of 38 single-family attached dwellings (condos). The dwellings will consist of 630-square-foot one-bedroom units and 1,090-square-foot two-bedroom units.
While the initial proposal for the condos was approved back in 2006, the attorney for the applicant, Joseph Buzzell, said the difficult economy played a role in the change to the application.
“We have attempted to preserve the best we can the general theme and the most important features of the site plan that was approved in 2006,” said Buzzell.
Buzzell noted that on the site, 229,628 square feet (5.27 acres) would be devoted to landscaping and natural buffers.
“That’s exceptional,” he said. “Seventy-two percent of the site is going to be landscaping and green space – 3.45 times the landscape requirement for the town. The other site had between 75 and 76.”
Buzzell said that the applicant has spent “a lot of time” working with the town to address all of the public concerns put forth in the past. He said that state officials determined that no wetlands existed on the property. He also said that an updated traffic study was submitted to the town, and that a bond would be posted to cover the costs of any traffic-related work for the first two years after the complex is occupied if any changes are deemed necessary.
“We have an appraisal prepared clearly demonstrating that particularly given the buffers, particularly given the limited access from Sunrise Highway, that there would be no effect on anybody’s property values as a result of this,” said Buzzell, who noted that the applicant also made an unsuccessful attempt to purchase the nearby Sayville Motor Inn.
Buzzell also explained the necessity for the installation of a sewage treatment facility (to be reviewed by the Suffolk County Department of Health) on the premises. When the site was originally approved, it was going to connect to a treatment facility at Sayville Commons 7000 feet to the west. However, the applicant could not obtain an easement to run a pipe under Sunrise Highway. They then tried “several” alternatives over the course of several years that did not pan out. In the meantime, the nearby Bristol Living Facility took up the rest of the Sayville Commons capacity, and the option is no longer on the table.
“We think this is a very, very positive project,” said Buzzell. “It would be very attractive, a very modest use of this particular site, and preserve the elements of the original site plan.”
Prior to the vote, Islip Town Planner Sean Colgan gave the Planning Department’s official recommendation.
“The use of the property as apartments is appropriate for the site,” said Colgan. “It acts as a transition from Sunrise Highway and commercial uses to the existing single family dwellings to the south and east.
“Several concerns were brought up at the public hearing which have all been addressed by the applicant,” continued Colgan.
Colgan said that to mitigate the concerns about traffic on Ort Court, the applicant has proposed to make Julbet Court one-way heading north at the southern end of the commercial zoning. This would prohibit vehicles from the apartments from heading south on Julbet and west on Ort Court to access westbound Sunrise Highway. Regarding the wetlands concerns, he said that the DEC concluded that the property is approximately 1,500 feet from the nearest regulated freshwater wetlands to the south. He noted that the applicant has also submitted a report by a real estate appraiser that concludes that the construction of apartments on the subject property will not negatively affect property values.
“The planning staff recommends that the board grant the application subject to the attached covenants,” concluded Colgan.
Ultimately, the item failed to either pass or fail due to a split vote by the planning board of 3-3-1, with board member Kevin Brown abstaining.
A few days after the meeting, resident Salene Fatigate reiterated her longstanding stance that the high-density rentals do not coincide with the nature and character of the surrounding neighborhood, which consists of privately owned single-family residences. She cited serious traffic and safety concerns, quality-of-life issues resulting from the installation of a sewage treatment plant and the disturbance of Browns River Watershed, the diminishment of backyards and woodland, and a resulting decrease in property values. Fatigate also cited knowledge of the applicant’s personal ties to a number of elected officials, and noted that reviews for another complex in Holtsville owned by the Cassata Organization – Victoria Gardens – has been subject to numerous negative reviews by tenants.
“The traffic is horrendous,” said Fatigate, who has lived in the neighborhood for 20 years. “It was bad before they put Target down the road. I can’t back out of my driveway during rush hour.”
In addition, Fatigate said that the installation of a sewage treatment plant could potentially cause health concerns for those living nearby.
“He wants to put a sewage plant right against the fences of another property,” said Fatigate, who once obtained a petition of over 1,000 signatures against the proposal. “They’re bordering a private property with kids in the backyard. Who wants to live next to a sewage treatment plant?”
At past meetings, residents were present to voice their complaints. However, there was no one present on Wednesday, which Fatigate says is because no one was aware of the recommendation item to begin with.
“I called the town every week – sometimes twice a week – and submitted hundreds and hundreds of papers,” said Fatigate. “They always said that I don’t have to keep calling and that I could just check the website. I called last Friday asking [if the item was coming up] and they said no. It wasn’t on the website, either.
“It’s completely unfair,” added Fatigate. “The applicant wants more money in his pocket but has no interest in the neighborhood itself. They didn’t want us there. We were entitled to be there. This is about our livelihood. We bought these homes years ago to invest in our future.”
Looking ahead, a town spokesperson said that the Planning Department “will be meeting with the applicant to see if they can come up with a better application.”